Is Your Animal Rescue Social Media Savvy?

by Kevin Roberts

Published: February 24th, 2018

is your animal rescue social media savvy

Thanks to social media, animal rescues are able to reach a new audience and spread their message around the world. If your local rescue isn’t up to speed, help them out with these social savvy tips.

Your online presence says a lot to potential adopters, supporters, and donors. Getting the right message out to your followers means finding the right forever homes for the animals in your care. With that in mind, it’s time to give your social media strategy a check-up. Your organization’s social media presence gives people their first impression of your organization. Let’s make sure it says what you want it to say.

Post Clearly

When you’re up to your armpits in puppy puke, trying to stop a gaggle of cats from climbing the curtains, while taking a call from a vet who has some difficult news, it can be hard to keep your head on straight, let alone pump out coherent social media messages. That’s why you should keep it simple and short, and ALWAYS include a link to your website. Your website should have all the information about your organization, contact email and phone numbers, and office hours, or how people can arrange to meet the pet.

Short clear messages with a link to follow are easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to act on. Be sure to include a flattering photo, perhaps a puppy with a toy, a happy dog out for a walk, or the cat curdled up for a cozy nap. While pictures are worth a thousand words, videos are worth millions! With a smartphone or tablet, you can easy load sweet short videos that will not only capture the attention of your followers, but will also have more of a chance to go viral.

Organize

If your social media posts are all over the place and unplanned, it can be hard to follow what’s going on with your organization. Consider using folders on sites to arrange pictures of adoptable animals together – Facebook makes it simple with its Photo Albums feature. If it’s an important post, pin it to the top of your page so users can find it. Keep your posts organized so that everyone can follow along. Not sure how it looks from an outsider’s perspective? A trusted volunteer can offer advice on how each your profile’s content is to navigate.

Moderate Posts

Social media can be a wonderful tool… unfortunately it can also be full of people acting like complete tools. Your organization must decide what comments you wish to be displayed on your content, and what type of comments you want to get rid of. A just “leave it alone” policy might avoid some short term drama, but serves as an open invitation to more drama down the road. See any nasty comments? Nip them in the bud before they have a chance to bloom.

When it comes to actual rescues, you will run into some really horrible situations. While it can be expected people will have strong reactions to strong content, posts that are more “grab the torches and pitchforks, and storm the castle” do little to help in the situation, and may leave a sour taste in some supporters’ mouths. It’s easy to judge, especially from behind a computer screen. It’s important to share the nature of your work with your followers, but be aware of the messaging behind sad photos. Before you post, make sure that your message evokes a positive response.

Regular Updates

Not everyone is in a position to adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate. That may change down the road, but right now these people can still be an asset to your organization. Some of these people become your followers on social media and spread your message to co-workers and friends. At the lunch table, someone mentions they are looking for a new cat to join their family, and wouldn’t you know, your social media follower just saw a post this morning about the perfect cat!

With properly updated information on your social media posts, it’s easy to connect pets to their forever families. And with every update, you need to monitor the message. It’s unprofessional not to respond to messages from hopeful adopters if a pet is still available. When a featured pet is adopted, let your followers know in the same update and in a new update.

At least once a week, try to post new pictures for an animal who is looking for a home. By keeping your followers updated on the animal’s story, you’re allowing them to connect emotionally and their adoption journey. They may not be the right match for the pet, but if they make a connection, they will help you find the perfect forever home by sharing with their networks. When an animal finds their forever home, be sure to post an update of the new forever family. Everyone loves a happy ending.

If you are in doubt, follow your followers. Their responses will tell you what is working and what isn’t.

Kevin Roberts

Kevin Roberts lives for adventure. Together with his pack of rescue dogs and his husband, he spends as much time outdoors as possible. Kevin lives by the motto: "Get outside and play with your dogs!

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How To Tell If You’re An Armchair “Rescuer”

There are countless ways to help animals in need, but sometimes even the best of intentions can have negative impacts – especially if you’re a social media armchair rescuer.Social media has allowed rescues to connect with the world like never before. Overcrowded and overwhelmed shelters post pleas for help, rescues seek foster homes so they can bring more animals into care, and share profiles of pets whose time is about to run out. Too often, the world of animal rescue is a race against the clock.The amount of animals needing homes can be overwhelming, and because social media constantly updates you to these statuses, you may feel the need to do something… anything, in fact. Do you find yourself sympathetically posting things like: “I wish I could, but…”, “If only they were closer…”, “Sending thoughts and prayers!”, “SOMEONE SAVE HIM” and other comments? If this sounds like you, please step away from the keyboard!Related: Is Your Animal Rescue Social Media Savvy?What!?! Why? Social Media is a wonderful way to show your support, right? By posting these comments you might feel you are helping out, showing solidarity, and supporting an animal who is in need. Well, here’s the trouble – front-line rescue workers also see your comments. They use social media to coordinate rescues of animals who desperately need it.Now, just imagine the time it takes to go through hundreds of comments to locate which are actually helpful for the animal in question and which are just, well, unhelpful. You see, comments can be separated into two different categories- helpful and unhelpful- and while you might think your words of support fall into the beneficial category, it might be that the opposite is true.How is a Comment Unhelpful?Many animal rescuers work other jobs as well as work in rescue. In addition to home checks, vet appointments, training animals and organizing donations, they also have their own animals and fosters at home. This adds up to the fact that they really don’t have much time. Scrolling through comment after comment takes up valuable time. And the sad fact is many of the comments aren’t necessary, and can turn out to be time consuming for the front line rescuers to read.They’ve already seen it all. The worried pleas, the good meaning show of support, and curious inquiries. It’s not that it’s bad per se to encourage the good work that rescuers do, it’s just that by only commenting to support them… You’re not really supporting them. It’s nice and all, but, really, it does nothing to help them. In fact, it can actually be counterproductive and make it more difficult for rescuers to find help or home for an animal in need.Related: 5 Insider Secrets Only Foster Dog Parents KnowThese comments clog up their newsfeeds – a dog might end up falling through the cracks, and not finding help in time. In hundreds of unhelpful comments, it’s easy to miss someone actually offering help or asking about adoption. The drone of ‘thoughts and prayers’ might seem supportive but it’s not.More often than not, an “armchair rescuer” will also be trying to “save” an animal through other people. How does this work? You’ve probably seen many (maybe even left a few) comments saying “can somebody please go and help him”, “why isn’t anybody taking this baby out the shelter”, “somebody do something” and so on. Well, this is not just unhelpful, but also rude. Yes, you want someone to react and provide help. But often, people posting about a situation are completely overwhelmed by their duties to other rescues they are helping that they simply can’t react. How do you think that it makes them feel to read such pushy comments when they know there’s nothing that they can’t do? If you’re not able to really help an animal, there’s no point at pointing your finger for others, especially active rescuers, to do the same.How Can I Be Helpful?The fact that a good deal of comments on rescuer’s posts ends up being unhelpful doesn’t mean you should forego social media rescues for good. On the contrary! Social media and the internet in general have brought such wonderful innovations for the world of animal welfare and it would be a shame not to use every aspect of it. It’s just that instead of empty words, you could make sure that your engagement with a social media post actually leads to viable help for the pet in need.Share the PostYou don’t need to comment that you have shared it – the author of the post will receive a notification. Sharing the post may help the animal in need by exposing it to someone who can help. You can never know if your neighbor or high school friend is looking to adopt a pet- sharing posts helps them reach a wider audience. Just be careful not to overshare- your Facebook friends might decide to hide your posts and it will all be for naught. Also, if you share 50 posts a day, it’s impossible for all of them to be shown on other people’s feeds, so again it won’t be productive.Tag a PostTagging someone in a position to help can also helpful. It will bring awareness to the people who are in a position to help, and it will also notify any of their connections that the person was tagged. Sally Hull, of Hull’s Haven Border Collie Rescue explains the importance of tagging: “For instance, someone who knows me might see a Border Collie in need of rescue in a shelter in Minnesota. So they tag me on the listing. Because I belong to a larger network of Border Collie rescues, I know there is an excellent rescue that specializes in Border Collies right near where the dog is located. I tag the director of that rescue and the dog can be saved.”Helping IRL (In Real Life)There are great ways to offer help to animals in need in real life. There are many, many different shelters and rescue organizations across the country and around the world. Take some time to investigate the different groups that are hard at work in your area. These groups have a long list of needs ranging from financial support to a need for volunteers. Here are some ideas to get you started:AdoptThere are countless animals out there who would be happy to call your house home. Guaranteed there is a rescue animal who would be a good fit for you and your family. You can be an important part of the story, the happily-ever-after home.But recognize that this is a long-term commitment for the life of this animal. Don’t make a snap decision to bring a pet into your home because you are currently feeling bad after reading a post online. 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Animal Shelter Receives Donations in Memory of Jon Stewart’s Dog

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Anyone who has ever shared their heart and home with a dog can attest to how deep the emotional connection we form with our best friends is. It is this bond that makes saying goodbye so difficult. But are we the only ones experiencing this pain?If you have recently experienced the passing of a pet or family member and noticed your dog acting a little differently, you may be wondering – Do dogs experience grief, too?In this article, we will dig into the truth about canine emotions and canine grief. This includes understanding what grief means to your dog, learning to recognize the signs that they may be mourning and tips for helping your best friend navigate this difficult time.Do Dogs Experience Grief or Mourning?The short answer is yes, dogs do grieve the loss of a person or animal in their lives. In a 2022 study led by Dr. Federica Pirrone, a veterinary physiologist at the University of Milan, 86% of dog owners reported that they saw a change in behavior in their surviving dog after losing a companion.Our dogs form close bonds with one another and with us. This can be seen both in wild dogs, with the relationships that exist between pack members, as well as the domesticated dogs of today.While they can’t tell us how they are feeling (although we wish they could), dog parents often witness physical and behavioral changes that indicate something is “off” for their dog following a loss. This occurs when a family member (human or pet) passes or even if a family member moves away like a child moving out of the family home.Recognizing that our dogs also go through a grieving process allows us to take steps to help our beloved furry friends deal with this difficult time.

Dog Rescued After Surviving a 60-foot Fall from Michigan Cliff

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Does My Dog Need Winter Boots?

The days are growing colder and colder, and your pet is more and more hesitant when it’s time to go out for a potty break – who could blame them? It’s not like we owners don’t need to give ourselves a pep talk when it’s time to take our dogs out for a walk when it’s snowing outside or the icy wind is whipping everything in sight.While winter can be very unpleasant for your dog, there are ways to keep your pooch toasty and more comfortable when the temperatures drop, ranging from  cozy winter coats, warm blankets, and protective winter boots. Yes, those cute little booties are more than a fashion statement – if you’ve been questioning their efficacy, read on to find out if your pet could use a pair of nice winter boots to keep their paws snug and warm.Does My Dog Need Winter Boots?You might think that paws are naturally protected from the cold ground and rough terrain thanks to their unique properties, but that’s only partially true. Not all doggos are built the same. As they come in different shapes and sizes, and with different coat lengths, it means that they will experience winter and cold temperatures in different ways. But even so, no dog’s paw should be left to endure the snow, the ice, and the  rock salt on the asphalt streets. That means that dog boots in winter are far more than a simple piece of the outfit. They protect, keep warm, and ensure that your dog’s paws are safe from injuries, irritations, and dangerous substances. Of course, some dogs need winter boots more than others. Small and toy dogs are much more vulnerable to cold and low temperatures, and they will need protection from the elements without a doubt – that means both a winter jacket and boots. The same goes for senior dogs, whose aching joints and paw pads are much more vulnerable to the elements than they were when they were young.Ultimately, however, dogs of all ages and sizes should be accustomed to wearing dog boots. They protect your pet’s paws in any weather, and come with a range of other advantages, too – these are the main five benefits of dog boots:#1 TractionThanks to dog boots, your pet will no longer have trouble walking on icy or slick surfaces. Boots provide grip and traction, and your next wintery outing will be much safer and faster thanks to them. This is especially important to seniors, who can seriously injure themselves and endanger their mobility due to slips and falls on icy surfaces.#2 InsulationThe boots are there to protect from extreme temperatures. This goes for both winter and summer. So whether it’s ice and cold, or the hot summer asphalt, the boots are there to provide safety – no frostbite on the paw pads, no burns on their delicate little beans.#3 HygieneCleaning your dog’s paws after every walk can quickly become a tiring chore – kudos to you if it doesn’t. Winter brings mud and slush with it, and without the boots, all that mess remains on the paws and gets inside your house, so you need to  clean your pet’s paws every single time you come in from outside. `thanks to dog boots, this can be a thing of the past.#4 Comfort and careDogs can have very sensitive paw pads, especially if they are older and cracked. Thanks to dog boots, winter doesn’t have to exacerbate these issues. Padded and comfy, dog boots ensure that walking on various surfaces is smooth and pain-free.#5 Prevention of injuriesWhen it comes to the protection of paw pads, nothing beats dog boots. In winter, there are a lot of hazards on the walking surface. Ice shards, frozen rocks, icy puddles, and rock salt – the list is endless. Thanks to the protection of the boots, your pet will be safe from abrasions, cuts, and frostbite.

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28-pound Cat Named 'One Frosty Too Many' Finds a Forever Home

A morbidly obese cat found wandering the streets in Virginia has found a forever home after Richmond Animal Care and Control shelter posted a funny adoption ad on their Facebook page.Tipping the scales at 28.5 pounds the shelter named the chubby feline ‘One Frosty Too Many’ or Frosty for short, after Wendy’s frozen treats. “You know we love a cat with a belly, and lord almighty this one has the best belly in town. Meet One Frosty Too Many,” wrote the shelter on its Facebook page. The shelter described the cat as 28.5 pounds of pudge with a side of crankiness. “As long as you let him do what he wants when he wants, everything is fine; still we recommend you proceed with caution.”The person who brought Frosty to the shelter said he found the chubby cat roaming the streets of Richmond, shared shelter director Christie Peters. The cat was morbidly obese but was otherwise in good general health. “We put him on a strict low-calorie diet and he wasn’t too happy about that,” said Peters, estimating that Frosty is about two years old. “Because he was cranky, we kept telling him he’ll feel a lot better when he loses weight.”Frosty’s adoption ad garnered a lot of attention, and many were interested in adopting the chubby tabby. However, one woman beat everyone to it and took Frosty home. Maggie Thompson, her husband, and two sons were on the way home to Stafford when she saw the Facebook post about Frosty. “I thought, ‘Oh, I want that cat,’” said Thomson, who owns a pet-sitting business, according to The Washington Post. She persuaded her husband, Mike, to stop in Richmond so they could visit the shelter and ask about adopting Frosty.As soon as she met Frosty, she knew that she couldn’t go home without him. “He got on my lap and started purring,” said Maggie. “With animals, they pick you. You just know when it’s right, and they do, too.”Thomson’s sons, Mickey and Andy, were ecstatic they’d be taking home a chubby cat. The family already has two cats, Rose and Wolfie, which are around one year old. “They are under seven pounds each - less than 14 pounds together,” said Thompson. “But I had a feeling they’d all get along just fine and become friends.”After Thompson filled out adoption papers, the shelter staff explained to her that Frosty would need to follow a strict diet and eat low-calorie cat food twice a day until he’d dropped half his body weight. The shelter didn’t have a large enough carrier for Frosty, so they placed him in a dog crate. “We put him in the back of the car, and he didn’t protest at all. He was a good rider and was pretty quiet the whole trip,” said Thomson. When they arrived home, Thomson placed the family’s newest addition into a spare room for a few days to gradually introduce him to their other two cats.Thomson decided that their new cat deserves a new name, one that won’t be associated with desserts. “We’ve decided to call him Gus. That’s what he looks like to me. I now call him Gussie, and he responds well to that.”Gus has adjusted nicely to his new home and loves lounging on the bottom level of a cat tree. Thomson plans to start a weight-loss journey page for Gus on Facebook to track his progress.Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

How Do I Train My Dog to Wear a Muzzle?

Introducing a new tool to your dog can feel like uncharted territory. While some dogs will readily accept whatever is thrown their way, others will become stressed or anxious when presented with something new. Unfortunately, if you are in a position where a muzzle is necessary for the safety of your dog or others around you, forgoing a tool because your dog appears to be uninterested in it isn’t an option. So, what do you do? How do you train your dog to wear a muzzle? This guide will dig into the importance of conditioning when planning to muzzle your dog. This includes explaining what conditioning is, walking you through the process step-by-step, and sharing some helpful tips to set you up for success. What is Muzzle Conditioning? Before expecting your dog to wear their muzzle, it is recommended that you take the time to focus on muzzle training, also referred to as muzzle conditioning. This is the process of introducing the muzzle alongside positive rewards. If each time your dog sees or interacts with the muzzle, they get “good things,” it will create a positive association. Over time, they will not only tolerate the muzzle but happily accept it. Why? They recognize that wearing their muzzle means they will receive good things like verbal praise, pets, and their favorite treats. How Long Does It Take for a Dog to Get Used to a Muzzle? There is no one guaranteed timeline when working on muzzle conditioning. While some dogs will quickly take to the muzzle, adjusting in just a few days, others will take longer. Some factors that can impact this include your dog’s personality, trainability, previous experience (positive or negative) with a muzzle, and their trust/bond with you as the person introducing this tool to them. It’s important to keep in mind that the time it takes does NOT mean you are doing better or failing at your training efforts. We have three dogs, all of which have been muzzle-trained. While two of our dogs took to the muzzle relatively quickly, Lucifer’s nerves and anxiety made the process more challenging. This doesn’t mean it was impossible. With time, patience, and consistency, he is now the dog that is most comfortable in a muzzle out of the three. We just had to move at his pace.

San Juan Puerto Rico’s Iconic Stray Felines to Be Evicted

One-year deadline imposed by the US National Park Service to shift almost 200 cats from 16th-century El Morro fortress.

Family Dog Alerts Parents to a Teen’s Stroke and Saves His Life

Dogs are so deserving of their title – man’s best friend - and they continue to prove it day in and day out. From being our best friends to providing irreplaceable acts of service to people in need, there’s so much that dogs do that makes a difference and this story only proves it.The fateful event took place in Spring, Texas, where the family Tanner lives, alongside their precious pooch, Axel. Axel is a 1-year-old  border collie, a rescue that quickly became a cherished member of the family and, as life would have it, their savior. It was around 5 am on a calm Saturday morning when Axel – completely out of the ordinary – jolted Amanda and her husband from their sleep. And it was no regular attention-seeking behavior. Something was amiss, and Axel was determined to let the couple know.“He was pawing me more than normal to get me to move,” Mr. Tanner explains for  Today.com. Realizing that the dog was clearly trying to wake them, Amanda’s husband went downstairs to check on things and let the dog outside. Axel refused. It wasn’t the outdoors he was seeking - there was something else. He quickly stopped in front of the closed doors of the 17-year-old Gabriel Tanner. Mr. Tanner went inside to check up on his son but realized what was the cause of the dog’s panic. Young Gabriel was having a stroke, his speech was slurred, and he could not feel his right side. At once they rushed him to the emergency room at the Memorial Hermann the Woodlands Medical Center. Young Gabriel was quickly treated and made a recovery. Dr. Sabih Effendi, who treated him, says that “by waking the parents up, and leading them to the boy, the dog made a “massive” difference in Gabriel’s outcome”. “It’s very amazing that their dog alerted and started this whole process of getting everyone awake and going downstairs,” Effendi continues. “When somebody’s acutely having a stroke, the neurons are dying. … If he was not found and another three or four hours went by, there would have been more and more and more brain injury.”The Tanner family is extremely grateful to have had Axel by their side in this crucial moment. They can only wonder what would have happened if the dog wasn’t there. He practically saved Gabriel’s life. “We wouldn’t have thought to go into Gabriel’s room and wake him up. He’s a teenager. It was a Saturday morning. We went to bed late. We wouldn’t think to go in there until maybe noon,” Amanda says.Nowadays, Axel is a precious member of their family and tends to follow Gabriel wherever he goes. He also sleeps with the teen a lot more, always on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. A true four-legged friend and proof that dogs can be loyal to no end! 

How Can I Reduce My Dog's Environmental Pawprint?

In today’s day and age, with the climate and environment at great risk, we want to do anything we can to minimize our own carbon footprint and the damage we do to Mother Nature. Of course, our pets also have an environmental impact – and eco-conscious pet parents are always on the lookout for simple ways to reduce their pet’s carbon footprint (or pawprint if we’re being precise). Luckily, there are a lot of small but important steps that you can take in order to make your pet’s lifestyle and care much more eco-friendly without compromising the quality of life they are used to. Here's where to start if you want to become a more eco-friendly, sustainable dog owner!5 Ways You Can Reduce Your Dog's Environmental PawprintCaring for your pet can be challenging, and that’s no secret. However, the things that make it easier are not often very good for the environment, and can make your pet’s environmental pawprint significant. Luckily, it does not take too much of a change to turn that completely around and start improving that environmental impact, day by day. What follows are just a few of the basic steps you can take as a caring and responsible owner.#1 Be Responsible About Your Pet’s Waste Disposal:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Cats: The Basics

Like humans, cats can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency. This water-soluble vitamin is needed for a variety of functions, affecting everything from their digestion to cognitive function, so it’s important to address a deficiency in your pet.Here’s some information on the symptoms and causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, along with what you can do to address it.

Rising Pet Care Costs Lead to More Surrenders

Thanks to a rising cost of living, more people are surrendering their pets to animal shelters or abandoning them on the street. According to Shelter Animals Count, the end of 2023 saw a whopping 250,000 more pets in shelters compared to a year prior. They’ve even seen a rise in the number of purebred dogs and puppies who entered shelters, and there aren’t enough animals being adopted.  Overcrowded Shelters Around the U.S.The stats say it all, and this heartbreaking problem is found all over the United States. For example, compared to 2022, Animal Care Centers of NYC saw the number of abandoned dogs they took in go up 41%, and they’d run out of space as of the start of 2024. Tragically, the shelter also euthanized a higher number of dogs (2% more) in 2023 compared to the previous year.     Animal shelters in Kentucky, such as Franklin County Humane Society, are also struggling to keep up as they deal with more surrenders and strays. The state’s shelters are full, and they’re having a hard time because so many people are giving up their pets as a result of rising costs.The Nevada Humane Society is yet another example of a shelter that has seen a rise in pet surrenders because people are finding it harder to afford their animals or they’re finding it difficult to locate housing that will let them keep their pets. In 2023, the shelter saw a 65% increase in the number of dogs that were surrendered to them.Financial Hardship and Housing Issues Are Driving ForcesWhy are so many people giving up their pets? Financial hardship and difficulty finding places to live that are affordable and accept pets are a couple of the big reasons. Many people struggle with the rising cost of living not only for themselves but also for their pets, as everything from pet food and supplies to veterinary care has gotten more expensive.  Shelters across the United States are doing what they can to encourage people to adopt and prevent people from surrendering their pets. For example, Animal Care Centers of NYC offered pet parents help in the form of training assistance, free food, and temporary boarding, and those efforts worked to avoid nearly 3,000 surrenders in 2023.  There Are Ways You Can HelpYou can do your part to support animal shelters and pet parents that are struggling. In addition to monetary donations, you can donate pet food. Or, you can offer to foster one or more animals who are currently waiting for their forever homes. And you can adopt a pet in need of a home—you might even find shelters in your area that have discounted adoption fees as a means to help people afford their new best friend.Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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