Facebook and shelter animals
I share a lot of animals on Facebook. Many of those animals are not from my area but were received from many different groups around the country.
The most prevalent breed shared are pitbulls/mixes or dogs labeled as such. I also share every breed in between.
I have only 207 friends on Facebook. Compared to some, that is not a lot of people. These friends live all over the country from California to upstate New York and all points in the middle. When I post a dog or cat from this area, the chances of my friend Bob, in California calling about that animal is probably pretty slim. I know Bob. I also know he will forward those animals to his list of friends who also live all over the country, including Florida. Now his friends may not be my friends, so if he forwards a dog or cat from Sarasota to a friend he was in Miami, who's to say that person won't drive up here to meet the dog or cat? Or what if I post a dog I receive from California, he sends it to his friends in California and one of them find their lifelong companion? That is how Facebook is supposed to work.
I recall several years ago when I was volunteering at the Humane Society of Sarasota County when a gentleman called from Ft. Lauderdale. He had seen a dog on Petfinder, a chocolate Labrador we had for adoption, and was in inquiring if the dog was still available. It just so happened the dog was still available, he drove over and adopted the dog. You see, he was very wealthy and lived on his boat. His ex-wife would not allow him to have a big dog so when they divorced, he came and adopted one we had. The last I heard, the dog was living happily on the boat with a very rich owner. I can only wish all the dogs and cats we post could find an owner like that.
You never know who is going to see a photo of a animal, decide they can't live without it, and move mountains to bring it to them.
My friend, Devon, lives in Tennessee but used to live in Sarasota. She not only adopted a dog scheduled to die from a very rural shelter in Palatka, but then attempted to adopted a Florida Brown Dog puppy from a shelter in Lake County. That adoption fell through when the pup found a home before the rescue here could happen so she is still looking for a second dog. Do I feel bad because there are dogs dying in Tennessee? Of course I do. I hate the fact any animals must die in shelters but my goal is to find them homes. Good homes. Sometimes I must go out of the area to do that. If I save one dog's life, that is my goal.
I cannot save them all but I can continue to give all the dogs sent me a chance to be seen by as many people as possible. This does not mean I don't promote all the dogs in our area, but maybe the dogs in these other areas don't have as many dedicated rescuers as we have. Maybe they need just a little boost. Maybe something I write or share will be seen by someone who would like to be involved and then they will begin sharing. more animals in their area. My animals, with the exception of Carmella, have all come from Sarasota or Manatee county. I adopt where I live but I share with everyone.
The most prevalent breed shared are pitbulls/mixes or dogs labeled as such. I also share every breed in between.
I have only 207 friends on Facebook. Compared to some, that is not a lot of people. These friends live all over the country from California to upstate New York and all points in the middle. When I post a dog or cat from this area, the chances of my friend Bob, in California calling about that animal is probably pretty slim. I know Bob. I also know he will forward those animals to his list of friends who also live all over the country, including Florida. Now his friends may not be my friends, so if he forwards a dog or cat from Sarasota to a friend he was in Miami, who's to say that person won't drive up here to meet the dog or cat? Or what if I post a dog I receive from California, he sends it to his friends in California and one of them find their lifelong companion? That is how Facebook is supposed to work.
I recall several years ago when I was volunteering at the Humane Society of Sarasota County when a gentleman called from Ft. Lauderdale. He had seen a dog on Petfinder, a chocolate Labrador we had for adoption, and was in inquiring if the dog was still available. It just so happened the dog was still available, he drove over and adopted the dog. You see, he was very wealthy and lived on his boat. His ex-wife would not allow him to have a big dog so when they divorced, he came and adopted one we had. The last I heard, the dog was living happily on the boat with a very rich owner. I can only wish all the dogs and cats we post could find an owner like that.
You never know who is going to see a photo of a animal, decide they can't live without it, and move mountains to bring it to them.
My friend, Devon, lives in Tennessee but used to live in Sarasota. She not only adopted a dog scheduled to die from a very rural shelter in Palatka, but then attempted to adopted a Florida Brown Dog puppy from a shelter in Lake County. That adoption fell through when the pup found a home before the rescue here could happen so she is still looking for a second dog. Do I feel bad because there are dogs dying in Tennessee? Of course I do. I hate the fact any animals must die in shelters but my goal is to find them homes. Good homes. Sometimes I must go out of the area to do that. If I save one dog's life, that is my goal.
I cannot save them all but I can continue to give all the dogs sent me a chance to be seen by as many people as possible. This does not mean I don't promote all the dogs in our area, but maybe the dogs in these other areas don't have as many dedicated rescuers as we have. Maybe they need just a little boost. Maybe something I write or share will be seen by someone who would like to be involved and then they will begin sharing. more animals in their area. My animals, with the exception of Carmella, have all come from Sarasota or Manatee county. I adopt where I live but I share with everyone.
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