The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) will be celebrating October as Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month to encourage Americans to turn their houses into homes by adopting a shelter dog. Each year millions of dogs enter our nation's shelters, yet of the approximately 59 million owned dogs in this country, less than 20% are shelter adoptees.

"Nothing adds more warmth to a home, or offers a better greeting after a hard day's work like a wagging tail and a pair of big brown eyes," says Dr. Larry Hawk, ASPCA President and CEO. "Drawing people to the shelters, and guiding them through the process of preparing their home for a new dog are our goals this month."

The ASPCA National Shelter Outreach department (NSO) with help of Iams^TM dog Foods (creator of the Lifelong Friends adoption matchmaking program) is helping over 8,000 shelters nationwide promote the month-long campaign by providing them with promotional materials. An online partner, Petfinder.com is equipped with a searchable database of over 4,000 animal shelters and rescue groups. Potential adopters can view thousands of adoptable animals ranging in age, size, breed, and location.