Rescuing a pet can be a very rewarding experience for both the organization providing the adoption and for the adopter. Most people are unaware that 25% of the pet population in Humane Societies and shelters are purebred and 3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year. Most breeders are reputable, however, puppy mills, "backyard" breeders, and lack of spay and neutering in this country are creating more pets then can currently be adopted. Stephanie Hiemstra, executive director of The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe states, "The pet overpopulation problem in this country is an unnecessary tragedy. It could be solved if people would simply get their pets spayed and neutered. The irresponsible breeding of dogs and cats leads to millions of animals being euthanized in shelters each year for no reason other than there is no place for them to go."
How can you as a business owner turn the problem into a positive for both the sheltered pets and your business? Hosting monthly adoption programs with your local shelters and humane societies can increase awareness of the overpopulation problem, find countless homes for pets and create a positive business reputation within your community. If the adoptions are held frequently enough, they can also increase your sales. According to Stephanie, "Offsite adoption locations are really great ways for rescue organizations to find homes for their animals. Manpower is the main issue when setting up an offsite adoption whether it is just for the day or for the long term. If we [The Humane Society] are organizing a daylong adoption event at a store, we have to recruit a lot of volunteers, bring out all of the cages and set everything up. However, all the work is well worth it if we find homes for any of our animals."
Most humane societies advertise their adoptions and locations and your business can benefit from the co-op advertising as well as positive exposure. The newly adopted pet will need to be outfitted with collars, food, beds, etc and what better place to do so then where the pet was adopted. Celia Sack, owner of Noe Valley Pet Co. in San Francisco, CA hosts adoptions regularly. "Adoptions attract many people, which is always good for business. It also feels great to see them find new homes and customers always feel a connection to your store when they adopt their pet from your business" says Celia. Holding adoptions can be a win-win situation for both your business and the local rescue groups. However, before calling your local Humane Society or SPCA to set up an adoption at your store, consider the pros, cons and tips below.
PROS:
- Builds a positive reputation for your business within the community.
- Business benefits from co-op advertising from the humane society - ads that promote their adoptions and locations.
- Increases sales from walk in traffic
- Increases sales from customers outfitting their new pet.
- Creates lifelong bond with adopted pet's owner and your business.
- Dogs & cats that may have been otherwise euthanized are adopted into loving homes.
CONS:
- Need a space large enough to host several dogs and cats.
- Creating a space for the pets may involve rearranging layout of store.
- Involves extra time and payroll for setup, staffing, etc.
- May be difficult to find rescue organizations with enough volunteers and equipment to hold adoptions regularly.
TIPS:
- Host the adoptions regularly to maintain a set time and place for customers looking to adopt.
- Ask the Humane Society or shelter for volunteers to keep your additional staffing at a minimum.
- Make sure the organization you choose is easy to work with and flexible with your needs and has a positive reputation throughout the community.
- Make sure to review the policies and procedures of the rescue organization.
- Add the monthly or weekly adoption times and dates to your own advertising plan.
- Make sure staff and volunteers arrive an hour before each scheduled adoption to allow time for setup and organization.
- Offer a 10% discount to increase the products purchased for the new pet adopted.
- Have fun with the event!
| By Lori Dotterweich from http://www.tailsbythelake.com |
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