It’s very easy to become a pet person, and studies show that the health benefits of owning a pet are huge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that pets are a positive health influence.

My dog Fielder, and his bff.

According to the CDC, pets can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness.

Pets can increase your opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities and opportunities for socialization.

If you’re ready to jump into pet ownership, PetSmart Charities sponsors a National Adoption Weekend, and all PetSmart Stores in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico will host a three-day pet adoption event, from April 29 – May 1, 2011, with a goal of helping to find thousands of pets a lifelong, loving home.

Whether you’re looking for a solution to a pet problem, or just need a bag of dog food, you’ll find pet supplies, grooming, training, the convenient PetsHotel or Doggie Day Camp at PetSmart stores across the country. Each of the 850+ PetSmart locations has different amenities, but you’ll always find quality supplies online at Petsmart.com. Petsmart.com also will link you to PetSmart sales and promotions at local PetSmart stores.

Make sure to set an Notification alert for PetSmart to get an email when discounted PetSmart gift cards become available on Plastic Jungle. PetSmart Gift Cards are valid in stores and online, and when purchased or traded at Plastic Jungle, you’ll never pay shipping fees. PetSmart eGift Certificates (eCODEs) are redeemable online only at PetSmart.com and cannot be used at any traditional PetSmart retail stores.

Check the Balance on Your PetSmart Gift Card or PetSmart eGift Certificate

Online

Get your balance at PetSmart’s online balance checker.

In-Store

You can visit any PetSmart location and check the balance at the register.

Phone

Check the balance by calling a Customer Care Representative at 1-800-820-6189. When you call, be sure to have your PetSmart Gift Card number and PIN in front of you.

For the latest on PetSmart Gift Card and eGift Certificate terms and conditions, check the PetSmart Gift Card page.

Sell Your Gift Card or eGift Certificate

Once you know your balance for any gift card, you can safely sell or trade your PetSmart Gift Card or eGift Certificate on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your PetSmart Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card, use it to donate the funds to charity, or even fund a PayPal account.

To know how much your gift card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up the store and enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired. You’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

My family adopted a pet a few years ago. I wasn’t a dog person before, but I can’t imagine life without Fielder now. If you have a pet adoption story that might have changed you in some way, you can share it to encourage others to adopt at PetSmartCharities.org, and we’d love for you to come back and leave a comment here, too!

Work is dragging. You’ve got an event coming up. The kids are outgrowing everything from toys to socks. NCAA March Madness is your inspiration to get a new TV. All the spring magazines have you itching to update your wardrobe. And please, anything to not see Charlie Sheen on a headline!

Time to find an exciting sale. Cheap shoes, Michigan sweatshirts, HDTVs, and sale clothes are just a click away. And remember, you can add to your savings by purchasing a discounted gift card to pay for your hot sale finds.

Our first stop would be Sale.com, whose home page is a shopping addict’s crack, compiling some of the best apparel discounts on the web. Enter the retailer you’d love to see a sale from, ie Abercrombie, and voila, the site’s sale page pops in, along with a list of promotions and offers. Sign up for Sale.com alerts to get first crack at fresh promotions, coupons, deals, and sale merchandise.

Sales on Now around the Web:

Nordstrom:

Get Women’s Coats on sale for up to 40% off.

Shop Nordstrom’s Shoe Clearance – hurry, this is a hot one and the best brands and styles sell out fast.

Shop Nordstrom’s Designer Collection Sale for quality-made on-trend brands and looks.

Aeropostale:

Save big with Aeropostale’s Spring Break Sale featuring $9 Camis and Graphic T-shirts for girls and guys.

Best Buy:

Act now to save 5%-15% on a wide selection of HDTVs on brands including RCA, Philips, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic.

JCPenney:

Time to freshen up the house with JCP’s Spring Home Sale, where you’ll save 30-60% off housewares, linens, and more.

Shop deep discounts on JCP’s Clearance page, with final markdowns at up to 80% off retail.

Zappos:

This online retailer always has free shipping & returns – but have you found Zappo’s Sale page? Shop shoes from 100’s of brands, as well as accessories and clothes on sale. Even hard-to-find men’s shoes are on sale here. Yippee!

PetSmart:

Get deals on thousands of items, from Kong to Advantix & Advantage flea & tick products online and in stores at PetSmart’s Everything Spring Sale.

Borders:

It’s a shame Borders is closing so many stores, but their loss is your gain. Find clearance merchandise in the stores that are closing; here’s a list of closing Borders stores. As well, get to Borders Hot Deals / Weekly Deals page to score discounts on remainders, music under $10, and even bestsellers and upcoming new releases.

Right now, get up to 15% off a Borders Gift Card on Plastic Jungle >>>

Sports Authority:

The NCAA Final Four is around the corner and it’s time to gear up! Save on NCAA gear for the entire family at the SportsAuthority.com Outlet – Fan Gear page, and most of it will ship for only 99 cents!

If you’ve got a “slow-day shopping distraction” ritual, please share it in the comments of this page. Remember, if you’ve got time on your hands, maybe you could create a little cash flow by trading in your unused gift cards. Thank me later! And be prepared, the weekend is almost here.