The Humane Society of Utah's Clever Idea!

Sometimes it's hard to walk into a crowded shelter and make a connection with a dog when you want to adopt a new pet. Shelters are crowded, noisy, dogs are jumping, barking, and not much fun for dogs or people. The Humane Society of Utah decided to give each dog a chance to shine in front of the camera.

Each dog was given an opportunity to show his or her personality to staff photographer, Guinnever Shuster. 

Separating each dog from the others allowed their personalities to shine, captured on film. This gives potential adopters a chance to get to know the dogs by looking at their pictures before they meet them. Potential dog owners are now lined up to meet the dogs who have captured their fancy. Each dog now has a much better chance to find a forever home.

Gear Up for Adoption

Shelters and Rescue Groups have more opportunities than ever to get the word out about the dogs and cats available for adoption but with so many groups vying for attention it's only too easy for some of them to slip through the cracks, even with the advantages of social networking.

The issue becomes how to best take advantage of social networking and any other means of making people aware of all the wonderful pets just waiting for a new home and a new leash on life.  Here are just a few ideas That can help my local shelter, your local shelter, any local shelter or rescue group.

1. Don't underestimate the power of the written word.  Instead of writing a plain description of the cat or dog, let the pet write the description. How much more appealing it is to hear, "I promise to love you forever if you'll give me a forever home" along with a self-description. Open a Facebook page if you don't have one already and put the description there along with a photo of the pet and ask people to Share the picture and bios, then use Twitter to share the description and photo. And don't forget your good old fashioned newspaper. See if they'll give you a weekly adoption column. They may or may not have room for pictures but the descriptions can certainly run. You can do a column featuring two or three a week.

2. Pictures will help. There's nothing more appealing than the sweet face of the adoptee. But those pictures will be far more appealing if you have a volunteer who is a groomer who can make the pet look clean, neat and cute. Another improvement is taking pictures that don't look like police mug shots. Set up a cute photo using props in an area of the shelter. Now use that photo on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as Google+.

Mary Slaney adopted Vinny more than a year ago.

3. Don't underestimate the power of clicker training. You can use a clicker to make life more interesting for shelter pets, teach them manners or a trick and then be sure to brag on all of your social networks how clever the pet is in his self-written bio. This will help your adoptees stand out among the crowd on social networks.

One more tip: don't ignore e-mail posts containing all of this information with a request to forward. Everyone knows people who know people who know people, and so on.  

With a little imagination and tapping into volunteers, utilizing their skills and talent, you can incrrease the number of pets who are adopted.

BlogPaws 2013

I spent this past weekend at the 2013 BlogPaws Conference, held this year in Tyson's Corner, VA. BlogPaws is a young organization that has grown faster than rabbit can breed. Or so it seems. It was my first year at their conference. I had been invited to speak. My topic? So You Want to Write a Book Proposal with a bonus addition of How to Find an Agent.

Colorful Fellow

I really didn't know what to expect but I knew that pets were welcome. Aimee has passed the age of traveling companion for a hectic conference. She prefers to stay home with her petsitter, Mary, and her vast assortment of toys and other environmental enrichment.

I arrived at the hotel and spotted a very colorful dog in the lobby. There were lots of dogs in the lobby and throughout the hotel. 

There were dogs, cats, ferrets, baby chicks and those were the most common sights. Nearly all of the dogs were dressed up. There were two little dogs who were always together with their owners, each dog in a sparkling party dress. Really. How sparkling? They were a little like four-legged chandeliers.

 Then there were the cats who not only had hats but one was sporting a wig. Yes, look carefully. Under the hot pink feathers there's a real, live cat. 

What would I find around the next corner?  Hmmm.  You just never could predict that.

This sleepy little cutie is going to be up for adoption. He came to BlogPaws with a shelter volunteer, having traveled many miles. The little sweetheart walked beautifully on a harness and leash, snuggled with many admirers and is going to make someone a wonderful companion.

Then there were the little naked Sphynx cat and his buddy, the Cornish Rex, like so many other dogs and cats, being wheeled around, safely ensconced in a pet stroller and dressed in little outfits, complete with hats.

No, I didn't just walk around admiring the four-legged attendees. Although I'll admit to holding, petting, and being kissed by an assortment of wonderful dogs and cats. I really did attend seminars, met old friends and new, put faces to names I only knew on Twitter and Facebook and with a crowd of at least 500 people from around the world who blog about every type of animal imaginable and everything from Military Dogs to Rescue and so much more, drawn together by their love of animals, I still haven't met everyone I had hoped to meet. 

As for the Swag Bag we each received, well, I was flying and couldn't possibly haul everything home although I certainly appreciate the generosity of the sponsors. I left nearly everything, including one of the tote bags, on a table where one could either leave things or exchange them. Whatever was left would go to a local shelter or two. And that's a really nice way to end a Conference that really centers around pets. With so many beloved ones gathered there, even walking a Red Carpet before the Nose to Nose Awards were presented, there was a wonderful way to help those weren't as fortunate. Hopefully they, too, will be in loving homes soon.  Well, I can dream, can't I?

Be Kind to Animals Week

It's that time again. Be Kind to Animals Week. I'd like to think it was every week.  It isn't but it's a good time to think about what you can do, not just for your own pets but for others who are in need of help.  

Need a few ideas? Okay.  Donate food to a local animal shelter. If you can afford it, make a donation, not to one of the big associations but to a grass roots organization, a rescue group, a local shelter. Or ask what they can use.  Most need paper towels, pet food, safe toys, bedding. How about donating your time? Help out at a shelter. Foster a dog or cat. If you're a positive trainer, spend a little time each week training the dogs and cats. You can make the dogs so much more adoptable if you spend a little quality time teaching them to walk nicely on a leash, sit, down, stay. And maybe a trick or two like shaking hands. They'll appreciate the attention. Cats can be clicker trained and it's especially important in a shelter setting where they tend to become depressed and shut down. You can make life much more interesting for them which will bring out their personality and make each kitty more adoptable.

Now for my pet peeve.  This applies all year round and certainly comes under the heading of Be Kind to Animals. I get very upset every time I hear of dogs or cats being thrown out of their homes because their elderly owner has died and no one wants that person's beloved companions. Often they themselves didn't come to visit and the only form of affection and attention that person had was from a pet or two. But as soon as they die, the family members show up to claim the home and get rid of the pets who are often elderly and are headed for near-certain death in a shelter if someone doesn't step up and give them a home.  It's so little to do for beloved companions who have given so much love all of their lives and provided so much needed affection and attention. The same thing usually happens if the elderly person has to go into a nursing home or an assisted living situation where pets aren't allowed.  It's cruel both to the person and to the pets.  I often pass along e-mail posts trying to get homes for more pets than I can count at this point. They're usually older and their stories break my heart.

Please be kind to animals. Treat them like the family members they are and if you can't have one of your own, please consider helping out. Time is a precious commodity. So are the necessities of shelter life that are gone through very quickly.  Whatever you can supply, however little, is more than they had before.  And if you are looking to adopt a pet, please consider choosing an older one. They deserve love, too.