Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is petfinder.org legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns petfinder.org?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for petfinder.org. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 30 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · one registrar since Dec 9, 2016 · no ownership change on record since 2016 · last checked Oct 10, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredJul 31, 1996petfinder.org was registered on Jul 31, 1996.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 27, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described petfinder.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (8 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023Said about itself in 2006Jul 1, 2006
Registrar
NOM-IQ Ltd dba Com LaudeNOM-IQ Ltd dba Com LaudeDec 9, 2016 – Oct 10, 2026 (latest)Registrar NOM-IQ Ltd dba Com Laude (IANA 470) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 9, 2016 and most recently on Oct 10, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 27, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsDec 9, 2016 – May 15, 2026Registration records for petfinder.org are held from Dec 9, 2016 to May 15, 2026 (74 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No ownership changes recorded, 2016–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: petfinder.comNameservers: petfinder.comDec 9, 2016 – Feb 11, 2026Registration records listed petfinder.com nameservers (ns11.petfinder.com, ns12.petfinder.com, ns3.petfinder.com…) for petfinder.org from Dec 9, 2016 to Feb 11, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Certificate from ZeroSSL GmbHAug 22, 2026 – Oct 10, 2026 (latest)ZeroSSL GmbH certificate valid Aug 22, 2026 to Nov 20, 2026, as seen on Oct 10, 2026.Source: TLS check, Oct 10, 2026
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (11)
Jul 31, 1996Registration: petfinder.org was registered on Jul 31, 1996.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 27, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described petfinder.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (8 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Jul 1, 2009AboutUs record: “Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2009
Dec 9, 2016 – Oct 10, 2026Registrar: Registrar NOM-IQ Ltd dba Com Laude (IANA 470) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 9, 2016 and most recently on Oct 10, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 27, 2026
Dec 9, 2016 – May 15, 2026Ownership: Registration records for petfinder.org are held from Dec 9, 2016 to May 15, 2026 (74 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.
“Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country.”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Said about itself in 2009Jul 1, 2009“Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2009
Current AboutUs recordJun 26, 2026 – Aug 27, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 27, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Nameservers: nestle.com
May 15, 2026
Registration records listed nestle.com nameservers (amsdns1.nestle.com, aoadns1.nestle.com, ctrdns1.nestle.com…) for petfinder.org from May 15, 2026 to May 15, 2026.
Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to nestle.comMay 15, 2026petfinder.org's nameservers moved from petfinder.com to nestle.com at some point between Feb 11, 2026 and May 15, 2026. Last seen at petfinder.com: Feb 11, 2026 (registration record). First seen at nestle.com: May 15, 2026 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 3 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Dec 9, 2016 – Feb 11, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed petfinder.com nameservers (ns11.petfinder.com, ns12.petfinder.com, ns3.petfinder.com…) for petfinder.org from Dec 9, 2016 to Feb 11, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
May 15, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed nestle.com nameservers (amsdns1.nestle.com, aoadns1.nestle.com, ctrdns1.nestle.com…) for petfinder.org from May 15, 2026 to May 15, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
May 15, 2026Zone file: petfinder.org's nameservers moved from petfinder.com to nestle.com at some point between Feb 11, 2026 and May 15, 2026. Last seen at petfinder.com: Feb 11, 2026 (registration record). First seen at nestle.com: May 15, 2026 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 3 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Jun 26, 2026 – Aug 27, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 27, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Aug 22, 2026 – Oct 10, 2026Certificate: ZeroSSL GmbH certificate valid Aug 22, 2026 to Nov 20, 2026, as seen on Oct 10, 2026.Source: TLS check, Oct 10, 2026
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (failed)
Make sure the site responds over HTTPS with a valid certificate.
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (failed)
Add the HSTS, Content-Security-Policy, and X-Frame-Options response headers.
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered Jul 31, 1996 — 30 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: Nom-iq Ltd. dba COM LAUDE — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Sep 4, 2026).
Authority 48/100— ahead of 48% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
48 is a percentile: higher than 48% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #604,513)+5
Verified continuity: 30.2 years (RDAP registration)+11
Security & email hygiene+2
Calibration adjustment (published map)+8
Model score: 26/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 48/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 59 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 59 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
What petfinder.org said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.