Home 4 the holidays adoption drive surging.

• Position: Pets - Brief Article

Bringing a new pet home is one of life's great pleasures--whether it is watching a puppy or kitten cautiously explore its new surroundings or seeing an older dog or cat excitedly eat from a shiny, new food bowl. Play out those scenes more than 350,000 times around the globe, and that is the goal of this year's Home 4 the Holidays campaign. Helen Woodward Animal Center, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., will team with more than 2,000 animal shelters, actress and animal lover Diane Keaton, and The lams Company, Dayton, Ohio, to encourage prospective pet parents to bring a shelter pet home for the holidays. This year's adoption drive runs through Jan. 2, 2006.

"I applaud the shelters and rescue groups who make [this] the most successful pet adoption drive in history," says Keaton. "Since becoming involved in 2001, I've watched it grow to the point where 313,000 orphan pets found homes during last year's campaign. This is a tremendous achievement, but we aren't done yet. We expect 2005 to be the biggest year ever!"

During the drive, each new adopting family will receive a starter kit containing food samples, coupons, and important tips on pet care, behavior, training, and nutrition. "We are proud to save lives by helping find new homes for orphan pets," enthuses Kelly...