Animal shelters try to find good homes for the animals in their care but not all are successful. Dogs are great family protectors and make excellent companions for the elderly but often do not get a chance to for adoption because the people coming in to the shelter are few and far between. One way to encourage more pet adoptions is to advertise in various ways some of the animals the shelter has that need good homes. Here are a few ideas for ways to increase animal adoptions by raising awareness and educating potential pet owners.
Spotlight a featured animal
Every shelter has at least one favorite pet that volunteers would take home if they could. Why not take out a small ad in a weekly publication and spotlight one animal per week? Or a mention on a local public television channel. These animals have personalities and will make someone a great pet if given a chance.
Hold a Pet Fair or Fundraising Event
These are great events to get pet owners and potential pet owners to come out and participate. People can come out and meet a few of the animals brought to the event and get to know them. This gets the public out to meet the animals and possibly find one they want to take home.
“Sponsor a Pet”
A school class or local business adopts an animal as a group or sponsors an animal adoption by actively participating in activities and events to encourage people to adopt that animal. Businesses can put up a flyer or business size card with information about the animal and shelter contact numbers in their office for visitors.
Make Animal Adoptions Affordable
Family budgets are tighter these days than they used to be and many families would like to adopt a pet but may not be able to afford the fees to do so. One suggestion is to make adoption more affordable by waiving fees or offering a free spay or neuter for each animal.
Educate the Public about Pet Breeds
Many dogs have been given a bad reputation because of their breed. Some people won’t adopt a dog that they think will grow to be too big, or because they’ve heard they can be aggressive. The public needs more education about dog breeds and dogs in general, and then we’ll see more animal adoptions and reduce the population of homeless animals.