Shelter uses unusual advertising

[Encantadora]

This shelter uses an ad that replicates tactics used car dealers are implementing to sell vehicles. It's meant to be humorous and great for what they want to do. But I always wonder the same thing as the article brings up.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-...rs-recent-ad-gives-humor-to-a-serious-problem

 

[eroomlorac]

Cute ad but the animals should NOT be free. Not only will it cause people to impulse adopt but what about people who may have evil intentions for those animals?

 

[Tiatrack]

Cute ad but the animals should NOT be free. Not only will it cause people to impulse adopt but what about people who may have evil intentions for those animals?

They are still heavily screened. At the shelter I volunteer for we saw a huge increase in adoptions when we had a 50% off deal. The quality of the people was still very high - it just reduced the financial barrier for people and allowed them to have more money in their vet fund.

 

[Kalandra]

There are a couple of Michigan shelters that are doing similar promotions. Although only the Michigan Humane Society has done the clever advertising that I've seen so far. One shelter has what appears to be a permanent promotion of adopt one get one for $1. Another did a waiver of the adoption fee for qualifying cats/families during the spring to try to open shelter space so they didn't have to turn cats/kittens away.

The people adopting still have to go through an adoption process though.

I figure that if people really want a cat, all they have to do is pick up free cats/kittens off of craigslist or stop at any home around here that has a "free kittens" sign in front of it and avoid the application process altogether.

 

[addictedtochins]

If only they had a Cash for Clunkers program. I have a feline "clunker" I'd LOVE to trade in. :hilarious:

 

[arf2184]

I think the advertising campaign is cute. Its creative and does get your attention.

The Humane Society is supposed to be about saving animals. If giving them away is what it takes, then I say go for it. I think as long as the cats are spayed/neutered and not making more cats, giving them away is at least giving the chance of a good life to a cat that may have otherwise had to be put to sleep.

Also if people get their 'free cat' from the shelter, maybe there will be less free cats acquired through newspaper and craigslist ads that end up never being spayed or neutered.

I do hope that people would donate to the shelter in exchange for the cat anyway...I would.

 

[Encantadora]

If only they had a Cash for Clunkers program. I have a feline "clunker" I'd LOVE to trade in. :hilarious:

ROFL

I have mixed feeling about the whole "free for adoption" idea. I expect to at least pay something when I go to a shelter. Adopting privately from an individual is different.

I don't know that you can back it up with the adoption screening process. I worked at one shelter (private one) that did their best with placements, but there was definitely a lot of pressure to move animals so new ones could come in. One questionable placement turned into a woman keeping a puppy outside 24/7 when she agreed he was going to be a house pet. You could tell he got no attention, but was fed and watered. We couldn't take him back because he wasn't outright neglected and simply ignoring the stipulation to keep him indoors wasn't grounds to retrieve him. (Or so the staff said) And the two times I went through an adoption screening from different city shelters, it was questions just about anyone could pass. They were mostly wanting to know if you were a hoarder or not.