Shelter Me: getyourpet.com

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- This week's Shelter Me report takes us online to a website that connects families looking to adopt a pet with families that need to surrender theirs.

Angela Marcus always had a love for animals.

"I've loved animals from the time I could walk," she says. "I always wanted to work with animals, and I really never knew exactly how I was going to do it."

After working in animal shelters for six years she saw the large number of animals being surrender by their owners.

"One out of every three pets going into shelters are being surrendered by their owners, and it just doesn't have to be that way," Marcus said.

So she created a new approach to pet adoption. It's called getyourpet.com.

"Instead of the typical approach where pets enter shelters or rescues, we enable people who need to find a home for their pet to connect directly with people who are looking to adopt," Marcus explains.

The website eliminates the need for surrendered pets to go into a shelter, which can be stressful for the animal.

"When pets get stressed they get sick and they don't act (like) themselves," Marcus says.

The website is easy to use. The user browses until he or she finds a pet they're interested in and messages the guardian to schedule a meet up at a neutral location.

"If things go well at the meetup you can adopt a pet right there if the pet owner agrees that it's a good match," says Marcus.

Getyourpet.com just launched nationally and recently celebrated its 100th adoption.

"The response has been overwhelmingly great," Marcus says. "No one gets a pet thinking, 'I'm going to have to get rid of this pet someday.' But it happens. And when people find themselves in that situation they're embarrassed, and they (didn't) really have any options... until getyourpet.com."

Jaxson Blue is a 4-year-old lab-pit mix.

"He is very affectionate, very smart, and very trainable," says Marcus. "He is good with kids and other dogs."

Zoey is a 6-month-old black lab.

"Probably a fenced-in yard it'd be a great idea," Marcus explains. "But she likes other kids. She likes other dogs."

Teddy is a 3-year-old cocker spaniel mix and loves to play fetch.

"He got his name because he looks like a Teddy Bear," says Marcus.

Nugsy is a 6-year-old kitty whose guardian has to move to Florida and can't take him with her.

"He loves to cuddle. She says he's very, very chill," said Marcus. "He likes cat nip, and he just wants to snuggle with you all day."

And Casey is a 6-year-old terrier who is obviously a couch potato, loves to hang close with her companion and enjoys a good walk. Snuggling is her specialty.

If you're interested in Casey or any of the animals featured in this week's report, visit getyourpet.com.

And, if you'd like us to share your shelter success stories, post a picture to the FYI Philly Facebook page using #6abcshelterme and tell us where you adopted your pet and how much they mean to you.

We'll be featuring your stories on upcoming Shelter Me segments.

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