Merial and DogTime Partner to Drive Over 3 Million Virtual Pet Fosters

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ --DogTime Media, the largest online vertical media community focused exclusively on pet owners, today announced that their popular Save a Dog application, in partnership with Merial, the makers of FRONTLINE®, has generated a record level of exposure for shelter dogs across Facebook® in just six months.

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Since the partnership with FRONTLINE -- the vets No. 1 choice for flea and tick protection*, the Save a Dog application's online users have virtually fostered more than 3,147,000 real shelter animals, providing them with valuable exposure that greatly improves their chances for adoption and draws much needed attention to the plight of homeless pets.  There are over 70,000 more animals available to be virtually fostered or adopted via the Save a Dog and Save a Cat applications.

The FRONTLINE partnership with Save a Dog encourages pet enthusiasts across Facebook to join the cause and get involved by virtually fostering, donating, or participating in unique promotions such as the Doggie Makeover Sweepstakes which will award a lucky Save a Dog user with a one year supply of FRONTLINE®, a $200 Muttropolis gift certificate, a $100 cash prize, and a $500 cash donation to the shelter or rescue of their choice.

"Save a Dog has truly connected with the passionate pet community across Facebook in ways that we never expected," said Trevor Wright, CEO of DogTime Media. "And it is collaborative programs like the one we have with Frontline that allow brands to engage with this community around a unified mission of getting animals out of shelters and into loving homes."

The Save a Dog and Save a Cat applications by DogTime allow users to browse and "virtually" foster real animals in their neighborhood or anywhere in the country.  Points are awarded to users for "petting" and "walking" their fosters, and for inviting other Facebook users to co-foster an animal or to participate in a "play date". Users can also upload photos of their own dogs and cats, and vote to choose the Dog of the Week and Cat of the Week on Facebook.  

"In a perfect world there would be a home for every pet, but unfortunately that's not the case," said Mike Hutton, Senior Director at Merial, Ltd. "That is why it's important to raise awareness of the dire need for pet adoptions and encourage potential pet owners to take action.  We are very pleased that our efforts with Save a Dog are making a difference in the lives of pets and pet owners."

Merial is also awarding an additional 50 points to any Save a Dog user who watches a brief FRONTLINE branded informational video or downloads a coupon built into the application.

For every 2,500 points each user scores, DogTime donates the financial equivalent of a cup of food to RescueGroups.org, a non-profit organization that provides free and low-cost technology services to animal shelters and rescue groups across the country. 

For more information about DogTime Media and its Save a Dog and Save a Cat applications please visit http://www.dogtimemedia.com.

About DogTime Media:

DogTime Media is the largest vertical media community focused exclusively on pet owners and the 47.7 billion dollar annual pet market. DogTime Media reaches 29.5 million monthly users via its community of 500 leading pet-focused websites, 460 pet bloggers and more than 3,000 rescue groups, anchored by its own DogTime.com, the premier destination for pet owners.

DogTime Media actively supports the efforts of rescue groups and shelters nationwide to significantly reduce the number of homeless and neglected pets in the country by providing authoritative advice to both novice and experienced pet guardians. Founded in 2007, DogTime Media is a privately held company based in San Francisco, CA.

About Merial:

Merial, the maker of FRONTLINE brand products, is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 5,700 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2009 sales were $2.6 billion. Merial is the Animal Health subsidiary of sanofi-aventis.

For more information, please see www.merial.com.

* Vet dispensed; MDI data.

®FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of Merial. ©2010 Merial Limited. Duluth, GA. All rights reserved.

SOURCE DogTime Media