Formation of the Pounded Pet Protection League

     You might be aware of the work of Petpet Protection League (PPL), an organisation that promotes the welfare of Petpets in Neopia. Every week, a specific type of Petpet is chosen, and the owners of the longest-held Petpets of that type are awarded. This recognition encourages Neopians to take good care of their little Petpets. Many of us Neopian citizens admire the efforts of the PPL. However, we are concerned that not only Petpets need extra recognition, but also the less fortunate Neopets who have lost their owners and find themselves in the Pound. We are excited to announce the formation of a new organisation dedicated to the well-being of pounded Pets in the Neopian community: the Pounded Pet Protection League (PPPL). Our mission is to improve the welfare of Pounded Pets of Neopia. For many Pets the stay in the Pound is short, but for some, it will be their home for a long time before they find their permanent home.

     Key Objectives of the Pounded Pet Protection League:

     Educational Initiatives: Some Neopets are unfortunately Pounded because they get sick, and their new owners do not know how to cure them. We will inform owners about the Neopian Hospital, where you can diagnose your Neopet; the Pharmacy, where you can buy cures; and the Healing Springs, where the faeries will heal even diseases if you keep visiting with your sick Pet as your active Neopet.

     The PPPL will also provide tips for giving Neopets the optimal stay in the Pound, for example, by making sure you check them into the Neolodge before releasing them into the Pound. The Pound food is not exactly top-notch of Neopian cuisine, leaving many Neopets to starve rather than daring to try it. This can make them very miserable before they meet their new owners. Checking them into the Neolodge ensures access to food your Pet likes.

     Community Engagement: The PPPL aims to encourage the Neopian community to actively engage with Pounded Pets. We encourage all Neopets owners who have one (or more) available Pet slots to adopt Neopets to feed, play, read, and have fun with them before releasing them back to the Pound. That is, if you do not want or cannot provide a permanent home. Maybe you get along really well with your foster Pet and decide to give it a permanent home, or your Neofriend took a liking to it. Otherwise, you can check back on the Pet regularly by typing its name into the Pound search bar, and repeat the fun day until it gets adopted to a new owner. This activity is not very expensive, so even new Neopian citizens can afford this activity without going bankrupt. If you can afford to check a Pound Pet into the Fleapit for 5 NP a night, it will be very grateful to you for saving it from Dr. Death's questionable cooking.

     Charity: We encourage well-off Neopians who have been around for some time to use some of those NPs to paint, morph, and zap those Pounded Pets so that they can stand out. Many new Neopians would love to find an amazing coloured Pet in the Pound.

     Spread the word: Neopets in the Pound love it when people let others know that they exist. Pound Surfers are Neopians who go to the Pound to see what Neopets are there, even if they can't adopt any into their family. They share their findings with others on the Neoboards (usually under the headline “Pound Surf”). This improves the chance of a Pounded Pet finding its perfect home. There are also Neoboards for Neopets that do not show up so often when refreshing the Pound pages, but have to be searched for. These often have ”Lost and Pound” or “Lost and Found” in the headline.

     Teach new skills: It is no secret that some names give a Neopet an advantage in the search for a new owner. Short, pronounceable names give them an edge, but plenty of Neopets with underscores, numbers or lowercase letters make excellent companions. If a capital letter is missing in a Neopet name, and you want it to show up capitalised on your and your Pet's lookup, guess what? There is code for that in the old-style parts of Neopia. Don`t let the grammar nerd in you bypass a potential new family member because your coding skills are not up to date. We encourage everyone to sharpen their coding skills, and those knowledgeable to share with others in the community.

     Be creative:We in the PPPL are all for giving nicknames or making up a background history for your new family member to explain those numbers. Maybe your Neopet got a number in its name when it was under the control of the evil Dr. Sloth before it made its great escape? Maybe those seemingly scrambled letters and numbers are code, and this Neopet dreams of becoming an 8-bit Pet? Do we have a future from-rags-to-riches-themed entry in the Customisation Spotlight, or do you just love the pretty face that would be so cute in the Beauty Contest? There is so much to do with pets with more than 3-5 letter names!

     Changing attitudes: Don't you mind underscores, numbers or lowercase letters, or a little uppercase-lowercase scrambled name for that matter? Good! Let's keep making Neopia an inclusive and friendly place! Let’s also promote that basics are beautiful, and do not always have to be painted. Red, Blue, Yellow and Green are iconic classics in Neopia!

     Adopt:We hope you have space for a Pounded Pet in your Neofamily! If you want to give a Pounded Pet a long-term home you will not be disappointed. There are many out there, so go and find your new friend!

     We believe that the formation of the Petpet Protection League will bring an added layer of joy and accomplishment to the Neopian experience. Join our efforts today! By engaging in any of these activities you can proudly call yourself a member of the Pounded Pet Protection League!