Nestle Purina to purchase Petfinder

ST. LOUIS -- Nestle Purina PetCare Co. has agreed to buy Petfinder, the online pet adoption website, from Discovery Communications LLC, St. Louis-based Nestle Purina said Wednesday.

The deal is expected to be completed in July. Terms were not disclosed.

Nestle Purina said the purchase will allow it to broaden support for pet welfare organizations, strengthen its role as a leading provider of online pet-related information and better engage with pet consumers. The company plans to add pet nutrition and welfare information to the site.

The Petfinder website receives 100 million visits each year. It has been responsible for more than 22 million adoptions since it was founded in 1996. The site features more than 315,000 adoptable pets from about 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Petfinder also serves as a resource guide to help people and families select the right pets.

"Petfinder is the online leader in linking prospective adopters with adoptable pets, and a resource for pet owners' lifelong relationship with their pets," Joe Sivewright, president of North American Pet Food for Nestle Purina, said in a statement.

J.B. Perrette, chief digital officer for Discovery Communications, said Discovery has refocused its mission on nonfiction video and media, so it was seeking a new home for Petfinder. He said Discovery will continue its relationship with Petfinder through support of the Petfinder Foundation and through advertising with Nestle Purina.

Nestle Purina is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A.