Programs that place stray and homeless domestic pets with people who are willing to provide for their care; find homes for wild burros, horses or other animals who are being removed from their natural environment; or place retired race horses, show horses, greyhounds and other animals when their racing or show careers have come to an end. Included are websites where animals available for adoption can be listed.

Programs that assist people who have lost their pets to obtain information, if available, about the pet's location. These programs may provide registration services and identification tags which inform people who find a lost pet about who to call, and/or may maintain an information network to match details on lost pets with details about those people have found.

Programs that provide protection and care for unwanted pets or stray animals, and hold them for a specified period of time to provide an opportunity for owners to claim them prior to offering them for adoption. Included are shelters that euthanize the animals if not adopted within a specified amount of time, as well as "no kill" shelters that will keep the animals until they are adopted.