Charity launches social networking site for pets

THE BLUE Cross, one of the UK’s oldest animal charities has taken a 21st century approach to ‘getting its message out’ via the Internet and has launched what it calls 'a social networking site for anyone interested in pets'.

Currently in its Beta form, the Blue Cross' new allaboutpets social networking website (http://beta.allaboutpets.org.uk/) is a 'music centre' of a membership site combining forums, rolling news, polls, video uploads and so on.

The news is a mix of aggregation, press releases and in-house articles. Unsurprisingly for a site in beta development, membership is currently very low, (under 100).

Conversely PetStreet, registered as a domain since October 2006, is a pet owners social networking site with just over 2,000 members.

The immediate obvious difference between the two sites is the emphasis that PetStreet has given to video and still imagery on its landing page.

PetStreet founder Maurice Melzak admits that gradually the site will become more commercialised but, he says: ‘Only by associating with products that are ethical, organic, environmentally friendly etc or just really useful.’