Find Your Hero at a Local Animal Shelter During American Humane Association's Adopt-A-Dog Month® This October

Animal Advocates and National Ambassador Tinsley Mortimer Offer Ways to Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Adopt-A-Dog Month®

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Humane Association National Ambassador Tinsley Mortimer and Madison Avenue handbag boutique Samantha Thavasa are celebrating Adopt-A-Dog Month by donating 25 percent of sales to American Humane Association's Second Chance® Fund, which helps local shelters and rescue groups afford medical treatment for abused and neglected animals so they can recover and be adopted. From October 13-20, 2011, the donations will be made for purchases at the store (965 Madison Ave., New York City) and for phone and e-mail orders.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101108/DC97343LOGO)

Visit www.samanthathavasausa.com to view the Tinsley Mortimer collection of handbags and other merchandise.

American Humane Association established Adopt-A-Dog Month® in October 1981 as an annual event to encourage people to save lives and enhance their own lives by adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group. Thirty years later, that message is as strong, true and important as ever, as millions of dogs in shelters await adoption every year.

"We kicked off Adopt-A-Dog Month this year with a very special event that celebrated the extraordinary benefits dogs bring to people's lives — the inaugural American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™ in Los Angeles," said Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D., American Humane Association president and CEO. "The Hero Dog nominations and voting campaign underscored just how much dogs can save lives and improve the quality of life for so many people. It was strikingly clear from the hundreds of nominations we received that even 'ordinary' dogs, with no specialized training or advanced skills, mean so much to people that they consider them heroes."  The American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards will be broadcast nationally by Hallmark Channel on Veterans Day, November 11, 2011.

"If you haven't yet experienced that remarkable power of the human-animal bond, American Humane Association encourages you to consider adopting a dog and finding out just how life-changing it can be," Ganzert said. "With so many dogs in shelters all across our country available for adoption — and many of them never finding a safe, loving, forever home — adopting a dog will make you a hero, too."

Here are a variety of other ways to celebrate Adopt-A-Dog Month:

Adopt from a shelter or rescue group

When you're ready to open your heart and home to a new pooch, adopt from your local animal shelter or rescue group. Talk with shelter staff to find the perfect dog for you and your lifestyle, and remember that older dogs make excellent pets too.

Spay or neuter your dog

The best way to combat pet overpopulation is to have your dog spayed or neutered, thus preventing the possibility of unexpected, and potentially unwanted, puppies. Spayed and neutered animals have been shown to lead longer, healthier lives and tend to avoid having certain behavioral problems common in animals that have not been spayed or neutered.

ID your pet

By putting identification on your dog, either in the form of a tag, a microchip or both, you will reduce the possibility that your pet will become one of the presumably "homeless" dogs that end up at your local shelter. Only 15-20 percent of dogs who enter a shelter are reunited with their owners. Make sure your dog is one of the fortunate few by outfitting him with proper identification!

Support your local shelter

Show the pets at your local shelter or rescue group that you care by donating time, money or supplies like pet food, leashes, beds and toys. Call the shelter to see what supplies or services are needed most. Even the smallest effort can make a difference.

About American Humane Association

Since 1877, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in protecting children, pets and farm animals from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Today we're also leading the way in understanding the human-animal bond and its role in therapy, medicine and society. American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses. You can help make a difference, too. Visit American Humane Association at www.americanhumane.org today.

SOURCE American Humane Association

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