Do not be confused by emails urging you to buy those cute pet postage stamps from the USPS which claims the stamps raise money to feed shelter pets. No money goes to shelter animals — the stamps are simply a way to raise awareness of the need for more pet adoptions.
I have been receiving many mass e-mailings of the following email message which is incorrect:
“Starting April 30th you can buy stamps at the post office that help to buy food for shelter pets. You can pre-order them online. I think this would be a great thing to spread around. Could you please forward to your contacts? Please help spread the word!!!”
These stamps DO NOT help buy anything for shelter pets. I have gotten this message repeatedly and I can see it is “going viral” — I find it extremely misleading and want to tell you that purchasing the USPS’s very cute stamps does not trigger any donations. HALO is sending food to shelters.
One of my favorite website sponsors, HALO Purely for Pets, is the unsung partner in this postage stamp offering. Ellen Degeneres is part of the campaign to raise awareness of how many adoptable pets there are in shelters but it is HALO — the company she co-owns — which is the one working to actually feed shelter pets. HALO is going to donate 1 million meals to shelter animals with the social networking participation (not monetary donations) of the public — but it is NOT connected to the pet stamps. To find out more and how you can join in the campaign, go to
–Tracie Hotchner
