Displaced Paws Connects Pet Owners Facing Natural Disaster Related Crises with Temporary Foster Homes for Beloved Companion Animals

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America's largest non-profit pet adoption website, has expanded its emergency pet foster program to California in an effort to assist victims of the devastating wildfires sweeping northern parts of the state. Displaced Paws (www.displacedpaws.org) matches pet owners needing short-term care for their much-loved family pets with local animal lovers who can care for them while their families get back on their feet. Whether it's a need for placement for a few days or a few weeks, Displaced Paws is the first peer-to-peer platform that connects victims of natural disaster with temporary housing for their companion animals as they recover and rebuild their lives.

Displaced Paws - originally launched as FosteraHurricanePet.org to address this same need for evacuees of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida ? has expanded its service area to include California to be of aid to displaced pet owners in The Golden State. "The days leading up to and weeks following horrific events, such as the wildfires we are currently experiencing in Northern California, can be some of the most traumatic a family will ever encounter," said David Meyer, Adopt-a-Pet.com CEO and co-founder. "By giving pet owners the ability to find safe and local temporary care for their pets, Displaced Paws gives these victims one less thing to worry about while ensuring beloved family pets aren't left behind or surrendered to animal shelters."

Only people local to the areas affected by devastation are being asked to open their homes to foster a pet.  Pet lovers in the rest of the country who want to help are encouraged to visit Adopt-a-Pet.com or Petfinder.com to adopt a pet from their local shelter to make room for homeless pets being moved out of the hurricane-affected areas.  Those who can't adopt but still want to lend support can make a tax-deductible donation that will entirely be used to cover the costs of foster care for pets affected by natural disaster.

To learn more about Displaced Paws, visit www.displacedpaws.org.

About Adopt-a-Pet.com
Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America's largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 17,000 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their purebred and mixed breed pets for free to millions of adopters each month. Sponsored by the pet lovers at Purina, the Petco Foundation, Petco, and Bayer Animal Health LLC, Adopt-a-Pet.com helps homeless dogs, cats, and even rabbits and other animals go from alone to adopted.

SOURCE Adopt-a-Pet.com