Chew On This!

Is there ever an exception to the 'happy adoption promotion' rule?

Is it ever a good idea to tell a sad story about a pet looking for a home?

"Far less often than we think," said Christie Keith, social media manager for The Shelter Pet Project. "But that doesn't mean shelters and rescue groups shouldn't ever tell heartbreaking stories."

For those who are still firmly entrenched in telling about the hard-luck or even abused pasts of the pets they're trying to find homes for, this may seem like a crazy conversation to be having. But in recent years, a body of research and experience has demonstrated that most adopters -- particularly new adopters -- don't respond to sad stories about pets.

"To save more pets than we're saving now, we have to reach people we're not already reaching," Keith said. "And those people, who aren't involved in the animal welfare world, prefer to learn about pets' personalities and what they'll be like to live with, making the adoption a happy occasion for their family."

In fact, too much focus on sad stories can drive many adopters away from shelters and rescues, out of concern that the pet might have behavior or health problems related to his or her past, or because they find it depressing at a time when they want to be joyful.

But there are times when a sad story, told correctly, is the single most powerful tool you have to get a pet adopted. The Internet is full of viral stories about horribly abused or neglected pets who have hundreds or thousands of people clamoring to adopt them, all because they were moved by compassion to turn that pet's life around.

"The key is the line between inspiring action through compassion, and overwhelming people with despair," Keith said. "Does the story or image make you want to go out and start a soup kitchen? Or does it make you want to go lie in bed in the fetal position, and never get up again?"

She offered as an example this video from the Shelter Pet Pet Project, about a senior dog named Shemp, animated by renowned Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell:

"I've never watched that without getting tears in my eyes," Keith said. "But they're the kind of tears that make me want to run out and adopt a senior pet, not the kind that make me want to never leave the house again."

Additionally, if your organization is always telling sad stories, people will begin to tune them out. Only the people who respond to that type of story will stick around to see them -- and those people almost certainly have already rescued as many pets as they can. The stories may start out effective, but that effectiveness will dwindle as time goes on.

So when you have a pet with a compelling story that you think will motivate people to adopt him, go for it. Just don't do it too often, and above all, be inspiring!

Also of interest:

Why you shouldn't resent high-profile rescue pets

How one rescue group turned an abused pet's media spotlight into an adoption crusade for all pets

How one rescue group turned an abused pet's media spotlight into an adoption crusade for all pets

How can a shelter or rescue group turn media attention on one high-profile pet into adoptions for other pets in the same organization?

We've all seen it: The one pet in our shelter or rescue group with a compelling story who captures the media spotlight and garners dozens or hundreds of adoption applications and donations. And while we're all happy for the media superstar, we're also left wondering: What about all the other pets?

One San Francisco Bay Area rescue group, Umbrella of Hope, found itself facing exactly that dilemma when they took in a little Chihuahua puppy they named Fireman.

He'd suffered injuries caused by chemical burns, which damaged his skin and permanently disfigured his ears. It's believed he was tortured. He was also totally adorable, and his story led to a landslide of media and adoption inquiries.

Umbrella of Hope swung into action, seeking to turn Fireman's moment in the spotlight to the benefit not only of the other pets in their organization, but shelter pets everywhere.

Social media consultant René Hoffmann crafted a hashtag, #FiremanSentMe, and a campaign encouraging people to head for their local shelters to find out "your pet's story," and tell them they'd been sent there by the little dog.

The campaign is a hit, with major media outlets including a local TV station and news magazine quickly picking up the adoption message and hashtag. Not only that, but Antioch Animal Services, the shelter that originally found the burned dog, offered to discount adoption fees for anyone who came in and said "Fireman sent me."

"Every pet has a story," Hoffmann said. "And we're hoping people will realize that there isn't just one Fireman -- there are thousands of them. They just need to look!"

Also of interest:

Why you shouldn't resent high-profile rescue pets

 

How to take great pet adoption photos with a smartphone

Yes, you can take great pet adoption photos with a smartphone, if you keep a few simple tips in mind.

Spend time on a pet adoption website, and you're likely to see any number of bad pet photos. Considering the incredible power of images, particularly in social media, that's a huge missed opportunity for shelters and rescue groups -- and tragically one that can cost animals their lives.

Far too often, when the staff members, volunteers, or fosters tasked with taking those photos are asked if they can take better images, their response is something like, 'I''m not a professional photographer. This is the best I can do."

If that's you, try these simple tips:

1. Get down. Don't ever take photos from above the pet looking down. Kneel, lie down or put them up on a cat tree or sofa. Eye level photos are much better and more successful at capturing attention than those shot from another angle.

2. The eyes have it. Get the pet looking at you instead of up, down, or off to the side. It should appear the pet is looking into the camera.

3. Snap on. Take many, many photos -- dozens of them. Instead of waiting for the right moment to click, just keep snapping away. Go through them later, delete the ones you don't like, and save the ones you do.

4. Lighten up. Forget the flash. It won't be pretty, and it ruins the effect of the pet's eyes. Instead, take the photos outdoors or near a window during daylight hours.

5. Don't zoom -- crop! Zooming reduces image quality drastically, so don't do it. Instead, take the photo and crop it to get the close-up effect you're looking for.

6. Cropping tools. You can crop right on most newer smartphones with their own native editing tools, or use a free program like GIMP. There are also plenty of photo editing apps.

Looking for more advanced tips? Try these three:

1. The rule of thirds. This basic principle of photography can help you crop your image so the pet's eyes are in the field of the image most likely to draw attention. Learn more here.

2. Camera apps. You can add apps to your smartphone that give you much more control over the image. Camera+ is popular for the iPhone, while Android users might want to check out DSLR Camera Pro.

3. Lenses. Seriously -- lenses for a smartphone camera? Yes, seriously. Easy to use and cheap, they can make a lot of difference in image quality. Try Amazon for a good basic selection.

3 tips to getting more social media shares on your pet adoption photos

The pet you're trying to find a home for may be the greatest companion in the world, possess a wonderful personality, be well-behaved, and have a compelling story. However, if you're trying to get them adopted through social media, none of that's going to matter very much if you don't have a good photo to share.

Now, before you get scared because you're not a professional photographer, relax. "A great photo in social media terms, and a great photo in professional photography terms, are not the same thing," advises social media consultant Christie Keith, who is social media manager for the Shelter Pet Project.

"Yes, the photo should have some of the same elements as a pro shot, such as being well-lit, reasonably well-composed and in focus," she says. "But you don't need advanced skill with a camera to take a photo that will 'sell' that pet on social media. In fact, you don't even need a camera; your cell phone shots will be fine if you follow some basic tips."

In fact, she says, sometimes professional photographs miss the mark. "In managing the Shelter Pet Project's social media, I've seen tens of thousands of pet photos. Those shot by pros are always great images, and would be wonderful portraits of someone's pet. And naturally, we love to see professionals putting their skills to work helping homeless pets.

"But in terms of inspiring social sharing or adoptions, they're often too busy, taken from too far away, and focus on something other than the pet's eyes and face, such as a costume or the pet doing something like jumping or swimming." Those images, technically excellent as they are, don't perform as well on social media as a simple close-up on a pet's face.

Keith also warns that a great story can't overcome the problems of a bad photo. "The reality is, words are less important on social media and online adoption sites, and photos are more so," she says. "If you want to catch the attention of adopters, a photo that drives the viewer to feel a connection with that pet is more valuable than all the words in the dictionary."

What characterizes a good pet adoption photo? Here are her tips:

1. The eyes have it. In a great pet adoption photo, you can clearly see the expression on the pet's face, as well as his or her eyes, which should be looking directly into the camera. "On the Shelter Pet Project Facebook page, photos that are a tight close-up on a pet's face, with the pet appearing to look right at the viewer, almost always get more shares and engagement than photos that don't -- even if those other images are technically 'better' photos," Keith says.

2. Get on their level. "I know pets are shorter than we are, but we have to stop taking photos from above, looking down on them," Keith says. "Get on your knees or belly, stand downhill of them, put them on a bed, cat tree or table, do whatever you need to do to get these shots from the same level as the pet's face!"

3. Skip the text. "At least on Facebook, photos with text on them will usually be shown to fewer of your followers than those without text," Keith says, adding that a small photographer's watermark doesn't appear to hurt reach or engagement. Other social platforms such as Instagram or Pinterest don't penalize reach for images with text, but distracting from the power of the image itself is not a great idea.

 

 

Instagram vs Pinterest: Which one's better for pet adoption?

Pet photos are one of the greatest tools we have to get pets adopted online. Between Pinterest and Instagram, which social photo sharing platform is best?

Since no animal organization can be present on all social networks, let alone do an equally good job on all of them, it's important to focus on the ones that will work best for the pets you're trying to re-home. Here are the pros and cons of Pinterest and Instagram for pet adoption:

Pinterest pros:

• Beautifully laid out interface that works on both desktop and mobile, with desktop having the edge in terms of display and usability
• A fantastic demographic for pet adoption
• Easy re-sharing of pet photos, with clickable links in the description
• Lifestyle story-telling model, where people construct a virtual scrapbook of the person they want to be -- with supporting animal causes a big part of that identity
• Pinboard structure allows people to follow boards they feel most interested in, such as for a specific type of pet, instead of just following your account
• Pinboard categorization also offers ability to tell your pets' stories in a contextual way entirely missing from Instagram

Pinterest cons:

• The same demographic that is great for pet adoption may not be so great for emerging adoption markets. Men, people of color and the young are under-represented, although that's changing
• No native pre-scheduling, although a few tools exist to allow you to schedule pins. Still, it's not as easy as Facebook or Twitter
• Mobile app isn't great
• People who share your great pet photos may not really be interested in adopting so much as either creating a piece of their desired identity, or just squeeing over a cute photo

Instagram pros:

• 300 million active monthly users, compared to Pinterest's approximately 53 million
• Great demographic for pet adoption, especially if you're looking for younger people
• Mobile-only, so you're more likely to get people's attention when they're not at work or chained to a desktop computer
• Active communities of pet adoption advocates, organized around wildly popular hashtags
• If you have great photos, there's nowhere online that will appreciate them more

Instagram cons:

• No clickable links
• Mobile only, so management is difficult as it can only be done by smartphone, and there's no easy way to switch from a staff member's personal account to the organization's account
• No sharing functionality
• Instagram does not open its interface to third party schedulers, so while some services say they can let you schedule posts, they only work if you give them your username and password -- a definite security risk. So not only are you stuck doing it all on the phone, it's in real time, too.

So, which gets the nod? It's close, but probably Instagram, if for no other reason than its massive audience.

Has your shelter or rescue group been using either of these platforms? If so, has either of them worked in getting pets adopted? We'd love to hear more about your experience on our Facebook page!

 

Put your PR hat on to find homes for shelter pets

Is everyone at your shelter equally involved in getting pets adopted? They should be!

Innovations in the way we consider marketing pet adoptions in shelters can mean that everyone has the opportunity to put on their PR hat – including medical team members!

Learn about proven strategies that decrease barriers to adoption and increase live outcomes from Dr. Julie Levy and Caitlin Quinn in this presentation given at the University of Florida's 7th Annual Maddie’s^® Shelter Medicine Conference!

In this presentation, viewers will:

• Learn to remove barriers to adoption through innovative marketing techniques, specifically designed for easy implementation in the shelter environment.
• Understand how programs designed for enrichment and increased quality of life can double as marketing initiatives.
• Review policies and best practices that will help to increase lifesaving and impact community perceptions about adoption.

After viewing the presentation below, click here to take the quiz and receive a Certificate of Attendance!

 

Focusing on breed doesn't help get pets adopted

Does focusing on breed help pets get adopted? Not according to recent research!

Shelter medicine teams have the opportunity to focus their efforts on breed-neutral best practices with proven effectiveness to make policy and adoption decisions, rather than relying on breed.

In this presentation from the University of Florida's 7th Annual Maddie’s^® Shelter Medicine Conference, Dr. Julie Levy and Caitlin Quinn discuss how to utilize this new information to revitalize adoption programs, decrease length of stay and increase live outcomes.

You can view it here, then click here to take the quiz and receive a Certificate of Attendance!

Cat Cafe adoption centers begin to sweep the nation

Wouldn't most adoption groups love to have a new angle on cat adoption to pitch to the media? Well, here's an idea that's pitching itself!

No less an impressive publication than the New York Times took note of the trend last month, writing about Cat Town Cafe, the nation's first cat cafe adoption center operated by the Oakland, CA, Cat Town Rescue.

The cafe gets around health laws about having pets in the same place food is sold by running the cafe out of one space, and then letting patrons have access to the cat lounging area in a space next-door.

Now, similar adoption centers have opened in a number of locations around the country, including New York City, Denver, CO, and Naples, FL.

In addition to media buzz, cat cafes have overcome perceptions that shelters are "depressing" -- a view so widespread among some potential adopters it deters them from finding out if it's even true. They also serve as an alternate revenue source for the adoption organization, and give friendly cats cageless and highly enriching environments in which to meet people.

The Oakland cafe adopted 52 cats in the first few weeks it was open, so it's a successful model, too.

Think this might be something your shelter or rescue group could get behind? Follow the links in the story to find out more, and read the New York Times article here!

FIV-positive and FIV-negative cats: A love story

When Milo the Kitten came into our adoption program, he had a lot going for him. From good looks to charm, from playfulness to friendliness, he had it all. He also had a positive FIV test, although he was (and is) in great health.

Milo quickly took over the Maddie's Fund^® office, ensuring all laptops were set to the highest possible volume and all those pesky emails were deleted.

He also did a turn as our receptionist, demonstrating that a friendly attitude and adorableness are more important than opposable thumbs any day.

We were on the lookout for a great home that wouldn't worry about his FIV status -- after all, most FIV+ cats live long, healthy lives.

Finally, Milo was adopted!

Milo loved his new career as a household manager, but something seemed missing in his life. He loved his new family, but there was a little void.

And then came Natasha, an FIV-negative kitty adopted from Valley Humane Society. And now Milo's life is perfect!

The moral of the story is this: For FIV+ shelter cats, there can truly be a happily ever after, as long as adopters remember that these cats are just as loving, beautiful and even as healthy as other cats - and don't pose a risk of transmission to their FIV- housemates!

For long-stay pets, try starting from scratch

Does your adoption group have a pet who just hasn't been adopted even though you've got great photos, a terrific description, and they've been shared a lot on social media? It's probably time to start again from scratch.

That means a new name, new photos, a new bio and new channels of promotion, says Christie Keith, social media manager for The Shelter Pet Project. "If a pet hasn't been adopted after you've given them your best efforts, don't just keep doing the same things over again," she suggests. "Step back, take a fresh approach, and see if you can reach different adopters with different methods."

Keith offers these specific suggestions for long-stay pets who need some extra PR:

1. Change the pet's name. Some pets are very attached to their names, and it may not be a good idea to make the switch, but many were given their name by the shelter, and barely know it. "A new name creates the feeling that this is a different pet, not just for potential adopters, but for the shelter staff," says Keith. "It can have a powerful impact even when you know he or she is the same pet formerly known as (fill in the blank)."

2. Write a new bio focusing on a different aspect of the pet's personality. "Adopters aren't really interested in the pet's backstory," Keith said. "They want to know about his or her personality. And most pets have plenty to inspire more than one biography and description!"

3. Get new photos. "I think too many shelters and rescue groups think only professional photographers can take great photos," Keith said. "While there are certainly some wonderful pros who generously give of their time to help homeless pets, an effective photo only has to be compelling and attention-catching, not perfectly composed, lit, and focused." So get out the phone and start shooting!

4. Explore new channels. "I was trying to help a group find a home for a pet, and everything we'd tried just didn't seem to work," Keith said. "So I reached out to a Facebook page with a huge following but nothing to do with pets, and used a photo and description I thought would appeal to the average person rather than established adopters. They had dozens of calls in a few hours, and the cat was adopted within two days!"

What strategies have worked for you when it comes to getting long-stay pets adopted? Share them on our Facebook page!