By Ashley Rosson

Happy Birthday Shelter Pooches!

Since August 1st is “Dogust” 1st: Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs, I decided to focus this month’s message on how “Social Media” has helped animal organizations with donations, adoptions, volunteer help, and awareness.

In the past, in order to find the perfect pets for your family, you would frequent the “Pet of the Week” section of the newspaper, ask friends to keep an eye and ear out, and physically stop by the vet, animal shelter, or pet store to inquire. Nowadays, someone interested in adopting or helping in any way can simply go online and search Petfinder or log into Facebook or Twitter and check the latest posts by different animal organizations. The rise of social media has enabled animal shelters and organizations to broaden their influence in the community and reach audiences that may have otherwise looked the other way.

Since animal shelters are non-profit organizations, they rely heavily on fundraising and donations to help keep them afloat and to keep the animals healthy and safe. Animal organizations are constantly accepting donations for food, supplies, vet bill assistance, and are not afraid to ask for help on social media.

Animal organizations also use social media to educate the public and raise awareness. A common piece of advice floating around is to remember to spay or neuter your pet. Other posts I have seen discuss summer exercise safety for your pet, deaf pet awareness, vaccinations, puppy housetraining, and animal cruelty.

These are just some of the ways animal shelters utilize social media. Others include sharing heartfelt rescue stories and updates on their progress and reuniting pets with their owners.

Social media has also helped with the relocation of lost pets, one post of a picture of your pet, often will get shared over and over increasing the possibility of your pet being found.

So next time you are looking to add a furry member to your family, check out some of your local animal organizations social media pages, you might find the perfect addition to your life. You can also check our “Pets of the Month” in the Points on Pets section of the Old Town Crier.