Grab your phones and check in to save lives

Ever heard of foursquare? No, not the old playground game when we were kids. This foursquare is all about your mobile phone and checking in.

A location-based service, foursquare allows you to “check in” to physical locations as you go about your day. Now boasting 10 million users, people around the world check in at restaurants, stores, coffee shops and even animal sanctuaries. Specials can be unlocked simply by checking in, such as a free appetizer at a restaurant or a free gift when you check in here at Best Friends.

It’s a cool service and idea, right? Well, we’re using this technology as a way for people to connect to their local animal shelters. What could be more special than helping save the lives of dogs and cats currently in the shelter system? It’s an easy and low-tech way to help us get one step closer to a nation of No More Homeless Pets.

The first annual National Animal Shelter Check-in Day will take place on November 12th. It’s our hope that a whole new generation of people will hear about this day, and take the opportunity to visit an animal shelter and start seeing the many cats and dogs who never get that chance at a home. It’s all part of our invisible dog campaign. We're asking every foursquare user to head to their local shelter and not just check in, but adopt, volunteer or simply take a photo of a dog available for adoption. By doing this, we're making shelter dogs visible!

Right now, we've got quite a few shelters around the country ready to participate. We believe that they'll meet new volunteers, supporters, and especially adopters on National Animal Shelter Check-in Day. Each of the participating shelters is already brainstorming their own ideas to make the day fun and unique for them.

The Invisible Dogs campaign is all about shining a light on local shelters around the country and letting the public know that there are incredible animals waiting for a home. They just need to be seen. The National Animal Shelter Check-in Day is another way to make that happen.

So grab your gadgets and download foursquare to your iPhone, Android or Blackberry and start checking in today!