The technological revolution of the last 25 years has had a profound impact on the animal welfare industry. Things we now take for granted, like websites that display our organizations’ services and adoptable pets, pet-search databases such as Petfinder.com and Adopt-a-Pet.com, more robust and easy to use animal sheltering software solutions, and the rise of… Learn More
What can reduce a pet’s length of stay in your shelter or rescue from 43 days to 14 days? A great adoption photo. Maddie’s Fund® has just launched Maddie Talks, a series of short (less than 10 minutes) motivational “Ted Talk” like videos created by animal welfare professionals and meant to provide inspiration and equip… Learn More
Animal adoption organizations can add this to the “conventional wisdom is often wrong” list: Shorter posts aren’t always better on Facebook — at least, depending on your definition of “short.” Facebook is a powerful tool allowing shelters and rescue groups to get pets adopted, recruit foster homes and volunteers, reunite lost pets with their families… Learn More
Ever wonder why your pet adoption listings fail to generate the interest you expect? Why your fundraising appeals fall flat? Why you aren’t getting much traction in social media for your shelter or rescue group? Maybe it’s time to get out of the animal welfare bubble and understand how your messages are coming across to… Learn More
What can you do to help project a more positive image of your shelter without spending a fortune? “Plenty!” said Denise Deisler and Makena Yarbrough in “A Fresh Image: Increasing Adoptions and Community Support by Revamping Your Shelter” at the Best Friends 2016 Conference. “It’s not about money and resources, it’s about being creative with what… Learn More
Working with a shelter or rescue group, you likely know the power of a good, sharable photo or graphic on social media. But most people in the animal welfare industry do not have a background in photography or graphic design. If you can find a volunteer or staff member with the skill, fantastic — but what… Learn More
Forget where’s Waldo; where’s your shelter or rescue group? If you’re like most people, you have Facebook and other social media connections all over — former colleagues, people you went to school with, connections you made online, friends who moved away, family in other states or even other countries. Now, consider these questions: Does your… Learn More
Instagram has been changing. Is your shelter or rescue group getting everything out of it that you can? Earlier this year, Instagram began making changes designed to appeal to businesses. It created new “business profiles” similar to and connected with Facebook pages. It added analytics called, just like Facebook’s, “Insights.” It created a “Contact” button… Learn More
Does your animal organization use Pinterest? If not, it might be time to try. And if you try, be sure to use Pinterest’s analytics to make sure you’re getting results that will make your time on the site worthwhile for your organization and for the animals. Most rescue groups and animal shelters use Facebook, and… Learn More
If you want to help animals but don’t have the time to physically volunteer at your local shelter or rescue organization, what can you do? Look no further than your resume! There are plenty of ways you can help just by utilizing your natural talents. Whether you’re a tech-savvy social media maven, an introverted writer,… Learn More