Over 100 DC Area Dogs Hope to be "Home 4 the Holidays"

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

RESTON, VA (November 20, 2005) - The holidays are a time for sharing our hearts and our homes. On a uncharacteristically sunny November Saturday, over 2,200 dog seekers, owners and lovers visited the "Home 4 the Holidays" pet adoption event hosted by GOODDOGZ.ORG.

The Reston Town Center became home to over 100 homeless dogs who put on their best face (and bows and antlers) in the hopes of finding a warm, loving home where they could spend the holidays. 18 area purebred and mixed breed dog rescue organizations banded together to find homes for the dogs in their care. GOODDOGZ.ORG also provided trained adoption counselors who roamed the crowds assisting dog adopters with finding their perfect four-legged match. GOODDOGZ.ORG will work with the local rescue groups and agencies to track the number of adoptions in our area between November 7, 2005 and January 6, 2006.

Attendees could also do their holiday shopping for their pets. Many local pet retailers were on-hand promoting their Christmas merchandise. Children were visited by Santa Paws and GOODDOGZ.ORG's own SPOT mascot.

"This year's Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption event did a wonderful job of promoting dog adoption as an alternate choice to buying a dog from a pet store or breeder," explained Mark Bates, Vice President of Rescue Group Support. "It's obvious from all the dogs that are here today, that there are many dogs in the local area that are need of a good home during the holiday season."

The national "Home 4 the Holidays" campaign is sponsored by The Iams Company and the Helen Woodward Animal Center. In its seventh year, the campaign has attracted over 1,800 animal welfare organizations with the goal of finding forever homes for over 350,000 homeless animals. The goal of "Home 4 the Holidays" is to increase adoptions from animal shelters and pet rescue groups during the holiday season when more families add pets to their homes than any other time of year.

GOODDOGZ.ORG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. We believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, we'll give each family the best opportunity for a lifelong relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters.