Please take this marketing and adoption counseling survey!

We can’t thank you enough for your support and participation in the handful of surveys we’ve sent out this winter to learn more about keeping people and pets together. We have just one more and it’s about marketing and adoption counseling. Maddie’s Fund® is interested in learning more about the methods being used by shelters and rescue organizations to convey information about pets who are available for adoption to the public and to individual potential adopters. We’re hoping the person who manages...

    Posted On: Feb 3, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

I foster. You foster. We all foster. A new Challenge is coming!

We all know the incredible bond that humans and pets have and the importance of keeping them together. Foster care is a powerful way to achieve that. That’s what the We Foster Challenge is all about! By participating in the Challenge this May, you’ll grow your foster base to help keep pets with people and out of the shelter and have a chance at $210,000 in grant prizes. By fostering pets, we also foster community, foster inclusivity and foster love. Registration begins February 28 and you’ll have plenty of time to...

    Posted On: Feb 1, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Amended American history, pet bio writing and more!

Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. 13 questions that will help you write great pet adoption biosFido is an 8-year-old brown female dog who needs a home. But is that how you want to describe her in an adoption ad or social media post, when your aim is to get potential adopters imagining how great Fido would be as a member of their family? Learn More Join CARE for 4 webcasts during Black History MonthJoin Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) for their second annual CARE Caucus during...

    Posted On: Jan 31, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

13 questions that will help you write great pet adoption bios

This is a guest post by Arin Greenwood. Arin writes for the Human Animal Support Services project. She was previously the animal welfare editor for The Huffington Post, and is author of the novel Your Robot Dog Will Die. Fido is an 8-year-old brown female dog who needs a home. But is that how you want to describe her in an adoption ad or social media post, when your aim is to get potential adopters imagining how great Fido would be as a member of their family? Humans understand and engage with the world through narrative—through details...

    Posted On: Jan 27, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

Join CARE for 4 webcasts during Black History Month

Join Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) for their second annual CARE Caucus during Black History Month, every Wednesday evening in February at 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET. (Please note that one webcast will be held on Thursday, February 17 at 12:00 PM PT/ 3:00 PM ET.) Four free discussions will be had, all by Black speakers. African Americans only represent 2% of the veterinary field, and CARE wants to raise that number. In addition to a low number of Black veterinary students, there is also a large number that are at risk of...

    Posted On: Jan 25, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

The Hows and Whys of Hydration

Gulp? Sip? Or, sniff and walk away? Which of these drinking habits best describes your dog? In my household, Kona, my medium-sized terrier mix, never turns down the chance to lap up lots of water from the bowl after a long walk. However, Emma, my pint-sized Poodle-Chihuahua mix, rarely dashes over to the water bowl. She does take in a few licks after my coaxing but prefers to wait at the refrigerator for me to dole out small pieces of chilled,seedless watermelon to her. Hydration is a major health hallmark for dogs of all ages and sizes....

    Posted On: Jan 24, 2022 | Category: Articles Chew On ThisView Details

Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Online apprenticeships, identifying your brand and more!

Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. How to identify your animal welfare organization’s brandWhen you think of the term brand, big companies like Coca-Cola, Apple or Google might come to mind. But brands aren’t just reserved for huge corporations. Many are surprised to hear that we all have our own brands, as do the organizations we work for. Do you know what your organization’s brand is? If you… Learn More Apply now for a spring online apprenticeship!Applications are...

    Posted On: Jan 24, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

How to identify your animal welfare organization’s brand

When you think of the term brand, big companies like Coca-Cola, Apple or Google might come to mind. But brands aren’t just reserved for huge corporations. Many are surprised to hear that we all have our own brands, as do the organizations we work for. Do you know what your organization’s brand is? If you do, that’s great! You’ll want to make sure you’re conveying your brand in all of your communications with your audience. If you don’t know your organizations’ brand, have no fear! A brand is simply a...

    Posted On: Jan 20, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

Spring online apprenticeships are on their way!

Put a little spring in your step with one of these seven online apprenticeships from Maddie’s Fund®. Learn the ins and outs of ringworm, marketing basics, lost pet reunification and more. Each apprenticeship is four weeks long and is made up of a combination of self-paced learning and four 90-minute weekly Zoom meetings with your instructor.  Read on to learn more about the apprenticeships and mark your calendar for the January 24-28 application window. Seats are limited, so don’t miss out!  Feline...

    Posted On: Jan 18, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details

Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: New Candid Conversation, intake via appointments and more!

Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Where the future of animal sheltering is headed according to veterinariansThis blog was one of our top posts of 2021. The future of animal welfare is community-centric and this holds true more than ever.  The AVMA recently published an article, Animal shelters see a new day ahead, sharing veterinarians’ take on where the future of the animal welfare movement is headed. Covid-19 has caused animal welfare… Learn More Join James Evans and...

    Posted On: Jan 17, 2022 | Category: Chew On This InformationView Details