Animal Shelter Inc of Sterling encourages local media to support this campaign
Sterling, MA – The Advertising Council, in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie’s Fund and the Sterling Shelter, announced the launch of The Shelter Pet Project, a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign, designed to encourage pet lovers throughout the country to make shelters their first choice for acquiring companion animals. The Shelter Pet Project is the first national PSA campaign to bring together the largest animal welfare organizations and many shelters across the country for one unified goal—to increase pet adoption.
There are approximately 75 million dogs and 88 million cats in American households. Presently, most people do not obtain their pets from shelters, but rather from pet stores, the Internet sellers, friends, neighbors, breeders or other sources. According to The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, eight million pets enter shelters and rescue groups every year, with three million of these healthy and treatable pets euthanized due to lack of adoption.
The Shelter Pet Project aims to change the public’s perception of shelter pets and encourage Americans to save a pet’s life by adopting from an animal shelter or rescue group. The campaign is geared toward all Americans, including current, past and potential pet owners, but particularly those who are planning on acquiring a pet within the next year and who have not yet decided where they will get their pet from.
Sterling, MA – The Advertising Council, in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie’s Fund and the Sterling Shelter, announced the launch of The Shelter Pet Project, a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign, designed to encourage pet lovers throughout the country to make shelters their first choice for acquiring companion animals. The Shelter Pet Project is the first national PSA campaign to bring together the largest animal welfare organizations and many shelters across the country for one unified goal—to increase pet adoption.
There are approximately 75 million dogs and 88 million cats in American households. Presently, most people do not obtain their pets from shelters, but rather from pet stores, the Internet sellers, friends, neighbors, breeders or other sources. According to The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, eight million pets enter shelters and rescue groups every year, with three million of these healthy and treatable pets euthanized due to lack of adoption.
The Shelter Pet Project aims to change the public’s perception of shelter pets and encourage Americans to save a pet’s life by adopting from an animal shelter or rescue group. The campaign is geared toward all Americans, including current, past and potential pet owners, but particularly those who are planning on acquiring a pet within the next year and who have not yet decided where they will get their pet from.
The humorous PSAs, aim to break down the stereotypes associated with shelter pets and make shelters and rescue groups the desired place for people to find a pet. The ads feature stories of how pets come into shelters through no fault of their own, but to due owners’ issues, such as divorce, financial difficulty and ill-prepared owners. The television, radio, print, outdoor and web ads direct audiences to visit a new comprehensive website, www.theshelterpetproject.org, to find out more information about how to adopt a pet from a shelter. The website also includes a "Pet Personals" section, where users are asked questions about themselves and are then matched with potential pets from a local shelter or rescue group using the Petfinder.com database.
In addition to the new PSAs and website, The Shelter Pet Project will engage the target audiences through a series of social media strategies, including blog and online outreach, as well as social networking initiatives. The campaign will encourage advocates, shelter workers, pet lovers and all Americans to become a “fan” and take a pledge to adopt a pet on Facebook. Audiences will also have the opportunity to sign up on Twitter to receive tweets from a shelter pet, which convey his point of view, and view the new PSAs through YouTube.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelter-Pet-Project/126480082642
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shelterpets
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shelterpetproject
The PSAs are airing and running in advertising time that is donated by the media. The Sterling Animal Shelter is encouraging media outlets throughout New England to provide support for the new ads. Initial partnerships include a commitment from Animal Planet to air the TV PSAs on their network over the next year.
DID YOU KNOW?
+ Of the 8 million pets that enter animal shelters each year, between 3 and 4 million healthy and treatable pets are euthanized each year in shelters.
+ Each year approximately 4 million pets are adopted.
+ It is estimated that 17 million people plan on acquiring a pet within the next year.
We're YOUR Local Animal Shelter... There's a place in your community where the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, and the abandoned are given care. It’s your local animal shelter, right here in Sterling, MA. Where we provide comfort and care for our community's unwanted animals. We offer many other services too, for pets and their people. To do all this, we rely on the support of people like you. Here are a few ways you can help animals, especially those in our care...Give a little bit... Donate food or towels or old blankets and other needed supplies to us. Lend a hand and become a volunteer. Find that special someone here waiting for a home - ADOPT! Help spread the word about our program. Be a responsible pet owner. Vote for the animals. Support legislation that protects animals. Report animal cruelty. Teach your children respect for animals.
