How Available Is Your Rescue Group?

I presume that most of us involved in rescue are in it for the love of the specific animals we rescue, right?

(This is where all of us shake our heads "Yes.")

And we've all had our share of experiences where we deny an animal to a very insistent adopter. In fact, let's pretend we're in charge of adoption placements for Teensy Tiney Toy Dog Rescue (no dig at small dogs; I actually happen to like them and feel they've gotten a bad rap), and we're dealing with a Paris Hilton wannabe whose insistent on a Chihuahua despite having three kids under the age of five.

Now Chihuahuas are not recommended for families with young children. So your organization's policy is to deny adoptions to families with children under the age of seven. This way, ideally, one less Chihuahua will wind up in the local shelter for snapping at 'lil Jimmie.

So what happens when our little Paris wannabe simply buys one from a "breeder" listed in the newspaper? Well, wouldn't you know it, Pancho starts snapping at 'lil Jimmie. And naturally, instead of calling up your organization to learn about proper Chihuahua training, she drops Pancho off at the local shelter.

Does it have to be this way?

The sad reality is that thanks to pet stores and unscrupulous breeders pets can be pretty easy to come by. So even when we deny adopters for a good reason, they can still find what they want, animal-wise. And, unfortunately, the pet stores and bad breeders won't be there to help them for the inevitable problems arising from poorly bred and trained dogs.

This is where we can come in. I know of one rescue organization that supplies general information about the breeds it adopts to all potential adopters. This way even if they are denied and acquire the animal somewhere else they have basic information about caring for that particular pet.

To me this makes a lot of sense. Another option would be to give your contact information to a denied adopter. Going back to our theoretical situation with the Paris wannabe, by giving her our contact information she could come to us for advice about how to train her children and Pancho on living harmoniously together. Or if things are really bad, we could step in and rescue Pancho.

Now this doesn't have to apply for every adopter. If it's an adopter with a history of animal abuse or becomes verbally abusive after being denied a pet, no rescue should ever feel obligated to reach out as I described above.

It's just that sometimes it's not our animals that are our biggest problems, it's working with the human species where we run into the most trouble...

Michael Vick and the Link

So far I've tried to avoid saying anything about the Michael Vick dogfighting issue. I'm not sure I can add too much to public discourse about him and the problem of dogfighting in general. I am glad, however, that he will be facing a judge tomorrow and hope he receives the maximum sentence possible.

I really wasn't going to comment too much on Vick. Then, this morning I read an editorial at Women's eNews with the rather bold title "Beat a Woman? Play On; Beat a Dog? You're Gone." In this editorial, WeNews Commentator Sandra Kobrin agrees that Vick is guilty but wonders why more outrage isn't directed toward athletes abusing their wives and girlfriends.

My initial response? Yes, more athletes should be taken off the field for committing acts of violence toward others, especially women. Some of the cases involving athletes continue to shock me. Rae Carruth comes to mind. But I'm going to hazard a very educated guess that the majority of athletes committing these acts of violence have also abused animals, if not currently, then as children. American Humane has an entire section of their website devoted to the link between domestic violence and animal abuse.

In my personal experience I've met members of the public who think animal lovers don't care at all for the well-being of humans. Granted, there may be a few who feel that way, but I think these individuals may be the minority.

Now for the PR aspect. (bet you didn't think I was going to bring to the topic of this blog!)

I'm sure that as members of the rescue community we've all had our share of cases that involved an individual abusing people as well as animals. Maybe the next time when someone says "But it's just a dog!" we can talk about these situations and educate others on the link between animal cruelty and acts of violence toward people. I wish more organizations, rescue groups, and other members of the animal community would raise this issue with regard to the Vick case.

It's just a dog. But tomorrow it might be a child or a spouse.

Navigating Your Local Newspaper

So, you've written a press release for your group's fundraising event and you're ready to send it off. But wait! Do you know how to get it through to your local newspaper, as well as read. I've worked for a national news organization as an intern and as a copy editor for a community paper; a lot of press releases go unread and wind up in the circular file. If you're lucky, your event is buried in that week's listing of special events in the area.

How do you make certain your press release is read by the right people? For starters, make sure it reaches the right editor or reporter. You do NOT want to send your release to the editor in chief; he or she will be too busy overseeing that week's news cycle to care about your press release. Unless your event is somehow sports related, you don't want it to wind up on the desk of the sports editor. Again, it will most likely wind up in the circular file.

So, what to do?

Research the staff at your local paper. Find out who the appropriate editor is for your release. Look at their website. You might also ask the PR person at your local shelter who they send their releases to (although, it's possible their press releases are going to the wrong people as well).

And don't simply pick a name and e-mail from the paper's website. It's quite common for reporters to leave or switch beats before the contact list is updated. Call your local paper and speak with the receptionist. Tell them who your organization is, who you are and what your release is about. More than likely they'll be able to point you in the right direction. And they may even get you in contact with a specific reporter or editor. If you're really lucky they may even know someone on the staff who loves animals or even works in rescue.

While technology has given us many advances, I think it's too easy to simply shoot off an e-mail without actually speaking to a human being. The action of contacting your local paper by phone will speak volumes about your organization.

Once your release is in the right hands, stay in contact with the reporter. Always respond as soon as humanly possible to any questions; reporters often have tight deadlines.

And keep in touch with your contacts even after the press release is run. You want to maintain a positive relationship with the newspaper. After all, it's free publicity and sometimes we in the rescue community need all the free help we can get!

Labradoodles, Puggles, Cockapoos...Oh My!

I recently finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's 2000 book, The Tipping Point for a marketing class. If you're involved with animal rescue, I highly recommend this book. Even if you have to borrow it from the library and share it between everyone in your group, read it. Gladwell basically shows how little things can set off great trends. Take the popularity of Airwalk shoes in the 1990s: by tapping into a narrow market of teenage individualists, the brand soared beyond that one market.

But one point, that I feel has had the most impact on rescue, is what Gladwell refers to as the "Stickiness Factor."

Stickiness refers to the content in a message. In order for something to become a trend it must have a sticky message. "Where's the Beef?" is an example of a sticky message. As are the recently coined portmanteaus Labradoodles, Puggles, Cockapoos...the bane of rescues everywhere.

Think about it. We keep warning people of the dangers of throwing two different types of dog together for breeding. We continue to shake our heads at Hollywood starlets shelling out thousands of dollars for mixed breed pups. We continue to see mixed breeds languishing in our shelters. And yet people continue to buy so-called cross-breeds.

I hate to admit it but I admire whoever came up with the concept of using these cutesy portmanteaus. Which sounds better a "Lab-poodle mix" or "Labradoodle?" "Labradoodle" is sticky.

So these terms are sticky, now what? Well it's time to use stickiness to our advantage. I know a lot of shelters and rescues are hesitent about using terms like Labradoodle for fear of continuing the trend. Now, I personally think we can come up with better names. That Australian Shepherd you're fostering that's got a bit of retriever and rottweiler in her background could be referred to as an "Aussie Rottriever." Whatever. Just think stickiness and have fun with it.

Also, stickiness doesn't just mean creating cutesy names for mixed breed dogs. A shelter worker in Georgia created "papers" for the mixed breeds in her facility, listing their histories. For the histories, she found an opportunity to educate the public on spaying and neutering. Animal Sheltering magazine covered this campaign in 2005.

I would like to see more stickiness in the rescue community. For too long I've seen the same tiring campaigns. I propose that at the next group meeting for your rescue that everyone sit around, eating home-baked cookies, and create sticky campaigns for your group.

Nothing you come up with should be elaborate but you never know, you might just develop a national trend.


P.S. Gladwell wrote a very enlightening article in the New Yorker on breed-specific legislation, comparing it to racial profiling.

Welcome to PR for Animals

So, why "PR for Animals?" After all, millions of shelters and animal rescue groups all have the best interests of animals in mind. Or do they?


Yes, they do. Before I write anything else, let me be clear that there are many volunteers and severerly underpaid workers who are committed to helping animals in need. My goal is not to undermine their efforts. I intend to use this blog as a forum for providing tips and effective public relations techniques for animal rescue volunteers, and to some extent, shelter workers and volunteers.


Why rescue groups? Well, rescue groups are staffed entirely by volunteers who more than likely do not have the resources to take public relations classes. And why should they, you may be asking.


Effective public relations equals more animals in loving homes. It's that simple. PR is a way to get the word out about your rescue group. It's also having an effective media relations strategy when things go wrong. What if that potential adopter you denied last week (you know the one who lets all of her cats outside and keeps the family dog chained in the backyard) calls the editor of your local newspaper complaining that "it's easier to adopt a child" than a dog from your organization? Do you know how you would respond?


In an ideal world this will never happen. Through my posts, however, you will learn how to navigate your local newspaper and see your press release (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) in print. I may even offer advice that leads you to change your rescue group's practices. Ultimately, I hope this blog provides a way for the rescue community (and other animal advocates) to discuss ways to interact with the media and to get the word out about adopting through rescue.


What is this blog not?


This blog is not a forum about veganism, vegetarianism, animal testing, etc. While I have close friends that are vegetarian, I choose to eat meat (albeit rarely) and I want this blog to focus primarily on animal rescue groups who work to save homeless pets and dogs and to spread the word to "adopt not buy" (except from an extremely well-researched and reputable breeder).


Nor is this blog intended to bash specific groups. If I hear about a rescue group in the news, I may respectfully comment on their practices but I generally try to leave a little benefit of doubt as I believe that at heart we are all good people. So, let's be respectful, commentators...

Now, let the blogging begin!