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How to Promote Shelter
Dogs for Adoption
bestfriends.org
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
pg 1
How to Promote Shelter Dogs for Adoption
This two-part action kit provides resources and examples of ways to
promote shelter dogs in order to increase their chances of adoption.
In Part 1, we give creative ideas and advice for promoting individual
dogs to help get them into good new homes. Highlighting the unique
characteristics of a dog can make all the difference in getting that
animal adopted. Part 2 offers practical tips for putting on adoption
events. Holding adoption events periodically can really help increase a
shelter’s adoption rate.
This kit shows how you and your community can make a big difference
in the lives of shelter animals, especially pit-bull-terrier-type dogs,
who often need some extra help getting adopted because of the
stereotypes and myths that surround them. By promoting these dogs
for adoption, you can educate potential adopters and show them what
wonderful companion animals these dogs can be.
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
pg 2
Part 1: Promoting Individual Dogs for Adoption
This section gives tips and ideas for showcasing individual dogs to improve their
chances of adoption. Promoting individual dogs for adoption doesn’t have to be
restricted to bringing them to adoption events. You’ll also want to use some of
the following ideas for promoting dogs at the shelter, over the Internet and when
taking adoptable dogs out into the community.
1. Make sure the dogs look snazzy.
When you have a job interview, you know
it’s important to look your best. The way you
present yourself can make or break the deal.
Presenting a dog as an adoption prospect is
similar to a job interview, so make sure the
dogs are clean, well groomed and look their
best, whether you’re taking photographs
or video of them, or showing them at an
adoption event. The dogs will feel better, and
that will come across in their demeanor. Also,
whenever adoptable dogs are out in public,
make sure they’re dressed in colorful “adopt
me” vests or bandanas to let everyone know
they’re looking for homes.
Another fun idea is to create an individual
flyer for each dog. Include several photos
and a compelling adoption blurb. If you
don’t have a color printer, copy places such
as Kinko’s and OfficeMax can print your flyers for a fee. See the resources section for an
example of this type of flyer. The flyers can be
posted at the shelter and any locations where
there are community bulletin boards (e.g.,
supermarkets, Laundromats). You can also ask
local businesses if you can put up the flyers in
their store windows.
2. Create doggie calling cards and flyers.
Calling cards and flyers are another way to
showcase individual dogs and promote them
for adoption. You can create calling cards
yourself and print them out on card stock,
available at office supply stores. On the cards,
include the dog’s photo, gender, age, shelter
ID number, the name of shelter, the address,
an email address, and a phone number.
(See the resources section at the end of this
document for an example of a doggie calling
card.) The cards can be handed out when
volunteers are out in public with the dogs.
You can also place the cards at the shelter
reception area, plus carry them with you so
you can hand them out wherever you go.
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
pg 3
treats to get the dog’s attention. Ideally, the
photos you choose for your flyers or website
should have the eyes of the dog looking directly at you.
Adoption videos on websites such as YouTube
and Petfinder are proving to be not only
popular, but also effective in finding homes for
pets — and it’s free to upload videos to those
sites. As with photos, you’ll want to get goodquality video footage to show off the dogs to
best advantage. Creating video is a great way
to highlight a dog’s social skills by filming him
interacting politely and playfully with both
people and other dogs.
For more tips on shooting appealing photos
and videos, see “Perfecting Profiles” in the
resources section. For examples of some fun
videos, go to these websites:
video.bestfriends.org/promos/m/adopt/default.aspx
www.cityofrc.us/cityhall/animalcare/available/dogs.asp
3. Use appealing photos and videos.
It’s true that a picture speaks a thousand
words. Photos and videos of dogs looking
happy, giving kisses and/or showing good
manners can really show off their personalities
and help them get adopted.
Since images help people make a connection
to a dog, you will want to get good-quality
photographs. Color photos are best. When you
take photos, use a background that’s in contrast to the animal, to highlight the dog’s best
features. Keep the photos simple and clear
with few background distractions, though you
might want to include a person in the photo
to show the scale and size of the dog.
Before snapping the photos, take time to help
the dog be as calm and relaxed as possible so
that the images do not show a dog looking
anxious or scared. You can use squeaky toys or
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
www.familydogsnewlife.org
(click on Piteo Programming under About Us)
4. Write compelling adoption bios.
To go with your adoptables’ photos, you’ll
need compelling adoption bios. Potential
adopters are attracted first by a photo, but
then they’ll want to know more about the
dog. Keep the language in the bios simple and
conversational; avoid animal welfare jargon or
technical terms whenever possible.
You’ll need a punchy first sentence — something that will grab the attention of prospective adopters. The tendency is to give a list of
details: “Joey is a five-year-old neutered male
pittie/Lab mix with white markings, up-to-date
on shots.” This is useful information, but it isn’t
compelling. Instead, try to capture something
unique and endearing about Joey, and express
pg 4
that feeling in the first sentence of his bio. For
example: “He may look like a tough guy, but
Joey is actually a champion snuggler.”
Once you’ve grabbed potential adopters’
attention, you can share other information
such as age, breed, tendencies, quirks and
challenges. Focus on the positives first. Here’s
an example of how not to do it: “Joey unfortunately has leash reactivity, which means he
behaves offensively toward other dogs when
he’s on walks. He can live peaceably with
other dogs, as long as they’re submissive.”
Here’s a way to emphasize the positives without ignoring the negatives: “Joey is that rare
sort of pooch whom a child can climb all over
and hug. He’s so gentle and sweet around
everyone. Well, except other dogs when he’s
out on a walk. He’s not so good with other
pooches when he’s on leash.”
portunities in your community to set up a table
at different types of events. Ask about bringing adoptable dogs to sports events, car shows,
parades and farmers’ markets. Don’t forget to
dress the dogs in “adopt me” vests or bandanas. Be sure to have a banner made with the
name of your group or shelter and the website
address. If you aren’t allowed to bring dogs
to the event, set up a table anyway and hand
out your custom-made flyers about adoptable
dogs and the dogs’ business cards.
If your shelter has days when it is closed to the
public, that’s a perfect time to get the dogs out
on walks in public areas like parks or on hiking
trails where they can meet people and be seen.
Besides giving the dogs more exposure, these
walkabouts are excellent socialization opportunities for the dogs, which ultimately will
help them get into homes.
You can include restrictions, but be gentle
and choose your words carefully. For example, instead of saying “Andy must go to a
home without children,” which could scare
off even a childless couple, put a positive
spin on it: “Jo-Jo’s such a goofy bundle of
energy that he might be a bit too much for
small children.”
At the end of the bios, remind people how
much you want to hear from them, and include contact information (a phone number
and email address). For more tips on writing
adoption blurbs, see “Perfecting Profiles” in
the resources section.
5. Get the dogs out into the community.
The more a homeless dog is seen, the better
his chances are of getting adopted. To help
educate the public about shelter dogs and
promote your adoptable dogs, look for opHow to promote shelter dogs for adoption
pg 5
Part 2: Putting on Adoption Events
Adoption events don’t have to cost a lot of money or involve a huge investment
of time. To pull off a successful event, though, you need to do some planning. The
goal is to bring the dogs to the people in a festive, fun atmosphere so you can
increase the dogs’ exposure to the public and better their chances of adoption.
A successful adoption event (one that draws a crowd and results in many adoptions) benefits all the animals at the shelter because it publicizes your efforts,
thereby encouraging even more adoptions.
Here are some steps for holding
a successful event:
• Establish a catchy theme for your event.
• Decide where and when to hold the event.
• Recruit volunteers to help before, during and
after the event.
• Fundraise to cover event costs.
• Publicize the event.
• Promote the event through social networking.
• Showcase the dogs as individuals at the event.
1. Establish a fun theme for your event.
The first step is to establish a specific theme to
promote your event. You can use the time of
year to help inspire a theme: seasons, holidays
(e.g., Valentine’s Day, Halloween), sports
events (e.g., the Super Bowl, the World Series)
or school events (e.g., homecoming, prom
night). You can also use TV shows, awards
shows, and current trends.
Here are some examples of successful
promotion ideas:
Pet Idol (or Pit Idol, if the event is showcasing
pit-bull-terrier-type dogs)
This theme is a take-off on the TV reality show
“American Idol.” The goal is to get prospective
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
adopters into the shelter. To participate in the
contest, people are encouraged to go to the
shelter and vote in person for their favorite
dogs. In the process of deciding which dogs to
vote for, participants meet the dogs and get
to know them as individuals. By registering to
vote, participants are automatically entered in
a drawing for a chance to win donated prizes
(e.g., flat-screen TV, iPod, Kindle, gift card).
Homecoming
In this promotion, the annual rite of passage
for high school students goes to the dogs. The
public can vote for their favorite dogs and
help crown a homecoming king and queen.
Those who register are entered in a raffle
drawing for donated prizes.
Petcademy Awards (or Pitcademy Awards)
This promotion can be launched in advance
of the annual Academy Awards show. Staff
and volunteers choose 10 VIPs (Very Important
Pets) to promote on flyers and over the Internet. The dogs can be nicknamed after Oscarnominated films to reflect their individual personalities (e.g., Little Miss Sunshine or Billy the
Kid). Each dog can be given a “Walk of Fame”
Hollywood gold-star sticker that can be placed
prominently on their kennel cards to let voters
know which dogs are contestants. People who
adopt a VIP dog can be given a “swag” bag
containing items such as dog treats, collar and
pg 6
leash, and gift certificates for grooming or
training services. At the end of the promotional period, the votes are tallied and a winner is chosen and announced. For an example
of a poster to promote this type of event, see
the resources section.
“Adore-A-Bull” Adoption Fair
This promotion focuses on finding homes
for pit-bull-terrier-type dogs. Dressing up
these dogs helps to soften the image people
have of them, making the dogs easier to
relate to. The dogs can be dressed up in
glittery collars, feather boas, tutus, bowties
and other gear guaranteed to make people
smile. Consider having a short parade of
costumed people and dogs that ends at the
shelter with an adoption fair that includes
entertainment, refreshments and dog training demos.
Other promotional ideas include a speeddating event featuring adoptable dogs as
the “dates,” a walkathon that incorporates
adoptable dogs and a costume contest for
homeless animals.
2. Decide where and when to hold
the event.
You can hold adoption events inside your
shelter, outside in the parking lot or in an
open area near the shelter entrance. If you
decide to have adoption events at your
shelter, put up posters and banners outside
to attract visitors, and set up a table with
information about the available dogs. To
highlight the dogs’ individual attributes,
create attractive cage cards that contain
comprehensive info about each dog. (See
the cage card template in the resources section.) On the day of the event, have volunteers walk the dogs, wearing “adopt me”
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
bandanas, around the facility or grounds, to
allow people to meet and mingle with them.
Also, make sure the shelter is clean and cheerful; to create a festive atmosphere, put up
decorations appropriate to the theme.
If you want to have adoption events offsite, select a venue that has high traffic and
is a pleasant place. Some possibilities are
pet supply stores or parks that have plenty
of space and parking. You’ll need to get
permission from store managers or park
officials, of course, and work out the details
of event logistics.
You can also collaborate with other local
rescue groups or shelters to put on adoption
events. Pooling the resources of several groups
allows for larger events and attracts more potential adopters.
Whether your events are large or small, it’s
pg 7
their calendars. Also, use social media and
local events to encourage involvement and
recruit additional volunteers.
Word of mouth is another way to recruit
volunteers. You can ask existing volunteers to
invite their spouses, co-workers, friends and
family to participate. Previous adopters can
be a source of potential volunteers as well.
Send out email invitations or make phone
calls to former adopters inviting them to help
with your event.
4. Fundraise to cover event costs.
You can get items to use for prizes and
adopter gift bags through donations from
volunteers and businesses. Volunteers can
hold fundraisers to raise money for the
prizes, or even donate prizes themselves.
generally best to hold them on weekends,
when most people are off work and kids are
out of school. If you’re holding the event
outdoors, spring and fall are great times for
larger adoption events. Be sure to choose
weekends that do not conflict with major religious holidays or other big community events.
3. Recruit volunteers to help before,
during and after the event.
Depending on the size of your event, you
might need to recruit volunteers to help with
tasks such as putting up posters, handing out
flyers, walking and grooming dogs, staffing
an information booth, helping to process
adoption applications or serving refreshments. Invite volunteers already working
at your shelter to help, and be sure to send
them a save-the-date email so they put it on
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
A great way to solicit donations is to send
a letter to local companies explaining your
adoption promotion and specifying what
you would like the business to donate. If you
don’t get a response, go to the business location and ask to speak to the business owner.
When a business agrees to donate, be sure
to bring a homeless dog along when you
collect the donation so they can see firsthand whom their donation is benefiting. To
encourage future donations, send thank-you
cards (complete with photos of dogs who
were adopted) after the event to participating businesses.
5. Publicize the event.
Since the success of every event depends on
lots of people showing up to participate, it
is vital to get the word out in as many ways
as you can. Here are some fairly inexpensive
ways to promote your event:
pg 8
• Advertise it on your website.
• Have a large banner created and put it up
outside the shelter.
• Create flyers advertising the event and
have volunteers ask local businesses to post
them on their windows.
• Create a door hanger and have volunteers
distribute them in neighborhoods.
go to the free website Eventful.com and promote your adoption event there.
7. Showcase the dogs as individuals at
the event.
Use the tips and ideas given in Part 1 of this
action kit to highlight the special qualities of
each dog hoping for a new home.
• During the event, get volunteers to dress up
in dog costumes and position them on nearby
busy street corners. Have them wave large
signs steering the public toward the event.
You’ll also want to publicize the event
through the media, such as newspapers, television and radio. Generating a news release
and a PSA (public service announcement) for
radio and TV will help attract media outlets.
For tips on writing news releases and PSAs,
read “Writing a News Release” and “Writing a Public Service Announcement” in the
resources section.
6. Promote the event through social
networking.
Go to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and
Craigslist and post notices and information
about your event. Ask people to share your
link and help promote the dogs who are
available for adoption. You can also start
your own blog (free via Blogger or Wordpress) or go to your local newspaper’s blog
or forum pages and leave a comment with
details about your adoption event.
To further promote it, add an event page to
your Facebook account and post flyers for
the available adoptable dogs on your Facebook wall. Ask volunteers, friends, family,
and fellow rescuers to share the post. Also,
How to promote shelter dogs for adoption
Resources
Example of Doggie Calling Card
Example of Individual Adoption Flyer
Perfecting Profiles
Pitcademy Awards Poster
Cage Card Template
Writing a News Release
Writing a Public Service Announcement
For more information about adopting out homeless animals, check out the No More Homeless
Pets resource library on Best Friends’ website:
www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/
resourcelibrary/adoptionsindex.cfm
For more information about increasing adoptions
for pit-bull-terrier-type dogs, watch Animal Farm
Foundation’s video:
vimeo.com/27018082
Special thanks to PetSmart Charities® for
providing grant funding for the programs
from which these materials were derived.
pg 9
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Meet the girl named Kiah — guaranteed to bring a smile-a!
She’s a PBA for Hillsborough County Animal Services (that’s short for
Pit Bull Ambassador) and is wearing her Sunday best. But you can
arrange a visit any day you wish! Kiah’s enrolled in obedience classes for
the ADOPT Program (Awesome Dogs On Positive Training). She’ll soon
earn her official Canine Good Citizenship Certification, too!
Visit and flirt with Kiah in person at
Hillsborough County Animal Services (440 Falkenburg Rd., N. Tampa)
Ask for animal ID# 0921688. Bet you’re smiling just thinking about her.
Like all of our Pit Bull Ambassadors, Kiah
has been temperament and health tested. She
passed with flying colors! To adopt Kiah, fill
out an application and
schedule a pre-adoption home visit. Learn
more about this loyal breed and our
Pit Bull Ambassador Program by visiting
www.badrap.org
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
2
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
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Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
4
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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1.  The animal must make eye contact with the camera.
2.  The animal should appear alert — ears up.
3.  Some animals are shut down at the shelter and
require more effort.
•  Our volunteers spend time with each dog,
walking, talking and petting him/her.
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snacks, whistling, clapping, another dog —
whatever it takes.
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
5
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
6
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
7
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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No More Homeless Pets National Conference
October 21-23, 2011
8
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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October 21-23, 2011
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9
Perfecting Profiles 101: Words, Photos and Video to Increase
Adoptions – Elizabeth Doyle, Frank Wisneski & Michael Hand
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October 21-23, 2011
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Hi, my name is
Sex: o Male
o Female ID#: _________________
Age: ________________
o Spayed/Neutered
About Me: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Good with:
o Friendly
o Affectionate
o Independent
o Confident
o Shy
o Kids o All Dogs o Some Dogs o Cats o Unknown
o Athletic
o Active
o Easy Going
o Lap Dog
o Mellow
o Housetrained
o Loves food
o Loves toys
o Loves affection
Currently in School: o Basic Obedience Class o CGC Intermediate Class
Writing a News Release
A news or press release is a short announcement of a newsworthy event. You send press
releases to newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations, and Internet sites to interest
them in doing a story. Editors and news directors receive many releases every day; to grab
their attention, your news release must look professional and present the facts in a concise
and compelling way.
First, develop a template for your news release. Using a template lets you produce releases
efficiently, since the basic format is already set up.
Here are some tips for formatting a news release:
UÊ ˜VÕ`iÊޜÕÀʏœ}œÊ>ÌÊ̅iÊ̜«ÊœvÊ̅iÊ«>}i]ÊLÕÌʎii«ÊˆÌÊȓ«iÊ>˜`Ê`œ˜½ÌʏiÌʈÌÊÌ>ŽiÊÕ«Ê̜œÊ
much of the page. Editors and news directors are interested in knowing quickly who you
are and then getting to the lead sentence.
UÊ *ÕÌÊVœ˜Ì>VÌʈ˜vœÀ“>̈œ˜Ê>ÌÊ̅iÊ̜«ÊœvÊ̅iÊ«>}iÊ>˜`ʓ>ŽiÊÃÕÀiÊ̅iʓi`ˆ>ÊVœ˜Ì>VÌʈÃÊ>Û>ˆable at the phone number and e-mail address provided.
UÊ /Þ«iÊޜÕÀÊÀii>ÃiÊÕȘ}Ê>ÊL>ÈVÊvœ˜Ì\Ê/ˆ“iÃÊ,œ“>˜]Ê£ÓÊ«œˆ˜ÌÊÈâi]Ê>˜`ÊÀi}Տ>ÀÊvœ˜ÌÊ
(instead of bold or italic) is a good choice.
UÊ 1ÃiÊȘ}i‡Ã«>Vi`ÊÌiÝÌÊ>˜`ʈ˜`i˜ÌÊwÛiÊë>ViÃÊ̜ÊLi}ˆ˜Ê˜iÜÊ«>À>}À>«…ð
UÊ 1ÃiÊ̅iÊÃÌ>˜`>À`ʜÀ`iÀʭ̈“i]Ê`>Ìi]Ê«>Vi®Ê܅i˜Ê}ˆÛˆ˜}Ê̅iÊ`iÌ>ˆÃÊ>LœÕÌÊ>˜ÊiÛi˜Ì°ÊœÀÊ
iÝ>“«i\Ê£äÊ>°“°Ê̜ÊÈÊ«°“°]ÊÀˆ`>Þ]Ê՘iÊ{]Ê>ÌÊ̅iÊ,>`ˆÃܘÊՈ`ˆ˜}°Êœ˜½ÌÊÕÃiÊâiÀœÃÊvœÀÊ
̈“iÃÊ­ÕÃiÊ££Ê>°“°]ʘœÌÊ££\ääÊ>°“°®Ê>˜`Ê`œ˜½ÌÊÕÃiʏiÌÌiÀÃÊ>vÌiÀʘՓLiÀi`Ê`>ÌiÃÊ­Õ}ÕÃÌÊ
22, not August 22nd).
UÊ ii«ÊˆÌÊ̜ʜ˜iÊ«>}iʈvÊ>ÌÊ>Ê«œÃÈLi°Ê
Here are some tips for writing a news release:
UÊ 7ÀˆÌiÊ>ÊVœ˜VˆÃi]ÊV>ÌV…Þʅi>`ˆ˜iÊ̅>ÌÊÃՓ“>ÀˆâiÃÊ̅iÊÃ̜ÀÞ°ÊÌÊŜՏ`ÊLiÊÜÀˆÌÌi˜Êˆ˜Ê̅iÊ
ÃÌޏiʜvÊ>ʘiÜë>«iÀʅi>`ˆ˜i]ÊÕȘ}Ê>V̈ÛiÊÛiÀLÃÊqÊvœÀÊiÝ>“«i]ʺÀÌÊ̅>ÌÊëi>ŽÃÊvœÀÊ
homeless pets.”
UÊ 9œÕÀʏi>`ÊÃi˜Ìi˜ViÊŜՏ`Ê`iÃVÀˆLiÊ̅iÊiÛi˜Ì]Ê>˜`Ê܅Þʈ̽ÃʘiÜÃܜÀ̅ް
UÊ /…iÊLœ`ÞʜvÊ̅iÊÀii>ÃiÊŜՏ`ÊVœ˜Ì>ˆ˜Ê̅iÊ>‡ˆ“«œÀÌ>˜ÌÊv>VÌÃ\Ê܅œ]Ê܅>Ì]Ê܅i˜]Ê܅iÀiÊ
and why.
UÊ ˜vœÀ“>̈œ˜Êœ˜Ê뜘ÜÀÃÊŜՏ`ÊLiÊ>ÌÊ̅iÊi˜`°
UÊ /…iÊw˜>Ê«>À>}À>«…ÊŜՏ`Ê`iÃVÀˆLiÊޜÕÀÊ}ÀœÕ«Ê>˜`ÊVi>ÀÞÊÃՓ“>ÀˆâiÊޜÕÀʜÀ}>˜ˆâ>̈œ˜½ÃʓˆÃȜ˜°
UÊ *ÀœœvÀi>`Ê̅iÊÀii>ÃiÊV>ÀivՏÞÊvœÀÊ}À>““>ÀÊ>˜`Êëiˆ˜}]Ê>˜`Ê>Ü>ÞÃʓ>ŽiÊViÀÌ>ˆ˜Ê̅>ÌÊ
all the information in the release is accurate before you send it.
Best Friends Animal Society U (435) 644-2001 U www.bestfriends.org
Writing a Public Service Announcement
Public service announcements (PSAs) are short notices, lasting anywhere from 10 to 60
seconds, that are aired on radio and TV stations prepared to provide information to the
public. PSAs are used by organizations to publicize community events, to assist in fundraising efforts, and to inform and influence public opinion.
Most radio and TV stations look for local causes to promote in the PSAs that they air. PSAs
must contain information that is beneficial to the community and should not include
controversial or self-serving material. Check with the program directors at your local radio
and TV stations for their guidelines about content and formatting. You should submit your
announcement at least 10 days in advance of the time you would like it aired.
The standard lengths for PSAs are: 10 seconds (25 to 30 words), 20 seconds (45 to 50
words), 30 seconds (60 to 75 words), 60 seconds (120 to 150 words).
Here are some tips for formatting a PSA:
UÊ 1ÃiÊޜÕÀʜÀ}>˜ˆâ>̈œ˜½ÃʏiÌÌiÀ…i>`Ê>˜`Ê«ÕÌʈ˜Ê>ÊVœ˜Ì>VÌʘ>“iÊ>˜`ÊÌii«…œ˜iʘՓLiÀ°
UÊ /Àˆ«iÊë>ViÊ̅iÊi˜ÌˆÀiÊ*-ÊÜÊ̅>ÌʈÌÊV>˜ÊLiÊÀi>`Êi>ȏްÊ1ÃiÊ/ˆ“iÃÊ,œ“>˜]Ê£{ʜÀÊ£ÈÊ«œˆ˜ÌÊ
size, regular font. Indent all paragraphs.
UÊ ÃÊ܈̅ʘiÜÃÊÀii>ÃiÃ]ÊÕÃiÊ̅iÊÃÌ>˜`>À`ʜÀ`iÀʭ̈“i]Ê`>Ìi]Ê«>Vi®Ê܅i˜Ê}ˆÛˆ˜}Ê̅iÊ`iÌ>ˆÃÊ
about an event. For example: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 15, at the PetSmart at
1234 Main Street.
UÊ ii«Ê̅iÊ*-Ê̜ʜ˜iÊÅiiÌ°
Here are some tips for writing a PSA:
UÊ ˜VÕ`iÊ>Ê̅iÊv>VÌÃ\Ê܅œ]Ê܅>Ì]Ê܅i˜]Ê܅iÀiÊ>˜`Ê܅ްÊiÊÃÕÀiÊ̜Ê}ˆÛiÊëiVˆwVÊÃÌ>À̈˜}Ê
and ending dates.
UÊ -̈VŽÊ̜Ê̅iÊv>VÌðÊۜˆ`ÊÃÕ«iÀ>̈ÛiÃ]ʜÛiÀÞÊi˜Ì…ÕÈ>Ã̈VÊÌiÝÌ]Ê>˜`Ê>VÀœ˜Þ“ÃʜÀʘˆVŽ˜>“iÃÊ
the general public may not be familiar with.
After sending a news release or a PSA, call the news desk after a few days to ask if they
received the release and to remind them that you are planning a newsworthy event. Say
ܓi̅ˆ˜}ʏˆŽiÊ̅ˆÃ\ʺiœ]ʽ“ÊV>ˆ˜}Ê̜ÊÀi“ˆ˜`ÊޜÕÊ̅>ÌÊ*iœ«iÊvœÀʘˆ“>ÃÊ܈ÊLiʅœ`ing an adoption event on May 15 at the PetSmart parking lot at 1234 Main Street. Our
contact number is 123-4567 if you need more information. We sent a release to your organization a few days ago.”
If the release was sent to an individual reporter, call afterwards to see if the reporter received it. If not, send it again. If you talk to the reporter, let him/her know you are available to answer questions. Be persistent, but not bothersome. If you leave a message and
̅iÊÀi«œÀÌiÀÊ`œiؽÌÊV>ÊL>VŽ]Ê`œÊ˜œÌʎii«ÊV>ˆ˜}°ÊÃÃՓiÊޜÕÀʓiÃÃ>}iÊÜ>ÃÊÀiViˆÛi`]ÊLÕÌÊ
other stories are taking priority.
If you can, try to establish personal contacts at your local media outlets. This gets your
œÀ}>˜ˆâ>̈œ˜½Ãʘ>“iÊ>˜`ÊޜÕʜÕÌÊ̅iÀiÊ>ÃÊ>˜Ê>˜ˆ“>ÊÜiv>ÀiÊÀiÜÕÀVi]Ê>Û>ˆ>LiÊ̜ʫÀœÛˆ`iÊ
future expertise or comment on animal issues that arise in your community.
Best Friends Animal Society U (435) 644-2001 U www.bestfriends.org