All Pages Have Been Updated!

Check it out! All the pages on my Web site have been added or updated (and in some cases, both). I now have all of my sample press releases up, as well as the four initial in-depth articles in my Tips section.

It feels great to have everything up and running!

An Effective Online Response to a Crisis

The Petfinder boards have been buzzing with the saga of Joy Turock of Joyful Rescues in western New York. Apparently, the rescue took in some lost dogs which has now led to the group and its president to be accused of dog-napping.

Now, after reading about this I went to the group's Web site (www.joyrfulrescues.com) to see if they would have a response. I was pleased to see they have a response (or link to a response, rather) on their homepage. I'm not too impressed with how the only way to access the statement is via a PDF; depending on a user's computer, downloading a PDF can take a lot of time. Many users simply choose not to download a PDF. I don't think this is a good strategy, particularly when dealing with negative media attention and possible criminal charges.

I also don't link the headline for the link "'Stolen'=LOST Dog News-Get the Facts." I probably would have opted for something along the lines of "Click here for the facts about the recent WVIB story." As for the statement itself, I think its lead-in is too preachy. Better to start with the facts than turn JQP away with finger-pointing.

This is why i will shortly be posting a new article on my Web site regarding crisis communications strategies.

Read "Made to Stick." NOW.

If you're a reader of this blog and have checked out the Resources page on my Web site, you should be aware that I'm a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point." As much as I liked the book, I wish he'd explained the "Stickiness Factor" in more detail. Basically he states that for a trend to spread it has to be sticky. But he doesn't really go into detail as to how to make a message sticky.

Researchers,university professors, and brothers and Dan Heath thought so as well. So they recently released their book "Made to Stick," which contains the six principles (simplicity, concreteness, credibility, unexpectedness, emotion, and story) that they believe make a message sticky. I recommend this book for any rescuer who needs a sticky campaign for making shelter/rescue pets popular.

Also, check out their website. It's chock full of useful information.

New Article on Web page

Check it out. I just posted an article on usability to my website. Click here to access it. I will be attempting to add a PDF version shortly (emphasis on attempting.

The Danger of Thin-Slicing

Growing up one of my closest friends was a girl I'll call "Sarah." Sarah and her little brother lived in a ubiquitous middle class home with a picket fence that was the epitome of Suburbia. Her father worked for a large company and had previously served in the U.S. military in an Asian country, where he met his wife, who stayed at home with the children.

Not long after they moved to my neighborhood, they bought, or adopted, a spaniel mix.

What an ideal home for the dog, right? The house had a fenced yard, there was an adult home during the day to watch it, and the family clearly had the means to care for it.

Right?

Fast forward a year later. Sarah's parents suddenly divorced and placed the house up for sale. One weekend they moved everything out and sped away to a new neighborhood and a new school.

Except for the dog.

When Mom found out, she was livid. She called animal control and they took the dog. I don't know which of Sarah's parents left the dog and if that person was charged.

So, pretending none of this happened and we've all been sent back in time, what would you do if Sarah's parents applied for one of your pets? Would your two second decision be made based on prejudgments about their relative wealth and fenced yard?

Gladwell would view this as one of the darker parts of thin-slicing. In "Blink" he references a successful car salesman who viewed all the customers who walked in the door as potential sales, even if their clothes were dirty or cheap.

Now, rescue is different in that we're not a business. But I think the stories about the car salesman and Sarah's parents show us that thin-slicing has its disadvantages. To overcome it, I feel, requires a two-fold approach: treating all potential adopters as possible "pet parents" and maintaining caution throughout the adoption process. That well-dressed couple could have a history of abandoning animals that you're not aware of. And that college student in the Slipknot t-shirt may be the rare jewel that will be lifelong and dedicated owner.

Now, if your gut is telling you something that makes you uncomfortable about an adopter. By all means follow your protocol (speak to references, vets, landlords, home visits, etc.) Ask other rescues and shelters about that person. You may end up being surprised; maybe your "gut" feeling wasn't so much your gut but the unconscious imprint of certain societal stereotypes.

I hope that poor dog found a loving home. And, to this day, I wonder if the dog's abandonment left an imprint on Sarah, who got involved in some shady things and disappeared by my sophomore year of high school.

"Blink"...Not as Good as "The Tipping Point" But Still Useful

Well, I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's post-"Tipping Point" book, "Blink.". Now, I found "Blink" less interesting than "Tipping Point" but I still think it's important in the rescue line of work. Gladwell refers to "thin-slicing" whereby we make snap judgments in less than two seconds based on our accumulated education and societal imprints (such as society's views on race).

I'm guessing that many rescue volunteers thin-slice everyday. A lot of times within two seconds we can tell who is or is not a good candidate for adopting one of our animals. Now, a lot of this has to do with our experience with prior failed adoptions such as college students that dump their pet at the end of the semester or disheveled individual who chains his dog outside 24.95 hours of the day. Gladwell opens the book with an account of how art experts were able to identify a forged statue with one look, even though many could not pinpoint why they knew it was a fake. They just knew. And I'm sure many of us can attest that we've sized up adopters in a similar manner.

But, Gladwell's book goes on to detail how thin-slicing can get us into trouble. And, in my next post, I'll detail exactly why rescue groups need to be careful when thin-slicing.

I Broke One of the Cardinal Sins of Blogging...But I Have a Bouquet of Roses to Make Up For It

Well, it's not exactly a bouquet of roses. But it's even better!

In the midst of some personal upheaval at the end of last year and beginning of this year, I did some thinking about my blog. I like blogging but I wanted to do more. I want to offer press release samples, in-depth articles, etc. so I can be of more assistance to the rescue community.

So, here's my surprise: www.prforanimals.com. Yes, it's my new Web site! I'm still in the midst of tweaking it but I soon will be posting some articles and sample press releases.

As I update my site, I'll be sure to post the changes to this blog.