What a great year 2005 proved to be! We have grown in leaps and bounds, picked up a couple of awards, launched some amazing community features like forums and groups and hosted the largest online dog show ever. In celebration, we give special belly rubs to all Dogster members and thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your kind words and support.

So, what’s new you ask?

We are very proud to announce that Dogster Groups are live for all! Groups are a way of organizing around a particular shared interest. The group could be focused on a particular breed (like Pugs or Poodles), a particular cause (like Dogsters Against Breed Specific Legislation), a local group (like Mission Dolores Dog Park, Manhattan Dog Walkers Association), or even just a silly group (Dogster Super Friends). It’s totally up to you! Groups can be private, invite-only or open to anyone. You can send messages to the group, share photos, post calendar events, share links and more. Check out all the groups or make your own now.

Here's more exciting news: Dogster turns two in January! Dogster officially launched to the world January 12, 2004. While 2005 was dedicated to optimizing the features of the site, 2006 will be dedicated to optimizing the usage experience. Really, we feel like we’re just getting going and can’t wait to keep making it better and better! In fact, January 29th marks the beginning of the Chinese year of the Dog and this year is going to be great for all dogs and Dogster members alike!

Every January, we make a list of New Year's resolutions. This year, why not include your pets? Make a commitment to make your best friends’ lives even healthier and happier. There’s so much we can do. See a list prepared by DAD’s Pet Care to to get started in the right direction.

It's that time again! The AKC Eukanuba National Championship will be live on Animal P***t and Discovery Networks. Tune in January 14th/15th at 8pm EST for the live simulcast. This is a great family tradition and we just can’t wait to see who wins best in show! Vote for your favorite while you watch, click here for more details.

Join DogsterPlus in January and you could win a free Pet Insurance Policy for a year. Thanks to our good friends at PetsHealth Plan, if you join DogsterPlus in January, you are automatically entered into a drawing for a free basic policy for one year. Not only will you be making your pal super healthy with pet insurance you will also be making them super happy with special features such as a Photo Book, captions, frames and Rosettes. All that and you'll be helping to ensure that Dogster will be around next year with lots of new features and serving faster than a dog on the run. Ask any Plus member and they’ll tell ya, this is a good deal and a lot of fun! Don’t wait as the current discounted, i! ntroductory price of $19.95 is scheduled to go up in 2006. Lock in the low price now!

Do You Know Pet-Friendly Companies? We are making a list! Since we’re all pet lovers and we all have to work (well, most all of us at least), we’re making a big list of pet-friendly places to work. Please tell us about the pet-friendly companies you know and maybe you’ll make some Dogster’s year by helping them find a better job for their family. Our quick form takes just a couple seconds.

And finally, don’t forget to check out our Holiday Picture Party one last time. See over 2,900 festive fluffiess strut their holiday stuff. We Love our strolls, it puts the biggest smile on our faces. Keep an eye out for our Valentine's day stroll coming soon.

A big thanks to all of you for being part of the best, most fun, most friendly pet community in the world! We are so very, very grateful to have you as part our lives and the Dogster family. We hope you have the best year ever.

New! Dogster Neighborhood Dogster Neighborhood is where pet-friendly companies and service providers can promote their businesses in their locality. Vets, stores, groomers, walkers, sitters, behavioralists, kennels, photographers, painters, you name it! With Dogster Neighborhood you can share your message in our newsletter for just the Dogsters in your area. Learn more about our new neighborhood program! Your ad will appear like the one below. »Want to contact pet-lovers in your area? Share you message with just the Dogsters near you. Cost-effective and Dogster approved! ads.dogster.com