Which is the better way to market pets for adoption in Memphis?
- Cherry pick a few pets out of the hundreds in need, post pictures of them on Facebook and delete posts from anyone else trying to share information about other pets at the shelter.
Or
- Teach a group of homeless dogs a couple of simple tricks and do a flashmob in downtown Memphis.
The HS of Memphis and Shelby Co did the latter. Thank you to the volunteer dogwalkers there for being true friends to pets in need. You are The Awesome.
You know what else would make a pretty cool flashmob? 200 shelter Pitbulls trained to do anything. Just sayin’.
Gauntlet. Thrown.
YEAH!
I LOVE THIS!! going to share on my facebook!! that is such an awesome idea! Going to suggest if for our toronto humane society!
HS of Memphis and Shelby Co.–wonderful!! I really wish I could have seen that. Hope you guys made a video! THANK YOU!
Jeanne – Did you click the link?
Oh I am the DUMB, lol–the link to the video is right there in the blog post–it’s the word “flashmob.” Going to check it out right now.
I would have loved to share the video here but WordPress doesn’t allow video embeds on their free version. Sux.
“I would have loved to share the video here but WordPress doesn’t allow video embeds on their free version. Sux.” — what about asking for a few donations so you can get the paid wordpress version? I think some people would want to help with that.
These are the two things I kick myself for when I switched to WordPress: videos and ads. I had some frustrations with Blogspot which is why I switched but I didn’t investigate thoroughly enough when I did it. I’m one of those who opens a box, tosses aside the manual and starts plugging things in and pressing buttons. Had I realized WordPress charges for the privilege of embedding videos or that they place ads on readers’ versions of the blog (I do not see the ads myself), I never would have switched. So my dilemma is, do I go back to Blogspot which I know would be majorly annoying to people (me included) or do I ask readers to donate to the WordPress Greed Fund every year? I want a third option because I’m not keen on either of those. (And I’m too lazy to read the manual.)
I think all the “free” places have limits or ads or will have limits and ads sooner or later. It costs them to host sites so they need to make some money to do it.
You could also check out Posterous.com. They are free and I don’t see any ads on my site yet, but no telling when they will add some.
Here is my pet site there: http://animalnewsinfo.posterous.com/
I do like the fact that I can email my post there and have it sent to my twitter, facebook, and blogger accounts too.
Just a quick question – how much does it cost per year to pay for the ability to include videos and such? While you may have a problem asking for donations to be able to do it…if the price is right I would be more than willing to help with a monetary donation each year to see that you CAN include those things. I’m sure others would agree…what you are doing is far too important to NOT have the ability to do those things. It would save many of us time that we spend diging through links and such and also make the blog even better.
The WordPress video upgrade is $60 a year.
I am one of the volunteers who organized and participated in the flash mob. We did it to raise awareness for animal cruelty prevention month and to show everyone that shelter pets are not broken and they are just as good and special as any other dog. The dogs proved us right and had a blast on their field trip. Thanks so much for the shout-out!
Good on you Katie. I can’t say enough times how great that idea is. So wonderful to see people thinking outside the box and reaching out to the public. We need more of you guys!
Thank you Katie for the wonderful job you and your pals did for the flash mob for shelter dogs! Hope it will inspire other people to want to help too since it looked like FUN for both the dogs and the people.
Hi Katie,
I know, I always have to be the fly in the ointment. I love the flashmob and what the Memphis & Shelby County HS does for adoptions, BUT they do nothing to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty though their charter states they do and they take donations for it. I have a close friend who goes to all the animal cruelty cases in Memphis & Shelby County and, according to her, the HS has not brought a case of cruelty to court in over 6 years. I have heard the HS receives tons of calls about cruelty and the HS cruelty officer does not respond to most.
Again, I know I am being a “fly”. I am not trying to criticize but I find it odd that the flashmob was done to raise awareness for animal cruelty prevention. And the real prevention is investigating and prosecuting cruelty, letting the public know that they will be fined and possibly serve jail time for starving, beating, burning, etc. an animal.
Perhaps you could mention to Bob, John or Kelly Jo that you would like to see them have a “real” cruelty investigator or quit taking donations.
And keep up the good and creative work for the animals. On that, you guys are da bomb.
Thanks.
Yay for Memphis HS! Very creative. Check out Chris Dignan’s more formal effort in Chicago called “Life’s Ruff.” (It’s the first video on the page) = http://dogsavingnetwork.org/videos.html
Who says shelter dogs don’t have value? :-)
that flashmob was the best! What a great idea! And yes, the fiends page-I like it. Could have levels for members, imps and then on up, or down should that be? You know, write two letters of protest, become an imp, save an animal from the ‘shelter’ become a demidemon.
Oust the directer and take his place, all hail the king/queen of hades? I dream of the day.
And on a side note, my darker side can imagine training 200 shelter pitbulls to have a little conversation with the workers at the ‘shelter’, nothing violent just…a little talk. Now if only I could train a pitbull to say “what we have here is a failure to communicate”.
As soon as you all get off the blogs and the web cams and come on down to help us, we would love to! I’m a proud MAS shelter volunteer. The more support we have, the more possible these things will be. Your constant blogging, web cam stalking, and excuses as to why you can’t volunteer do absolutely no good for the pets at the shelter. Just a friendly reminder :)
Speaking only for myself, I don’t live in Memphis but even if I did, I would not volunteer at a place that kills healthy/treatable pets. Needless killing of pets is something I’m deeply opposed to and I would not choose to participate in it or enable it in any way, shape or form. If/when Memphis transitions to a no kill community with a no kill shelter, I imagine you’ll get more volunteers.
Also, funny you mention stalking, since the threat of stalking is probably one factor keeping some normal people from volunteering at MAS. The idea that a fellow volunteer might stalk me to the point of driving to my job, speaking with my boss and trying to get me fired – well, it sorta freaks me out. I would guess it might be a deal breaker for others as well. Oh yeah and in case anyone was wondering, it’s also a crime.
Oh Heather, if you think that bringing all of this to public light and hammering away at it again and again is “doing nothing” for the animals, you are so sadly wrong.
This blog saved that mom and puppies. This blog saved Charlotte and her kittens.
And this blog is support for those who truly want change at MAS. Support for those who aren’t content to slap a band aid on the infection that has permeated MAS. Support for those who see not only the animals there who will die today, but the thousands that will die over the course of this year. And the next. And the next.
Your mayor has put Matt Pepper in place there. Ask him why he did that? Did he even vet the man at all? Because Matt Pepper’s background speaks for itself. And now you are all stuck with him and his culture of killing and you get to pay him $92,000 a year for the priveledge.
You’re there. Demand change. Encourage the rest of FMAS to demand change. Go to the next meeting and stand up for what’s right. And know that those of us who aren’t there support you and will continue to do so.
How does it feel to be in the presence of the monsters who are paid to abuse and neglect animals?
Volunteering is a good thing but covering up for and excusing mismanagement and cruelty are bad things. If nobody was being a watchdog, nobody would know about what’s happening at MAS and then there would be no hope for change. Blogging about these problems and keeping pressure on the administration IS an attempt to save these animals’ lives and end their suffering. You are trying to stop the watchdogs. Why is that? Why don’t YOU people put some pressure on Pepper and his employees who are caught being asshats on camera every day? Is it because you think they’re doing nothing wrong or because you are in denial that it’s happening at all?
Oh yeah, and I DO volunteer for a rescue in my area. Enough with the logical fallacies from you folks.
So WE have to come to MAS to HELP you? I’m sorry but there are people at MAS being PAID to do a job – that they are not doing correctly might I add! I am so sick of the MAS/FMAS enabling the constant killing AND trying to tell the rest of us that we need to come to MAS and do the work you have paid staffers to do.
I’ve been doing MY part – I watch the webcams – that’s what they are there for – and I send e-mails daily to those in charge. And – by the way…I don’t think you DO want ME down there. I’m not the kind of person to just go with the flow, especially when the flow is a tidal wave of killing.
Your friendly ‘reminder’ is nothing more than even more excuses for peopel not doing their jobs right, and volunteers who continue to cover up and want to hide all the evidence. Do YOU want to see change at MAS Heather? Then maybe it’s time for YOU to take a stand…or you can just keep going with the flow. Don’t try to blast people on a blog for calling attention to a serious problem. I think Shirley’s blog has done more to save animals at MAS than the shelter and FMAS put together!
@Heather –
How dare you!!! I don’t live in Memphis, but I do work with the animals in my city/area who need help. As long as you all (volunteers and staff and city officials) keep making excuses for the outright abuse we see in webshot after webshot RATHER THAN STOPPING IT, then you are as guilty as the person who hauls a puppy to the kill room by the skin on his back.
Memphis is definitely off my list as a travel destination until you as a community decide to treat your animals with respect and compassion. Right now you are only making excuses!
If you volunteers really care about the animals at MAS, then take some action. Stop blaming others who are in other areas who seem to have more concern about the animals at MAS than you do.
HOW DARE YOU!!!
Applause!!! I, too, am sick and tired of the supporters now trying to blame US for their ineptitude!
I was totally dismayed the other day when someone posted on the FMAS inquiring about adopting a kitten; the individual asked about spaying/neutering and declawing.
Instead of taking the opportunity to KINDLY educate this person that declawing isn’t something that humane pet owners do anymore, or inviting her to come to the shelter and meet any kittens available and then take the opportunity to CHANGE her mind (and save a kitten’s LIFE) OR direct her to a rescue that already had a declawed cat that needed a loving home – it was a total judgmental PILE ON.
Call me crazy, but when a shelter is killing animals at a 77% rate, that’s just not the kind of PR or “friends” you need on the frontline.
That irks me – anyone who works with animals should ALWAYS treat each moment as a learning experience. Another fail on the side of MAS/FMAS….