“A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet. Be that person. Adopt.” — slogan, the Shelter Pet Project
In a three-part series, I’m exploring the Shelter Pet Project, a campaign dedicated to ending the killing of healthy, adoptable pets. These posts are based on my interview with Rich Avanzino, President of Maddie’s Fund, one of the campaign’s co-sponsors, along with the Humane Society of the United States and the Ad Council.
In Part 1, I covered the first phase of the Shelter Pet Project, which produced and distributed a series of videos and ads aimed at changing the perception of shelter pets as being inferior. I also discussed the inclusiveness of the project, its willingness to incorporate a lot of different views and methods to achieve its goals.
Here I continue my conversation with Rich with a discussion of how the project came under the aegis of the Ad Council, as well as the potential impact of getting the Ad Council involved in this cause.
Started in 1942, the Ad Council is a private non-profit with clout. They wrangle the advertising and communications industries, the media, and the business and non-profit communities into donating their talents and their resources to spread the word about worthy projects of their choice.
You’re familiar with their work, whether you’re aware of it or not. Public service advertising didn’t really exist before the Ad Council created it during World War II with such campaigns as Rosie the Riveter — designed to get women into the workforce while the men were at war — and the security-oriented “Loose Lips Sink Ships.” Among their iconic slogans: Smokey Bear’s “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires,” “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk,” and “A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste,” for the United Negro College Fund. Here’s a link to some of the Ad Council’s classic campaigns (time sink alert: these ads are timeless and fascinating).
When the Ad Council chooses to puts its resources behind a cause, you can bet the public will be aware of it.
***
How did the Ad Council come to chose pet adoption as one of its causes?
It started in Chicago in 2007 with Howard Draft, a founder of Draftfcb, one of the world’s largest communications agency networks. A longtime animal lover, Draft was a great supporter of PAWS Chicago, the city’s largest No Kill humane organization, and wondered how he could help the No Kill movement could go national. He was on the board of directors of the Ad Council, and it was his idea to get them involved. It was a little unusual; they had never taken on a project that wasn’t human focused before, but the rest of the board approved it. Read More »
My usual spam comments tend to be fairly varied. Most of this batch, however, fell into two distinct groups that played variations on a theme.
Group #1
The usual overwrought praise, but with this difference: Whoever was mixing the word salad substituted a different ingredient each time.
Wonderful goods from you, man. Spam Saturday: Amazing Products, Thrilling Occasions, Thanks-a-Mundo! I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely wonderful* I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it sensible.** I can’t wait to read far (much) more from you. This is actually a terrific*** Spam Saturday: Amazing Products, Thrilling Occasions, Thanks-a-Mundo! informations.
*too fantastic, too wonderful, extremely magnificent, extremely fantastic, too great
It’s a funny time, the week between Christmas and New Year’s — even for people like me who don’t really celebrate the holidays, except by drinking too much eggnog and gorging on cookies and fudge. It’s limbo, not quite out with the old nor in with the new. I always look forward to this as a quiet time to get some work done, but without strict deadlines — which I don’t have at the moment — I’m a bit at sea.
I’ve also been distracted by Frankie. He’s had a few hypoglycemic incidents during walks, which hadn’t happened before. It’s been cold, so he is probably using more energy trying to keep warm, even when he’s wearing a sweater. The fact is, he’s not getting any younger, and it’s hard for me to be in my usual state of denial about that when he’s not his normally stroppy self.
And then there’s this odd blast from an unknown past. I always knew that one of my great uncles, who was sent to a concentration camp from Vienna like most members of both parents’ families, had owned a butcher shop and that Sigmund Freud was one of his customers. But I never realized that Freud lived and practiced psychoanalysis right above that butcher shop — and that, in 2001, it had become part of the Freud Museum in Vienna, which I’ve never visited (see the second paragraph).
I can’t even begin to figure out what to do with this information; I’m waiting for the museum to get back to me after an initial introductory email and inquiry about whether my family archives are there along with Freud’s.
So forgive my spaciness at this year-end wrap up/housekeeping post.
The Book Club Regroups — and Reschedules
I know I’m not the only one who’s been distracted, and I realized January 5 might be a bit early for the next meeting of the book club. So I’ve shifted the date to Thursday January 12. That means it’s not too late to purchase signed copies of the paperback and the hardcover editions of Dog Walks Man at a discount, including shipping charges. To order these signed, discounted copies directly from the publisher, contact Amy Alexander at 203.458.4541 or e-mail Amy.Alexander at globepequot.com. Signed hardcovers are $20, signed paperbacks are $15, and prices include tax and shipping (I imagine if you want extra fast shipping you’ll have to pay more).
To get you right into the swing of things for the New Year, don’t forget the Pet Blogger’s Challenge. Grab the badge to the right and proclaim, I’M A PET BLOGGER AND I’M PROUD (or conflicted, or depressed, or whatever you plan to write in answer to the questions that Amy of GoPetFriendly.com and I posed).
“Our movement is dedicated to changing the status quo. We have 17 million people out there who are going to get an animal next year and they haven’t yet decided from where. If we can get 2.7 million of them to decide to get a pet from a rescue or a shelter, we can end the killing overnight. It can happen tomorrow.”– Rich Avanzino, President of Maddie’s Fund
Saving 2.7 million animals is an ambitious goal, but if any campaign has the ability — and the resources — to do it, it’s the Shelter Pet Project, a joint effort of Maddie’s Fund, the Humane Society of the United States, the Ad Council, and, as the Maddie’s Fund website puts it, “the entire animal welfare community.”
I’ve run several of the videos made for the Shelter Pet Project on this blog as part of my Pet Adoption Videos that Don’t Make Me Want to Kill Myself series, but didn’t really know anything about the campaign’s background, scope, or ultimate goal. When a representative of the Ad Council contacted me recently about a new series of videos released in November as part of the campaign, I decided I needed to learn more.
Rich Avanzino, the President of Maddie’s Fund, was generous enough with his time to spend an hour on the phone answering my questions. I’m going to share those answers — and the videos — in a three-part series.
I’ve already written about Maddie’s Fund in the context of another of the organization’s collaborative projects, to get Leona Helmsley’s trustees to honor her wish that her millions go to animal welfare organizations. And I’ll be explaining what the Ad Council does in more detail in Part 2 of this series. I think it’s okay to assume that most everyone is familiar with the Humane Society of the United States.
***
How do you propose to achieve the overall goal quoted at the top of this blog, i.e., eliminating the killing at shelters?
It’s a multi-pronged approach, but one of the key things we need to do is change the perception of shelter animals.
We want to reach out to the public and make them aware of the wonderful qualities of shelter pets, to make folks think of shelters as the first and best place to adopt pets. In doing that we need to overcome some myths, primary among them being that the animals in shelters are damaged goods, that they have diseases, disabilities, and that they aren’t going to be great companions, that this is why they get turned in or abandoned.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The animals in shelters are usually there because of a human disorder — there’s been a breakup in a relationship, foreclosure of a house, people have lost their jobs, their new partner is allergic, etc., etc. The animals have had nothing to do with these dysfunctional situations but they end up in a shelter and they need another life. It’s the job of the rescue and shelter world to tell their stories. When people understand how wonderful they are they lead with the heart and they provide the homes and everyone comes out the winner. Read More »
One of the highlights of my blog this year was hosting the Great Yorkie Bark-Off and, especially, collaborating with two creative dog lovers, Alana of Dexter’s Ruff Life and Luciana of Gangs of New Yorkie. We all worked hard and had a blast, but I know Luciana would agree that Alana was the talent behind the video — as evidenced by the fact that she has gotten more than a million (!) views of her mini-films, starring two adorable Yorkies, Dexter and his new-to-the-household little sister, Peppermint. Both are little trouble-makers — and bundles of fun.
Here are two Christmas-themed examples for your enjoyment.
Did I mention that Alana has a wonderfully warped sense of humor — and a willingness to put herself out there?
Alana has had kind of a tough year — her life through dog video is an open book, so I’m telling no tales (tails?) when I talk about her divorce. So here’s to a very happy Christmas, Alana, and a better next year. May Dexter and Peppermint continue to cheer you up when life is tough.
That’s my wish to the rest of you, too. May you have a wonderful seasonal celebration — or retreat — with the furred, feathered and/or bipedal family members that bring you joy. And to those who are going through a rough patch this season, remembering loved ones who have passed (yes, I’m thinking of you, Clare), hold the good times in your heart. Those who cared about you would not want you to be sad.
This really doesn’t need much explanation, except for a few things:
I did not buy the fuzzy dreidl for Frankie. It was a gift from his early days.
He doesn’t much like it. It is too large for him. It is not squeaky. Rather, it plays a Children of the Corn creepy version of the dreidl song: Dreidl song (which you may or may not be able to hear. I’ve been having trouble embedding this 17-second mp3 file. It plays once for me, and that’s it. Can anyone else hear it? Suggest other ways to embed it other than with the new WordPress media tool?)
Frankie is NOT getting eight gifts, as Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes waggishly suggested on Facebook. He’s not getting any. Aside from my feelings about gift exchanges in general, he loves his squeaky carrots and, within minutes, rejects all other toys that are not appropriately shaped and don’t have removable squeakers.
The squeaky carrot
I loved Mel Freer’s post on No Dog About It about her decision not to buy new toys for Christmas, Old is the New “New.“
Has anyone else made that decision about pet gifts, for any reasons? Or is it Grinchy to even ask?
And whatever you do or don’t celebrate: Happy Holidays!
It’s very easy. All you have to do is post the answers to the questions on your site on Jan. 10 and – assuming you want others to be able to read them– add your post’s url to the Linky tool, which will go up at midnight, January 9, EST. Never used a Linky tool? Here’s an example of what it’ll look like. You can even enter a practice link if you have a fun picture to share.
You don’t have to post the Pet Blogger Challenge badge on your site; it just serves as a public pledge that you’re committed to taking part — and that you’re very cool. If you want to, you can grab the code from the badge in my right margin. If you don’t know how to do that, ask Amy. (Just kidding. Kind of.)
There are two sets of questions, one for bloggers who participated last year, one for newbies. You know who you are.
Procrastinate at your peril. It takes a while to answer these questions thoroughly (signed: She Who Knows From Procrastination)
Okay, here goes:
Challenge Questions #1: For bloggers who haven’t participated before
1. When did you begin your blog?
2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
3. Is your current purpose the same?
If not, what’s different?
If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals?
4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
If the former, how often — and what techniques do you use to stick to it?
If the latter, do you worry about… well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)? Read More »
Let’s face it: When you see the words “National Football League” and “dogs” in the same sentence, the name that’s likely to come to mind is Michael Vick. And it’s not going to make you feel warm and fuzzy.
If you’re a football fan and an animal lover, here’s some good news: Together, we can change that association.
I got an email the other day from Becky Krueger, Director of Education & Public Relations for the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, who wanted to share a new pet adoption PSA called “Home Game” with me. It features St. Louis Rams star Rodger Saffold and an extremely cute dog named Popeye:
It was intended for my Pet Adoption Videos That Don’t Make Me To Kill Myself series, and you can certainly consider it part of that. But it also occurred to me that, since it highlights a member of a major sports franchise, we in the pet community have an opportunity to do more: Celebrate big tough NFL guys who are manly enough not to hurt dogs.
So although I have zero interest in football, I researched Rodger Saffold. According to Wikipedia:
Saffold was drafted by the Rams in the second round, 33rd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. On July 28, 2010, he signed a 4 year contract worth $6.3 million, that includes $3.9 million guaranteed. Saffold earned the starting left tackle position for the Rams in his rookie season and started in every game that season for the Rams. Saffold garnered rave reviews for his play and was named to multiple All Rookie teams, including Pro Football Weekly and the Sporting News.
Except for the money and rave reviews part, this means next to nothing to me. But when I took my research to the Rams’ website, I found a terrific video on the creation of Rodger’s PSA called “That’s My Dog.” I can’t embed it, but I urge you to watch it. It’s clear that Rodger is a really nice guy and thus more deserving of all that money than most sports figures. And how cool is it that a major football team’s site features a video that promotes animal welfare?
I’m sorry to report that no one — except me, now! — has Liked, Tweeted, or +1′ed the video. Since sharing is caring, why don’t you start by doing that?
One more digression, because I cannot get enough of either Popeye or Rodger. Here’s a blooper video from the filming of “Home Game”:
It’s not all head rubs and bacon, though. On November 18, Rodger was placed on the injured reserve list because of a torn pectoral muscle incurred while he was lifting weights.
So here’s what I want you to do, in no particular order. Go over to the Rams’ Facebook page and Like it. Then post on their wall that you really like Rodger Saffold and tell them why. Send people to the video on the Rams’ site that I linked to, above. Tell Rodger you hope he feels better. And thank him for all he does for animals. Share this post, spread the word.
Go Rodger. Go Rams. Go pet community. Let’s make it okay for animal lovers to get excited about the NFL again, even if you couldn’t care less about football.
I have had several veterinary guest bloggers on this site — and I’ve even met some of them in person at BlogPaws conferences — but so far have not featured anyone local. Which is just wrong. We have some terrific veterinary facilities in town, including the award-winning Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson (VSCT), the largest veterinary multi-specialty practice in southern Arizona. In my defense, I did highlight a wonderful VSCT charitable program, Cause For Paws, here.
So it brings me great pleasure to host VSCT’s co-founding owner, Barbara R. Gores, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, addressing a very timely topic. Dr. Gores also provided all the accompanying photos. She is not responsible for the smart alecky captions.
***
Six Tips for Keeping Pets Safe for the Holidays
by Dr. Barbara Gores
A favorite time of year for human family members, the holiday season is often dangerous time for our beloved pets. Holiday visitors, turkey bones, table scraps, candy, decorations and gift wrappings are just some of the dangers that dogs, cats and other household pets face this time of year. Pet owners must be proactive to ensure their pet’s safety.
Six top ways to keep your pets safe include:
1. Keep pets indoors and secured in a quiet part of the house during holiday parties and events to prevent accidental escape through doors that are being used frequently.
But do let them greet your guests to show off their holiday finery first
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At the beginning of this month I posted Spam Saturday: Amazing Products, Thrilling Occasions, Thanks-a-Mundo! Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised that the blog was a spam magnet, drawing a lot of magnificent examples of the genre. Meta-spam, I called it; Amy from GoPetFriendly — my Pet Blogger Challenge co-host — dubbed it spam squared.
Shelter Pet Project, Pt. 2: A Pet Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
In a three-part series, I’m exploring the Shelter Pet Project, a campaign dedicated to ending the killing of healthy, adoptable pets. These posts are based on my interview with Rich Avanzino, President of Maddie’s Fund, one of the campaign’s co-sponsors, along with the Humane Society of the United States and the Ad Council.
In Part 1, I covered the first phase of the Shelter Pet Project, which produced and distributed a series of videos and ads aimed at changing the perception of shelter pets as being inferior. I also discussed the inclusiveness of the project, its willingness to incorporate a lot of different views and methods to achieve its goals.
Here I continue my conversation with Rich with a discussion of how the project came under the aegis of the Ad Council, as well as the potential impact of getting the Ad Council involved in this cause.
But first…
An introduction to the Ad Council
Started in 1942, the Ad Council is a private non-profit with clout. They wrangle the advertising and communications industries, the media, and the business and non-profit communities into donating their talents and their resources to spread the word about worthy projects of their choice.
When the Ad Council chooses to puts its resources behind a cause, you can bet the public will be aware of it.
***
How did the Ad Council come to chose pet adoption as one of its causes?
It started in Chicago in 2007 with Howard Draft, a founder of Draftfcb, one of the world’s largest communications agency networks. A longtime animal lover, Draft was a great supporter of PAWS Chicago, the city’s largest No Kill humane organization, and wondered how he could help the No Kill movement could go national. He was on the board of directors of the Ad Council, and it was his idea to get them involved. It was a little unusual; they had never taken on a project that wasn’t human focused before, but the rest of the board approved it. Read More »