Some people are so passionate about their pets that they’ve turned to social networking to show off their animals and connect with other pet lovers. Actually, it’s not “some” people…it’s A LOT of people. There are about two million users on Dogbook, a third-party application of Facebook, and one million on Catbook. There is also a Horsebook, a Rodentbook, and a Fishbook.

At Dogbook, for example, a dog owner can create a Facebook-like profile of his/her dog and find dog parks and products.

According to the Associated Press, Geoffrey B. Roche, cofounder of Poolhouse Industries, which produces Dogbook and other pet pages, got the idea a couple of years ago at the dinner table. He said the sites work because people see their pets as more than just animals.

“The dog goes way beyond what was just a dog,” Roche told the AP. “It becomes a family member. This is a great way to keep track of pets’ lives. Users are as excited to show you pictures of their dog as much as their kid, if not more.”

Twitter and MySpace also allow people to create profiles and post updates on their pets. On Twitter, for example, one popular cat page, “Sockington,” has a startling 1.5 million followers who read the cat’s (or the cat’s owner’s) random thoughts.

In other pet news, the Swiss have voted against a measure that would have allowed abused animals to get free legal representation. The vote against the measure was 70.5 percent. One animal advocate said that if the measure had passed, it would have cost less than one Swiss franc per person a year.