Throwback Photo: Goodnewsforpets.com’s Lola and her pal Rosie eating 20th Anniversary birthday cake from Three Dog Bakery.
Goodnewsforpets.com Celebrates 26th Anniversary
Germinder + Associates, Inc. is celebrating its 26th anniversary of Goodnewsforpets.com in 2026. The site now shares its birthday with another holiday, Love Your Pet Day, and we love that connection. The award-winning site was originally launched on February 20, 2000, at the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC), now Viticus WVC, in Las Vegas. The site has changed with the times, but in 2000, the site featured a virtual newsroom sponsored by Merial to complement the traditional newsroom – an innovation at the time.
The 2000 Goodnewsforpets.com site included the Cat Writers Association and the Dog Writers Association of America as the first media partners, with Steve Dale as the first featured columnist. The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, the former Fort Dodge Animal Health, the American Animal Hospital Association, and Addison Laboratories were featured on the site. Other exhibitors at the conference could post their news alongside “.com” companies in the “Discovery Zone.”
“At the time there was just so much negativity out there we needed what pets give us every day, and that’s good news,” said Dale. “I was instantly intrigued and happy to support the upbeat vision of Goodnewsforpets.”
The Cat Writers Association was the first media partner for the site. Amy Shojai, Co-Founder was then president and was recently interviewed about that original decision. Germinder has worked with several presidents since. Here is what one past-president Deb Barnes had to say:
“I joined the Cat Writers’ Association in 2011,” stated Barnes, “our social growth and presence grew afterwards exponentially, much in part at the time due to the vision and guidance of Lea-Ann Germinder and Goodnewsforpets.com. We are honored to be one of her first media partners.”
While the 2026 version of Goodnewsforpets.com looks far different from the original, the core mission to provide “good news” for pets remains unchanged.
“We’re still here in 2026 thanks to all our supporters and the Goodnewsforpets.com community. We continue to celebrate our rich history, but look forward to evolving and celebrating more “good news” to come, says Lea-Ann Germinder, APR Fellow PRSA, Founder and Publisher.
Goodnewsforpets.com is the publishing platform of Germinder + Associates, Inc. It combines an award-winning website and social media channels to curate news of interest and importance to pet parents, veterinary professionals, and the pet industry. Editorial, contests, and sponsored content distribution are available. Contact Lea-Ann Germinder at Lgerminder@germinder.com or 917-334-8682. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/goodnewsforpets and Instagram @goodnewsforpets and follow us on Twitter @goodnewsforpets. #Goodnewsforpets26
