Because people in animal welfare often see terrible things befall pets, and because of genuine concern for the animals, we’ve sometimes gone overboard in terms of regulating, requiring, constraining, screening and even getting in the way of successful adoptions.

Do you want to raise more money, adopt more animals and recruit more volunteers for your shelter or rescue group? Ditch the depressing ads about suffering pets and animal abuse and go positive.

When “TODAY Show” anchor Natalie Morales first met shelter pup Zara on the set a year and a half ago, she fell in love. That’s why when the popular morning show partnered with the Ad Council for a week-long series focused on causes the anchors believe in, she picked shelter pet adoption.

When it comes to getting shelter pets adopted, the photo tells the story. And in this slideshow of before and after images of pets awaiting adoption, it’s plain to see what a huge difference a good photo can make.

You dutifully update your Petfinder listings and your shelter or rescue group’s Facebook page. You hold adoption events, and run creative ads. Still, your adoption rates seem to have a hit a plateau. What’s left to try?

Will adopters in your community provide medical care for their adopted pets? Where do they draw the line – daily injections? Medication? Surgery? And can shelters and rescue groups find more homes for pets with treatable and manageable health conditions by knowing the answers to those questions?

Are your adoption listings full of information about a pet’s past? Do you focus on the sad story of how the dog or cat became homeless, or experiences they had before coming into the shelter or rescue group? If so, you’re missing out on the information that gets adopters to choose a pet.