proven formula

"One person can't do it all."  "You can't save all of them."  So many friends and family members have told me these things.  When it comes to dogs and cats, it's true.  *I* cannot save them all.  *You* cannot save them all."  But *together*, we can save a lot of them, maybe even all of them.

In communities all across the United States, people are saving virtually all the dogs and cats whose only crime is being homeless.  In late July 2011 I attended the No Kill Conference in Washington DC.  I learned that there are more than 17 million cats and dogs likely to be adopted or purchased each year, and about 4 million killed in shelters every year.  Even if a shelter or pound or animal rescue never kills another companion animal, there are plenty of homes for all of them.  We--you and I--just need to imagine how to better connect with those homes.  If we eliminate killing (aka "euthanasia," "putting to sleep") as an option, we will come up with alternatives.

See the "No Kill 101" primer about 3/4 of the way down the page at http://www.rescue50.org/groups.html for the .pdf that gives me hope.

another 7 easy things I learned at the 2011 No Kill Conference

• people like to hear stories: aha moments, when did your life change, when did you realize your calling, etc.
• engage callers and online questioners (like a library reference interview!), don't just answer their questions.  "What attracts you to Joe-Joe the Boy-Faced Dog?"  "What size dog are you looking for?"  Not just "Sorry, Joe-Joe has been adopted."
• Scolding. Doesn't. Help.  Yeah, I guess I knew this already, but important to not alienate someone who is reaching out for help.  Today's surrenderer can be tomorrow's advocate... every moment is a teachable one.
• I did not know that The Dog Who Loved Too Much is a good read to help with separation anxiety.
• embarrassed to say I didn't "get" blogging as citizen journalism, even today's investigative journalism.  Figured it was just about venting.
• MAKE yourself an expert. Stop waiting around for instructions.
• there are more reporters who have NOT familiar with animal welfare... plenty of fertile ground.

7 easy things I learned at the 2011 No Kill Conference

In no particular order.

• We don't need more believers. We need believers who are more committed.  find 25 super-committed donors/supporters rather than 1000 average ones.
• social networking operates like buying beer at a baseball game or a mosh pit.  people *want* to do the right thing.  makes it easier that most people want to do the right thing for pets.
• Seth Godin is awesome
• a 9-second soundbite is roughly 140 characters... practice our elevator speeches on Twitter.  repetition is OK, and assume anyone who reads your group's newsletter/news/info is reading it for the first time.
• "why should I give you money?"
• 1 great photo is better than 5 bad ones. photos of animals interacting with kids, old people, married couples, military are all good.
• profile donors, not board members. less "please," more "thank you."  make titles and captions meaningful.