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January 26, 2005 10:11 AM
New Web site offers help for area pet owners

NEW ORLEANS — For some people, finding a pet that needs a home just as much as they need a companion is an important part of the matching process. At the same time, finding the right help is sometimes hard for those who have pets with behavioral or other problems threatening the relationship.

Enter AnimalFocusNetwork.org, a New Orleans-based Web site recently launched to help people statewide find the rescue groups, humane societies, suppliers and other pet-related organizations they need.

Diana Thornton, owner of the non-profit Animal Focus Network which publishes the site, said after years of working with animal groups that fielded daily calls for services they didn’t provide, she determined there was a need for a comprehensive referral database. “There was this huge gap in our information. We were all trying to get together but no one was facilitating that,” she said.

The database includes approximately 1,300 organizations and about 2,000 programs. Users can search for organizations in their area by name or type of service.

Thornton said besides official rescue groups and humane societies, there are plenty of groomers and veterinarians who do rescue work on the side. The database allows them the flexibility to describe all of the services that they offer the public.

The directory also includes services that make pet ownership a little easier, from grooming and obedience, to behavior consultation and pet sitting. “One of my theories is that if people have easy access to the support resources once they have an animal they are much more likely to keep it and not give it up to a shelter because they can’t handle it,” Thornton said.

Thornton said she’s still tweaking the database for accuracy. She’s also trying to get the word out about the site through various organizations, veterinarians and others. In the future, she said she will compile a print edition of the directory.

One of the aspects of the site that makes it more useful than other directories, Thornton said, is the option organizations have to include a paragraph or two about their services in addition to general contact information. That allows users to determine ahead of time if the organization fits their needs.

Thornton said she expects to sell advertising space on the Web site in the future to offset the cost of creating the site.

By A.J. Mistretta
The Biz Network