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From The Sun News - June 29, 2002

A nationwide service based in North Myrtle Beach has found foster homes for thousands of pets whose military owners have been sent to duty since Sept. 11.

It operates out of a tiny, paper-strewn office by a petite, coffee-guzzling man who often stays up until 4 a.m. making calls, filling out paperwork and updating his Web site.

His phone bills run about $500 a month, and he pays about $300 a month to keep his Web site host. It's his money and his time - and, he says, his patriotic duty.

"I'm doing something that I totally believe in," said Steve Albin, founder and president of NetPets. "There are times when you just have to be selfless." Albin started NetPets in 1996 as an informational Web site for animal owners, listing nationwide veterinarians and links to other pet Web sites. But after Sept. 11, he realized he could meet a greater need.

On Sept. 19, Albin created the MilitaryPets Foster Project, through which he finds foster homes for pets that otherwise might be put in shelters. He says he was moved by stories during the Gulf War in the early 1990s that told how abandoned military pets overwhelmedshelters. Many had to be euthanized. "I just don't like atrocities," Albin said. "And what happened during Desert Storm and Desert Shield was an atrocity."

Albin screens potential foster families, calls their veterinarians and makes sure they know something about the animal they're about to take in.

"The amount of hours he puts in is unbelievable," said Rich Lockhart, who helps Albin with administrative work. Besides Albin, three volunteers help with NetPets.

The nonprofit company receives minimal donations. Businesses that donate are given advertising space on the Web site, which Albin considers "recognition for charitable donations." NetPets merchandise is sold through the Web site, and proceeds go to the foster project.

Don Cauthen, who owns Studebaker's in Myrtle Beach, was one of a small number of local businesspeople who helped NetPets get off the ground in 1996. "I like pets, and I thought it was a worthy project," he said.

NetPets has about 5,000 registered foster homes, but Albin said he needs about 10,000 more. The Web site gets two new visits per second. As far as Albin knows, the NetPets military foster project is the only program of its kind in the United States. There are groups that find foster homes in specific areas, programs that charge fees and programs that provide databases of potential fosters.

But NetPets' program is free, and it is unique in that Albin screens every potential home. If the animal doesn't get along with the foster family, or the foster family is unhappy, he makes other arrangements.

• How to become a NetPets Foster Home:
• Call NetPets at (843) 249-5262 or by Email
• You will receive an emailed application, to which you'll have to supply a profile, references
  and your veterinarians name and phone number
• NetPets will contact you after the application is reviewed.

From the AKC's website

For the Week of November 26

Patriotism and a love of animals inspired Steve Albin to create the MilitaryPetsFOSTER Project, a nationwide network of temporary homes for the dogs, cats and birds of mobilized military personnel.

Albin recognized the need for such a service when he discovered that many members of the Armed Forces had to surrender their pets to animal shelters when they were sent overseas during Desert Storm, Desert Strike, and other operations. The MilitaryPetsFOSTER project gives service personnel the option of leaving their pets, free of charge, in foster homes across the country. The pets will be reunited with their owners when they return from their tours of duty.

Foster homes are currently being recruited for the pets of service personnel involved in the war in Afghanistan.

The foster project is one of many services provided by NetPets, Inc., a public charity dedicated to welfare of pets.

For more information, go to netpets.org or call (843) 249-5262.

From the ROA's Newsletter - November 2, 2001 Reserve Officers Association

11. VOLUNTEER FOSTER FAMILIES FOR MILITARY PERSONS' PET(S) - NetPets.Org is a non-profit pet organization offering a free service to military persons who need to find a foster home for their pet(s) during this time of war. http://www.netpets.org/

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - October 24, 2001

An Army veteran who lost his collie while serving in Vietnam wants to care for the pets of reservists called to fight the war on terrorism.

"I know how someone misses pets during tours of duty," the Pittsburgh resident wrote in an e-mail. "Nothing beats knowing that someone is caring for your pets while serving."

A middle-aged couple still misses their elderly yellow Labrador retriever, which died two years ago. They don't have time to train puppies but would like to take two adult dogs into their home. It would be "a dream come true" to help a soldier by loving his or her pets.

An appeal for help in Pet Tales produced a flood of more than 100 e-mails from local people offering to open their hearts and their homes to dogs owned by people they've never met. I've lost count of the number of offers made by telephone, and my voice-mail box overflows with messages.

One of the offers includes a 180-acre Washington County farm that can foster dogs and horses. Rescue groups had been told homes already had been located for cats and small dogs.

The drive for local foster homes is being coordinated by Joe Maringo of Plum, who operates Southwest Pennsylvania Retriever Rescue Organization (SPARRO). Though Labrador's retrievers are Maringo's primarily mission, he just can't say no to dogs of other breeds.

Maringo and several readers also referred me to a great Web site called NetPets.Org. Site owner Steve Albin of Myrtle Beach has set up a free registry for dogs, cats and birds. There are on-line application forms for reservists who need help and for people who can provide it. Albin has placed about 25 military pets in foster homes. He's also registered about 4,000 people who want to provide foster homes. The site address is http://www.netpets.org.

Albin is also accepting donations to aid with the effort. Donations are tax deductible because NetPets is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

The 5-year-old site has more than 90,000 pages and millions of page views each month, Albin said. There are separate pages for dogs, cats, horses, birds and fish.

Donations are being used to help the pets. Albin's site also helps animal shelters, rescue groups, search and rescue dogs, riding for the handicapped programs and similar organizations

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Oct. 18, 2001

Organizations nationwide are looking for volunteers. NetPets.Org's MilitaryPetsFOSTER Project may be one of the largest, with 3,500 volunteers that come from every state signing on as potential military pet homes since the service started Sept. 13, said NetPets founder and president Steve Albin.

Already the South Carolina-based organization has placed about 25 military pets in temporary homes, and another 50 military personnel have contacted NetPets to make plans in case they are deployed.

"These are the people defending our country, and we had to do something," he said.

Albin estimated up to 10,000 military pets may need foster homes during the operation.

Animal shelters are developing foster care programs early to avoid the deluge of pets that were surrendered during the Persian Gulf War. Many shelters were overwhelmed with pets when owners who were called to duty didn't find them new homes, said Betsy McFarland of the Humane Society of the United States.

Many groups require a foster care agreement that the owner and foster owner sign. The agreement addresses who will pay for the animal's expenses, what to do if the pet dies or if the foster care owner can no longer take care of the pet.

The Wisconsin National Guard has had a handful of organizations offer homes for pets and has passed on that information to the units, said Lt. Col. Tim Donovan. Beyond that, it's up to the owner to find pets a home.

Access the Humane Society of the United States at www.hsus.org and NetPets at www.netpets.org.