Mindjolt SGN partners with HSUS for campaigning animal shelter game Fluff Friends Rescue

Thanks to initiatives such as the Humble Indie Bundle and Zynga's occasional special virtual objects, supporting charities within games is becoming more popular.

It's something Mindjolt SGN is hooking into as well with its new iOS game Fluff Friends Rescue.

Partnering with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the country's largest animal protection organisation, the free-to-play title has you rescuing stray cats and dogs and nursing them through sickness, injury and hunger, back to health.

Each pet has a happiness meter, which displays your healing powers as they spend time at the vets, being fed and groomed, and having play time. Your goal is to get each pet ready for adoption.

But it's not just the gameplay that HSUS approves of.

There are also various branded in-game items that if you buy them, will result in a donation. Indeed, Mindjolt SGN says that 100 percent of each in-app purchase (excluding Apple's 30 percent) will be passed onto HSUS' own animal rescue teams.

And updates to the game will add a PetFinder feature, highlighting real life pets available for adoption as well as branded merchandise.

"Fluff Friends Rescue goes above and beyond the message that adopting shelter pets is important," said Betsy McFarland, vice president, companion animals for HSUS.

"It makes the point that in addition to a loving home, pets need proper nourishment, regular grooming, play time and quality medical care; these vital messages about pet care are what elevates Fluff Friends Rescue from other pet games and why we're excited to be involved."

Fluff Friends Rescue is out now for iPad and iPhone as a universal app. It's free.