Humane Society of Pinellas’ Post

Pet Adoption: Your Guide to Success Ready to give a shelter pet a forever home? 🐾🏠 Learn the do's and don'ts of the adoption process, and make a difference in the life of a furry friend. ❤️ #AdoptDontShop #PetAdoption

Just 6% more. That’s both a huge goal and a small step at the same time. The same applies to so many causes that matter to each of us — we tend to look for the 100% solution to huge goals and gets paralyzed by that, that we forget we just need to take one small step to start. One action. One campaign. One conversation.

Discover 5 essential tips for choosing the right shelter pet for your family. 🔍🐾 Rescue Pets is here to help you find your furry companion and save lives through adoption. #adoptdontshop

Black Cat Appreciation Day falls in the month of August and it's a wonderful time to consider adopting a black cat into your home. Black cats are lucky and they are so worthy of your attention and your heart. We encourage people to cast aside silly superstitions and adopt a black cat!  Please check out the black cat page on our website to learn more about the virtues of black cats. We are pleased All About Cats will participate again in the Clear The Shelters event.  This campaign will celebrate its 10th year, and in honor of this milestone, the Clear The Shelters Fund campaign will run from 8/1/24 – 9/30/24.  This event will feature nationwide media segments from NBCUniversal, that encourage everyone to help support local pet rescues both financially and by adoption (like ours) so that the overflowing shelters can be cleared! For this special event, All About Cats will be offering special discounts on certain adoptions. Inquire with the adoption coordinator for specific details. And if you are looking for a feline friend, we hold adoption events every Saturday from 1 PM to 5 PM in the Adoption Center inside the Roswell PetSmart. Additional adoption times can be made by appointment only with an approved application. Please click the link in our bio to view the profiles of our available kitties including our black cats (updated frequently) and fill out an application if you are interested in adoption.  #cleartheshelters #nationalblackcatappreciationday #blackcatday #blackcatappreciationday #nationalblackcatday #adoptablackcat #blackcatsrule

It’s National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day! Today is a day to celebrate the shelter pets you dedicate your lives to saving 🧡   Approximately 7 million homes in America plan to add a pet to their family this year. According to 2023 data collected by Best Friends, if just 6% more chose to adopt, we would close the lifesaving gap and save every at-risk pet in our nation's shelters.   But we have to welcome them in with open, inclusive adoption practices, or we risk them turning to other sources for their family pets. Learn more about removing common obstacles to adoption here: https://lnkd.in/ejWWz4zJ

🐾🏠 June is National Foster a Pet Month, and at Pathways Counseling Services, we want to highlight the incredible benefits of fostering animals for both the pets and your mental health! Did you know that having a furry companion can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression? 🐶💕 Fostering a pet is a temporary arrangement that involves providing a loving home for an animal in need until they're ready for adoption. It's a rewarding experience that allows you to make a positive impact on an animal's life while enjoying the companionship and unconditional love they offer. 🤗🐱 Many people avoid fostering because they lack information or fear the emotional attachment. However, fostering is a crucial step in helping homeless animals find their forever homes. By providing a safe and nurturing environment, you're preparing them for a successful adoption. 🙏💖 At Pathways Counseling Services, we understand the power of the human-animal bond in promoting mental well-being. Whether you're fostering a playful puppy or a cuddly kitten, the experience can bring joy, purpose, and a sense of fulfillment to your life. 🐾😊 This National Foster a Pet Month, we encourage you to consider opening your heart and home to a furry friend in need. If you're not ready to foster, you can still support the cause by spreading awareness, donating to local animal shelters, or volunteering your time. 📣🐾 Remember, every small act of kindness can make a big difference in the lives of these precious animals. If you're considering fostering or need support on your mental health journey, Pathways Counseling Services is here for you. 🤝💙 #NationalFosterAPetMonth #FosteringSavesLives #MentalHealthMatters #PetTherapy #PathwaysCounselingServices #ScottsdaleAZ

Feline Lifesaving: Matchmaking 🐈🐾🐈⬛ 🐾⚕👩🏻⚕️🩹 Maddie's Fund 🐱 cat matchmaker team is low-cost, easy to put together, increases your adoptions of special needs and long-stay cats, and results in more adoptions that stick. Why wouldn't you have a matchmaking team? 💁🏻♀️🐾 The Cat Matchmaker Team at Austin Pets Alive has three main goals: 🐾To help adopters find a cat to adopt that is a perfect fit for their household 🐾 To increase the number of special needs cats adopted 🐾 To improve customer service 🐱 Matchmakers steer clients away from bad choices. If a potential adopter is interested in a cat that would be an inappropriate fit for their household, the matchmaker can explain why and offer a better choice. 🐱 Matchmakers offer excellent customer service. Part of a matchmakers' jobs is to go out of their way to make the adoption experience a great one. This includes connecting the adopter with the foster parent, talking with staff before the client arrives, and setting up appointments. 🐱 Matchmakers promote special needs cats. In every group of three to five cats recommended by a matchmaker, one or two are either special needs or long-stay cats. 💁🏻♀️👩⚕️ To be successful in implementing a pilot program, you will need to do the following: ☑️ Create a mission statement. ☑️ Identify the staff member who will oversee the program. ☑️ Identify a volunteer team lead. ☑️ Identify the challenging cats you want to focus on. ☑️ Create a program pitch to your shelter manager that identifies why this program is needed and what problems it will solve. ☑️ Determine how you will measure the program's success. #FelineMatchmaking #MaddiesFund #CatAdoption #SpecialNeedsCats #CustomerService #CatMatchmakerTeam #PetAdoptionSuccess #AustinPetsAlive

Most rescues think adopters are proactive about reading every email and putting their advice into practice, but that could hurt the dogs you are trying to save. Many times, the reality is that these well-intentioned adopters are overwhelmed with information and may miss crucial steps in the process.      But we get it. Everyone says that the more you give your adopters on the front end, the less likely they are to bring back the dog they adopted from you. This belief is widespread and perpetuated by many within the rescue community. So it is easy to believe.       But if that were true, every home would be a forever home, and we know that's not the case. If you continue to hold this belief, you could be putting dogs' lives at risk. The reality is far more complex, and many variables come into play regarding successful adoptions.     But how can adopters take the dog's decompression and training seriously? You provide them with a single resource that takes them through bringing a dog home day by day with support from professionals. This method ensures they don't miss out on critical steps and have a structured approach.     So let me ask: Do you want dogs to keep coming back to you and not be able to save more, or do you want to set every dog up for success and raise money while you're at it? The choice seems clear, and the benefits of a comprehensive, supportive approach cannot be overstated.     Sign up for updates here:     https://lnkd.in/enECi847

Pet Adoption Story Collection: Save the date and join us for our next event on February 4th from 11 AM-3 PM, Puppy Bowl 2024: Paws, Pints, & Play. As part of Puppy Bowl 2023, we're collecting heartwarming adoption stories from our community. We'd love to hear about the special bond you've formed with your furry friend, and how adoption has changed both of your lives. Share your story in a paragraph of about 150 words or less, and include any photos you'd like to share. We'll be featuring some of the stories at the event and on our social media channels, so you may even see yourself and your pup in the spotlight! Your story can inspire others to adopt and help make a difference in the lives of homeless pets. We can't wait to hear your tale! Here are some questions and an outline to help you write your adoption stories: 1. When did you adopt your pet, and where did you find them? 2. What was it about your pet that made you want to adopt them? 3. How has adoption changed your life and your relationship with your pet? 4. What advice would you give to someone considering adoption?

When it comes to pets relinquished due to housing, we often think of large, blocky-headed dogs as being the primary category of pet that needs our advocacy. However, intake data from HASS Pilot Shelters suggests that small dogs are almost as likely to be relinquished due to housing reasons as large dogs! In our dataset, which was collected from 21 shelters between 2019-2021, we saw population peaks at 11 lbs and 55 lbs and although large dogs make up the greatest percentage of dog intakes at 20% of total dog intake, small dogs were right on their tail at 19% of total dog intake. This suggests that our policy advocacy must be broader than traditional breed, weight, and size restrictions which won't improve housing situations for our smaller furry friends. Adding issues like arbitrary number restrictions, prohibiting or mitigating the use of nonrefundable up-front fees and monthly pet rents, and tenant eviction protections to your organization's policy agenda will be key to creating pet-inclusive housing that is accessible for all people and their pets. See the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gAfHV_JC