Pick me, pick me!
There are always thousands of adorable pets up for adoption, so how do you make your rescue stand out from the crowd?
YOU pick up a stray because you can offer a good home to a dog – and discover she’s pregnant. Or you already have a dog when you come across an abandoned pet.
There are so many unwanted, abandoned and lost pets on the streets, that it’s impossible not to feel for them. However, if you do take one home, the chances that you won’t be able to keep it are high.
There are no firm figures that tell us how big the problem is. Beer polls around shelters and rescuers put the figure at some 100,000 pets. PetFinder. my, one of the biggest national online rehoming portals, has been around since April 2008. It has helped connect 30,670 pets with new owners in those eight years.
“As of today, we have 10,774 pets for adoption,” Andy Koh Chun Hoh, the founder of PetFinder. my says. “We have about 400 to 500 pets adopted each month, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. About 40% of our listed pets are adopted, so about 60% remain homeless.”
Puppies stand a better chance of getting a home than older dogs. “Unfortunately, most people prefer to adopt younger pets, which look cuter and to experience the growing- up phase together,” Andy points out.
Shelters have a complex network of volunteers, promoters and some staff who help care for their rescues and get the word out. However, if you are a single person, how can you maximise your chances of connecting your rescue with a good home?
A basic adopt- me post comes with a photo and a few sentences describing the pet by size, age, health condition and personality. Fancy posts come with a picture gallery and video clips.
Pauline Leong, a lecturer in Selangor, has rehomed six to 10 pups and dogs. “I think people look at photos first, so that’s what matters most. You need to attract them by the photo in order to read the descriptions.
“Nice pictures, especially close- ups of faces, matter. When I posted photos of my first rescue puppy, he looked sad, and that actually attracted someone who said he needed a home. But cute, happy photos of dogs with their tongues hanging out and smiling, attracts people too. I also like videos of dogs playing because it shows character.”
Tay Lee Teng, an IT professional in Puchong, Selangor, has an unusual approach that has allowed her to home more than 100 dogs in five years.
“I take in mostly young dogs, pups, and the first thing I do is to take them to the vet. Once they’re clean and healthy, I take them home and then I spend a few weeks training them. I train them to be properly socialised and nicely behaved, and I also toilet train them.”
All Lee Teng’s dogs learn to use an indoor toilet tray, which means they are suitable for indoor living.
“People have to work, so I tell them that two dogs are better than one. If you have two, they keep each other happy while you’re at work.”
Lee Teng has six dogs of her own, a few of which were rescues that didn’t catch the eye of adopters, but she believes that this has a positive effect on her young charges.
“There are some things humans can’t teach ( pups). My dogs help me with the socialising. Basically, they act as nannies. This makes my pups easier for people to handle.”
Rescuing a pet is a very tough job, mentally. First, some are in a bad state, which means nursing them back to health. Second, you know you have to give them up. When you’ve bonded with a fur baby, that can be very difficult.
Also, there are scandals about people adopting pets, keeping them for a few weeks and then dumping them because they’re too much trouble. If you have a cute pet that’s not neutered or spayed, there’s the horror of
your charge ending up in a puppy mill.
Alicia Ling Horsley, founder of That Bloody Diet – raw food for pets – has homed about 150 pets over the years. “When you’re writing your post, don’t focus on the horror story of the rescue! Yes, it may get you some pity adoptions but those tend to be problematic. Once the pity fades, you may have people who don’t know how to handle the pet.
“You want a happy home for your pet, and a good match, so focus on what the pet is like and what they need to be happy.”
Again, when you’re homing your rescue, you might be overly concerned about details.
“Don’t list a thousand requirements,” Andy advises. “It is good to have proper assessment criteria, but don’t scare away potential adopters that feel like they’re being interrogated or have to pass a PhD exam to qualify.
“It is fine to include reasonable expectations, but don’t overwhelm people at first impression. Wait for their communications first to explain and assess further, and be flexible if adopters are not able to meet all requirements.
“Ultimately, which is a more productive outcome – a pet that never finds a home, or one that finds a decent ( although not the best) family?”