Any Ideas on How to Get Interest for Dogs

charlie to the rescue

Wondering if anyone on this forum has any ideas (besides Petfinder,Facebook or this site) for networking dogs that need foster/adoption. Rescues are filled to the brim and it would be nice if we can find some different places that we can give these babies visibility to possibly get a good, loving home. A place where the general public (who may be able to adopt) will be notified or may look...any ideas, please??

Criosphynx

One of the shelters here takes their best dogs to the local baseball games.

fawkese1

one of our local shelters actually does a radio show... at first i was like "how dumb, no one wants a dog they can't see" now i'm like "wow, i really want to see what that dog looks like!" lol... might be a good start...

charlie to the rescue

Good ideas--thank you (btw--you're dogs are beautiful). How about online--via networking?

kmes

My local shelter has a Facebook page that is quite popular. But I think you already mentioned that...

Does your rescue hold adoption drives or hold meet and greets at local pet businesses?

Mikey

Check out this 101 shelter ideas and the second edition as well

101 Great Shelter Ideas: Ideas for Shelters: For Shelters

(It says it costs-but that's a hard copy shipped to you-just click to download)

Seriously a wonderful read with fantastic ideas-from fundraising, increasing adoptions, awareness etc. It's real ideas that have worked in other shelters-a VALUABLE resource

PaulaMackie

You should put them on Dogsblog. That's where i advertise my rescues. Also free advertising sites like Preloved, Oodle, Gumtree?! Hope this helps.

Paula x

Sheltiemama

Dogsblog is only for UK or Ireland. Wonder if there's anything like it for the US other than Petfinder or Adopt a Pet?

Leah

Maybe you could start your own website and see if the local newspaper will link your site on their website for when locals get online to read the news. Also ask them if they will post the link in the paper.

In order to get extra attention for your shelter dogs, perhaps you could ask volunteers to each take one dog per day to the park or somewhere pretty and post pictures of their trips for each dog. Petfinder usually has one picture, sometimes more, but they are almost always in an ugly setting. Show people the dog at its best, and they might be more interested. For example, if a volunteer takes a lab mix to a park on a lead and there is a picture of the dog being gentle with a random child from the park who is smiling, or a picture of a border collie mix playing frisbee, or a jack russell playing fetch, that would be really nice. And it really doesn't require that much time to give the dog a good brushing first and put a bandana or bow on them. Each dog could have its own place on the site. It would take more work to do it this way, but it would be easier if you had a lot of volunteers. High school students are required to have so many hours of community service, so perhaps you could start by posting a flyer there or even being a guest speaker at a few schools. Also, ask girl scout and boy scout leaders if they would do an Animal Shelter Day. Usually, they will do things like this for badges, and you could have a whole troop of kids come and clean cages, do laundry, and brush and socialize some of the animals. Troop leaders usually have assistants who can help monitor the younger kids and join in on the work, too. (And how many of those responsible and now better educated kids might go home and ask their parents about a dog??)

Ava

Our local cable company has three minute videos "on demand" that you can access for available dogs and cats.

You could also partner with an unrelated charity. Sponsor a free snack stand at a relay for life type event, for example, and have available dogs displayed.