Marketing: The art of making someone want what you have.
An old table I couldn’t give away on Freecycle becomes a one-of-a-kind rare antique on Craigslist. Suddenly the eyesore I was going to have to pay to get rid of becomes a hot ticket item with 10 inquiries.
Of course no one is going to want something if you make it clear from the outset that it’s un-wantable. Well, I guess if you can’t afford real furniture, maybe you’d like my handoffs…
Which leads me to next week’s Be the Change Challenge: The Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week from September 19-25.
Petfinder has done a fabulous thing in creating and promoting this idea to encourage the adoption of “less desirable pets”, and Be the Change for Pets is encouraging all bloggers, Facebookers and Twitter pals to help along in any of a variety of ways:
- Use Petfinder.com to find a less adoptable pet in your area, and blog about him or her.
- Create a Facebook post about the project. Feature a pet in need.
- Tweet a pet
- If you’re stuck for the right words, we’ll have template posts up by the end of the week for you to simply cut and paste into your blog, which you can change however you wish.
- We’ll also have press releases for you to use and send to your local media.
- Adopt 6 or 7 pets in need yourself (hey, I can dream big!)
The point is, there is no right or wrong way to participate as long as it gets you thinking and working. We also have some really cool incentives for participation that we’ll be announcing soon.
But let’s get back to the original concept I was talking about, marketing. ‘Less Adoptable’ is pretty quantifiable, if you look at the pets who take the longest to place. Senior pets. Pets with medical issues. Specific breeds. Specific colors. We have allowed them to be marketed as less desirable, and we go along with it.
I will say this, and it is an honest statement. The WORST pets I see at work are the dogs and cats from pet stores at the mall. They have the most congenital disease, the worst temperaments, the shoddiest breeding en toto than any collective group from the other sources people use to obtain pets (ie breeders, rescues, and shelters.)
We have allowed pet store owners to market their puppy mill wares however they see fit, ill-bred dogs of indeterminate origin with questionable pedigrees from some made-up kennel association that people EAT UP. I have clients who insist their 30 pound, short-haired needle nosed dog is a purebred Pomeranian because the pet store told them so. And they paid $500 for the privilege.
Too much work keeping the breeds apart? Let them mix! Oh, yes, we have a litter of shnippertzudoodles, they are very rare. It’s $1500 instead of $1200 for this unique and most unusual of ‘designer breeds’. Instead of shaking our heads in disgust at these people, we need to be taking notes. Yes, it’s sneaky. But it works. It’s a good idea. We should steal it.
Instead of focusing on the sad-sack stories of these rescue pets, we need to remind people of what makes them so unique. The most loyal dogs I have ever owned are the dogs I have rescued:
- Nuke, the 10 year old radiology department dog who spent his life in the teaching hospital kennel before coming to live with me.
- Mulan, the 6 year old who was going to be put down because of her flea allergies. “No one will want her,” her former owner told me when I refused to perform the euthanasia.
- Koa, the 7 year old black lab who was returned to the rescue because she cried when her owner left her alone outside the 8 hours a day she was at work.
Brody has lived with me since he was 10 weeks old. He is secure and confident in his life. My rescues know better. They know that humans sometimes suck. They look at me with a gratefulness that breaks my heart every day.
Thank you, they say as they follow me from room to room. I am safe. I am yours.
My own personal challenge for this upcoming week is to challenge the assertion that these pets are less adoptable to begin with. Adopt an Eminently Adoptable Pet Week, that’s what I say.
If you have any stories of your own wonderful ‘less desirables’ that you’d like to share, lay them on me. I’m assembling ammunition for my campaign. 🙂
can I just let you know that not all pet stores are despicable! I work for a pet shop that doesn’t sell pedigree/pure bred kittens. we only sell rescued cats and kittens. we sell them for a fairly low price that also includes desexing. if we have a cat/kitten we can’t place they stay with us until they do find a home.
my boss only takes puppies from people she personally knows or are “oopsie” litters from people in the local area. she does everything in her power to make sure she isn’t buying from puppy mills. we also never sell them as “MaltiPoos”, “ShihMalts” or anything designer. we call them what they are, crossbreeds. we also take dogs into care and rehome them along with pretty much any other animal you can think of (guinea pigs, mice, birds of all sorts).
we just rehomed a “less desirable” cat. he was 3 years old, severely traumatised, poorly socialised and couldn’t deal with children, other animals, too many people or loud noises and would bite if you pushed his limits too far. we just found a wonderful home with someone who was ecstatic that on day 3 of being in his new home he came out from under the bed for 10 minutes. she was so pleased that he’d come out!
That is great. I love your boss’ philosophy. How I wish they were all like that!!
I “rescued” my longhaired Dachshund Buddy from my husband’s family….they only had him for 11 months (they adopted him from a shelter), but they didn’t want him anymore because he has behavioral issues (very needy, performs destructive behaviors to get your attention). I’ve had him for over 2 years now, and while his behaviors are still difficult to deal with, I couldn’t imagine life without him. He’s very loving; that’s all he really wants in life. You could pet him for hours and he would still nudge your hand for more.
(New poster here!) I adopted a little black cat from the local shelter… Annie. As many of us know, black cats have a really tough time being adopted for some strange reason, and this little girl had been at the shelter for a long time. She’d done several months of “time” in a cage, sent to a foster home to get a cage-break, and had come back to the shelter again by the time I found her. Another reason she had a tough time being adopted was that she was timid around people, and would not let someone pet her for more than a couple of minutes before running away and hiding. I’ve now had her for two years, and she is the most loving, affectionate cat that I have. She purrs when she even sees me walk into the room, guards me while I shower, and is happiest when she is sitting on my lap or curled up with me in bed. Just goes to show that with a little time and effort, even the most shy pets can come around.
I agree with you. When we got out latest pet from the local Humane Society, I really wanted to adopt an older one, but my husband insisted on a kitten over a full grown cat. I love our Jojo (don’t get me wrong), but in retrospect I think his insistence for a kitten was more to hit the snooze on my biological clock (It worked for 14 months).
Our 3 yo daughter has been asking for a dog for the past year, but we are at the 2 pet limit for our homeowners association. When we do get around to adopting a dog, I am going to insist on a dog over a puppy, because I believe there are some wonderful older dogs out there that need homes just as much as the cute little puppies. Also, with the adult dogs, you already know what their personality/demeanor is like and have a better idea how they will integrate with your family.
I am struggling right now with a “less adoptable” dog at my local shelter. I really want to adopt him, a 6 year-old Rott mix–older big black dog, because he’s been at the shelter for over 3 months and needs a home! He came from a family who couldn’t keep him, so he’s not used to being a shelter dog. That being said, the dog I have now is a rescue with some “issues” that come from either lack of socialization or unpleasant experiences when he was a puppy. It’s taken me 3 years to get him to the point where he is now, and he’s not fond of other dogs. I think I could make it work in time, but I fear taking SO many steps backward in Clyde’s progress. This is such a struggle! I think I will see if I can escort the Rott mix in the upcoming Strutt Your Mutt. Perhaps getting him out in public will help him be adopted.
Back to Clyde, he could be part of your ammo. I adopted him from a shelter after he had lived in shelters TWICE in his short life of 2.5 years. He is a big, black dog, and we discovered he does not like to be around children or other dogs. Okay, we have no small children at our house, so we can deal with that. Hours and hours of one-on-one training have helped me learn to deal with his anxiety around them. Aside from that though, he is an awesome dog! He doesn’t chew things up, he’s perfectly housetrained, he walks well on a leash, he is a quick and eager learner. All it took is for someone to spend the right kind of time with him.
Oh Tonya, that must be so hard. You are doing the right thing. I love the idea of you taking the pup on as a mission to get him adopted if you can’t do so yourself.
My Eesa was a “tough” adoption. She was a full grown adult when we met her; a beautiful pure black baby. She had been in foster care for a year, because no one wanted an adult, or a black cat. We have had her for 6 years now, and I can’t imagine my life without my fur-baby. We’ve already decided our next adoption will be an adult.
My Sophie was still young when we got her (14 weeks) but still has issues. They guy whose Golden was Sophie’s mom refused to let the county spay the mom (despite their offer to do it for free) and brought in puppies every year. His response when he dropped her off at the pound was “This is the only one I couldn’t get rid of.” Sophie was there for only a couple of weeks before the rescue group got her out, but she was already traumatized. She just turned three, and she still freaks out if we go into PetSmart or any place other than her regular vet/daycare — it’s like there is too much stimulation for her. Obviously her original “owner” didn’t treat her well, and I think she was probably in the pound during that fear period. She has some very minor physical problems just from not being bred well, but they have not been a real issue. We have tried to work on her confidence (sometimes she still cringes away from us when we try to pet her despite our care in approaching her) and we have made lots of progress, but there is a wariness to her that I don’t think will ever go away and it breaks my heart. She is so very sweet and you can see in her eyes how loving she is. I can’t believe anyone could be so callous as this guy was.
Fanny, a 7 or 8 year-old mostly black mutt, was so-named bc when she was rescued from the Oakland Animal Shelter, she had no fur on her bum. When my husband and I saw her at a rescue organization’s pet fair, we thought she was someone else’s pet that was just hanging out with the adoptable dogs. Then we found out she was an adult dog with a few “special needs” looking for a home! She had arthritic hips and cloudy eyes (not cataracts) and was hard of hearing (but not deaf) and had flea dermatitis/food sensitivities.
We took her home with us for a few nights and fell in love with her. She was perfectly behaved, well-mannered, potty-trained, and had a puppy-like disposition without any need for intensive training! We were all in love.
She is now close to 14 years old (an estimate) and my heart swells whenever we come home after a day of work and we see her perky satellite-dish ears perk up! When it’s time for us to adopt again, we will definitely be getting a black adult dog again.
I’ve got 2 large breed cats, one who is a rescue, and one who would have been a rescue had we not taken her from someone we know who was ready to dump her at the SPCA. My rescue, Jack.. is a large black cat, one with some skin issues(he is allergic to catnip and gets so itchy he literally scratches his fur off). I went to the SPCA to drop of some supplies, went to the cat room and sat down.. and this big fuzzy black beast jumped into my lap and I melted. I could see it in his eyes how he was meant to come home with me. Although my partner and I had decided we didn’t have room for another animal, I enquired about Jack’s time there at the SPCA. This wonderful animal had been there for nearly 6 months, and came in as a stray. I brought him home 2 days later, which was 6 months to the day for him to be there. I don’t KNOW how this animal was never adopted. He.. I’ll admit, is such a more rounded, social, loving, animal than my other cat(who is a typical cat) and for months, you even looked at him and he drooled. He was in absolute love. Still is to this day, and is the one who wants to cuddle, follow me around, and just reciprocate the love for giving him a second chance.
All my pets have been rescues from different sources. My big cat was at the local pet store that has an adoption center for over 4 months because he is huge! I was looking for a Siamese and the lady asked me to look at Jess because he had been there so long and people we scared of him. Well he is a 22lb, 35″ long (without his tail which he lost in a fight) teddy bear! My other cat showed up on my door (again not a Siamese which is my breed of choice) and refused to leave so in she came.
I had adopted a little grumpy pom with LOTS of issues from a reputable rescue who assured me that he loved small children – I have 2 and he did not – was totally house broken – not a hope even after 7 years – and loved to be cuddled – as long as it was what he wanted – he was a snap biter. I lost him this past winter and have just adopted 2 dogs from the streets of Venezuela.
My kids dream is to adopt a three legged pet! I guess we love the under dog!@
Oh, I got all teary over this post 🙂 I’m so glad Koa and your other rescues found you! My pets are rescues, too, and I think you’re right. We need to emphasize what rescues are now, not what they have been (homeless, surrendered, ill) or what they are not – in some peoples’ eyes. I’m going to join ‘Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week,’ but I’m going to talk about how amazing the animals are that are waiting for their amazing new people to come along. Thank you, Dr. V 🙂
4 out of 5 of my pets are the ‘less desirables’ but to me they are very special. My rescues all have that “look” you talk about. Two are labradors and never let me out of their sight when I am home.. One of my rescues would not have survived had he made it to a local shelter. When I rescued him from a neighboour he was under a year old and sick and in deplorable condition. My goal was to get him in good shape and find a good home for him. We vetted him and he continued that “ain’t doing right” thing for two months. Finally getting very ill he was diagnosed with Addison’s disease. I knew at that point that no one wold want him and the shelter would put him down because of the funds needed to treat him… BUT he was MINE and there was no way I would part with him by then no matter what. Funny but I knew deep down from the moment I first saw him as a puppy he was going to be mine.. Even my neighbours made the comment that I was going to end up with him..
He is my heart dog and because of him I have become involved in our Shelter, joined an organization that helps Addison Dogs including finding them new homes when the owners give them up.
Our latest rescue is a tripawd cat named Simon… He came from a Vet who refused to give up on him even though he had lost half his body weight, was covered in abscesses and his broken leg had healed so mangled it had to eventually come off. considering the terrible abuse he went through he is still so trusting of us. He loves the children in our neighbourhood and they all call him, “Mr. Simon”. He too follows me everywhere just like the labs.. even the bathroom is not sacred hehe.. But I don’t mind it for 1 second!
When we met our doxie mix Layla at an Adoption Day event, we had actually gone to look at another dog. We played with all these cute, playful puppies, walked around some nice calm older dogs, and then came upon Layla. She was so scared of the other dogs that she would barely come out from behind her foster dad’s legs. Her tail was so far between her legs that she could barely walk. My husband fell in love at once. We took her out of sight of the other dogs and she perked right up – her tail came up and her ears relaxed and she let us pet her and play with her. When we walked back toward the others, she curled up behind us and peaked out at everyone else. We knew right then that she was the one, that she had chosen us just as we had chosen her. The rescue people, along with the foster family (all of whom are wonderful!) told us that she had some fear issues around other dogs and certain people (which was obvious) and explained that after she was surrendered to the SPCA, she was with another family who decided she was too much work for them and their other animals. From the moment she came into our home and we bonded over that first thrown tennis ball, she’s become an indispensable member of our family. She follows us everywhere we go, and is always ready to play or cuddle or walk or run or whatever we’re up for then. She does have fear issues, especially with other animals, and we’re working with her to be the happiest dog she can be. It just goes to show you that just because an animal isn’t “perfect” doesn’t mean that they aren’t perfect for you.
“It just goes to show you that just because an animal isn’t “perfect” doesn’t mean that they aren’t perfect for you.”
I LOVE that quote!!!!
“Adopt 6 or 7 pets in need yourself”
Don’t tempt me! I have a house full of rescues and constantly wonder – can I fit in one more?
Our dog was from the local SPCA; she wasn’t presented as a ‘special needs’ dog, but turned out she had seperation anxiety and fear aggression. Luckily, she was perfectly housebroken and submissive to us, so us newbie owners worked through her problems, and I can absolutely say that she has made me a much better pet owner than any ‘normal’ dog would have. If not for her, I probably would not even be reading your blog.
Our cat was in the local shelter for 5 months, even though he was terribly friendly and quite handsome. But he was older, and had a sore on his upper lip. After adoption it was diagnosed as a rodent ulcer, he got a shot, and it cleared right up. This cat’s gregarious demeanor has won over my previously cat-reluctant husband.
I think Napoleon would fall under this category… I’ve already given the guy so much publicity that I don’t know what else to do about him. =P
As you know I’ve often said: I rescued Cookiegirl who ended up rescuing me.
She was a less than desirable at the shelter. She’s smaller than most Rotties, has a different shape head and ears. Her coloring isn’t quite right. She even still has all four dew claws. She was abused and neglected. She was skittish and scared. She was aggressive towards males and other dogs. And she was supposedly 4 years old. Everyone passed over her but when I went back to introduce her to Blade, her butt wiggled when she heard my voice. She didn’t cower in the corner, she came busting out of the cage door to jump on me.
Five years later, every time I walk in the door from work or from being gone for a few hours, she busts through and jumps on me. And she covers me in kisses like she hasn’t seen me in years. And then she becomes my shadow until I sit down. Once I sit down I’m fair game for her to crawl up in my lap and burrow her head into my chest.
It’s been a long five years, she’s plays with other dogs, she tolerates some cats and she even likes a lot of males. She’s my Cookiegirl. I’m glad I found her and that she wiggled her way into my heart. Because you remember how tough I had it those first few months with her. Today? I can’t imagine not having her in my life.
I remember that transition well, holding my breath and hoping she would find an indirect path to your heart. Which she did. 🙂
Squeaky – the part-feral, bigger than normal, stray cat, skin and bones, living in the bush for 8 weeks, 4 year old male cat with ticks and mites. He bit people all the time and scratched.
My friend (who’s house he was living out the back of in the bush) was about to drop him at the SPCA and I just felt like ‘this is the one’. I took him and 4 years later….you would not believe what a little mummy’s boy kitty he is! He is my best mate and he’s changed my life. He barely bites or scratches at all, is very affectionate, tolerates most other cats and follows his mummy around. I love him more than anything and would never be without him. (I have about 500 photos if you want to see….:D )
We used to joke that Ally was a Chirussell (half chihuahua, half jack russell). Then we found out a couple of years later they breed jackahuahuas. At first I thought it was straight out of Pixar’s Boundin’ (with the jackalope) but it is a real thing. They are mainly based out of the U.K. so I’ve started a trend in the U.S.!
We got our purebred rare jackahuahua for a $100 adoption fee. They sell them for $600 in the U.K. What a bargain, particularly when you consider how freaking awesome she is. :p
I like chirussell better than jackahuahuas. Rolls off the tongue.
I work with a local lab rescue and fell in love with a chocolate lab through the window. He had been in the rescue for almost two years (I was new to the rescue at the time) and bounced around all the volunteers homes. When I saw him he was 9 – now he is 13 1/2. One look for me was all it took and I was hooked on him. He has major allergy issues, horrible teeth (I had five pulled when I first got him), and was older (9 at the time, now he’s 13 1/2). He is so extremely sweet and sometimes puts his arm/paw around me when we sleep at night. I love him dearly and have to admit, he’s my favorite out of my pack (6 total). I have spend LOTS of money on him with his ear infections, teeth, allergies, not to mention the special dog food. But I wouldn’t give him back for the world. He is such a good dog and my true best friend. Moose, I LOVE YOU!!!
Aww, I love that. I would love to see a picture of Moose!
I adopted Abby, my “reject kitty,” from the humane society where I volunteered almost a year ago. She was about a year into her second stay at the shelter when I adopted her. While I don’t know what landed her there the first time, her previous adopter brought her back because he thought she was “crazy.” Luckily for Abby and I the shelter’s vet saw things differently, and let Abby stay back in the surgery suite with a few other special cats. When I would help with surgeries Abby would follow me around and tap me with a paw to ask for attention, which I couldn’t help but give. I was hesitant at first but the doctor talked me into adopting Abby, and I couldn’t have asked for a better companion. I’m a vet student now, and not only does she roll around on the floor and purr when I get home from school and sit in my lap while I study, but she’s also incredibly patient about letting me practice my exam techniques on her. It’s true she is nervous around men, but she’s becoming less fearful of my fiance and my dad, and I’m sure with time she’ll warm up to them too. All in all it’s been a wonderful year for both of us, and it just shows that just because one person doesn’t think a pet’s adoptable doesn’t mean you should give up on the pet.
I work at a shelter, so I see lots of these “Less Adoptable” pets. I have two cats, two dogs, and my house is absolutely full (otherwise I’d adopt this great Pit mix who I loved when he first came to the shelter. He got adopted, and then recently came back as a stray, severely emaciated and with his calm, chill demeanor shattered into a more reactive personality). All but my lab Boo I adopted from my shelter (Boo was an unwanted farm puppy who I got when she was 3 months old). I can really see the differences between Boo and my Rott Lenny.
Lenny spent half his life in the shelter. He came in as a stray when he was 9 months old, and sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. He was a staff favorite- all of us loved him, but all of us were full (or so I thought). When the kennel became full and we had no more kennels left, I fostered him so we could save one extra life. I returned him a few days later when we had a kennel for him, and he got adopted. The home he went to, we found out later, did not understand him and thought he was just stupid. They soon returned him. I fostered him again right away- and after a few days we just couldn’t say no anymore.
He’s not perfect- he’s very reactive and afraid of other dogs (not something he displayed with when he was at the shelter the first time). He has a huge prey drive. He was terrified of kids (lunging, growling terrified). But he’s my big beautiful baby and he’s blossoming into a wonderful, smart dog. I could go on, and on, and on…..!
I adopted Shadow (who graces the top of my blog) at 9 years old from the SPCA. She was a beautiful mellow dog in the house who taught me a lot about teaching an older dog to walk gently and ride in a car.
Unfortunately the vet discovered cancer in her jaw during the tooth cleaning we scheduled a few months after she came home with us. Although we only had 2 years together, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
There’s no such thing as an undesirable dog. There’s always a good home for everyone if they can just find it.
I too have a household rule to only adopt adult animals. When first introduced to Thomas (then a 10 year old, overweight, in need of a dental feline), my husband responded with “why do we need a 10 year old cat?” Since then my husband has learned the joys of ‘Mr. T’ and wouldn’t trade him in for the world (as well as our other adopted as adult animals). We have also fostered dogs as we are not in a position to adopt one. I believe we have over 10 fosters through our doors in the last 2 years.
My desire to do more (be the change so to speak) has led to my volunteering with our local cat rescue group (please see the website link for the petfinder page I update, take photos of the felines, and write their blurbs). In this role I’ve also had the pleasure of answering adoption email inquiries. When answering inquiries I have encountered many stories people tell themselves about animals and why they want to adopt certain ones. For example, I want a kitten because I have another cat/dog. I want a kitten because it will grow up with my kids. I want a kitten because it won’t be messed up or scared of X. I want a kitten because….
Of course, most of these stories are so ingrained it is difficult to lodge them with stories of my own experience (i.e. 9 adult cats in one house not fighting, adult cats without any dog experience doing fine with 80 lbs foster greyhounds, etc). I’m not sure how to challenge these “I want X because of X” with ‘magical’ marketing. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Love your site. Y’all stop by and meet Lula a special needs adult Chessie. You can also get a link to Chessie Rescue in the links on my site.
Hawk aka BrownDog
Awww. In 2004, having finally moved into a pet friendly apartment, husband and I set out to get a dog. We spent a lot of time on petfinder, before hearing about a dog from a friend of ours. She had been taken into a vet rescue with a severe urinary tract infection, so severe they were going to put her down. The vet we got her from performed surgery, but we didn’t know what her long term health outlook was — she was supposed to eat a special diet to prevent the formation of crystals.
This is our Natalie. The best dog we could ever hope for. Loving and sweet, housetrained from day one, tolerant of toddler “love” and endlessly faithful. And nary a health problem, other than itchy skin in the summer and an occasional sensitive stomach after eating something she shouldn’t (we switched her off the special food after a few years, and the dog has never had another UTI). She’s getting old now (she was between 5 and 7 when we adopted her) and probably doesn’t have a whole lot of time left (I’m crying as I write this, at work). We’re looking into cloning her. She’s just that great.