Hands up if you have a fur baby at home!  If you do have a furry member of the family (of the canine or feline variety and not the human variety!), you'll know just how special they are and how very much part of the family they are. I am reminded of this often...especially during the holidays.

Let me introduce you to our fur baby.

This is Chance.
Chance - Not pronounced the English way, but the French way. Chance as in "Bonne chance!" (good luck). In case you weren't already aware, my Twitter handle, @chancesmommy was selected because Chance was my baby long before Little One was even a glimmer in my eye.

Chance was my first baby. In fact, I cannot even fathom a sweet pup like Chance not having a family to live with.  This always reminds me of the fact that there are so many dogs and cats that are without homes...and this makes me really sad.

Did you know that  IAMS HOME 4 THE HOLIDAYS is in its 14th year of setting out to find forever homes for orphaned animals?

The Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive enters its 14th year and remains focused on raising awareness of pet adoption while also ensuring proper nutrition for more homeless pets this year. The program which runs Oct. 1, 2012 through Jan. 2, 2013 celebrates over 7 million pets adopted out since its inaugural year and continues to educate potential pet owners about the wonderful animals available at local shelters and rescue organizations. This year, Iams will again work in conjunction with founding partner Helen Woodward Animal Center, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies and more than 4,000 animal organizations worldwide to encourage pet adoption.

“Shelters and rescues around the country are overflowing with great adoptable animals awaiting forever homes,” said Mike Arms, founder of the adoption drive and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. "Last year a tiny, starved dachshund was brought into a shelter, weighing maybe one pound soaking wet, and very cold and miserable. The shelter helped nurse her back to health and she was adopted by a wonderful couple that fell in love with her and named her Baby. Stories like these show us the importance of promoting pet adoption and how a program like Iams Home 4 the Holidays can make a huge difference in the life of a pet.”
{What Can You Do To Help?}

Canadians can participate in the program in more ways than one. Lend a hand by:
 
* Donating through Bags 4 Bowls – For those who are already pet parents, Iams will donate one bowl of food to a participating Iams Home 4 the Holidays animal organization for every specially marked package of Iams pet food purchased during the campaign
* Adopting from a local shelter – Every day more and more animals end up in shelters or in rescue care, and more than 25 per cent are pure breeds*. This is important to keep in mind when deciding to bring a pet into your life, the animal you’re looking for is probably in your neighbourhood shelter. To find a participating animal shelter or rescue organization near you, visit iams.ca or facebook.com/iams
* Volunteering – Shelters need volunteers to do everything from feeding, caring for and keeping rescue animals company, to assisting at events and fundraisers. If you can’t adopt but would still love to help do so as a volunteer
* Visiting Facebook.com/iams – Visit the Iams Facebook page and click to “Like” the page or various messages, photos, videos, etc. For each “Like” comment Iams will donate meals to participating animal shelters

For more information about the campaign or to find out how to get involved, become a fan of the Iams Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Iams or visit www.iams.ca.