HOW DOG BOARDING BUSINESSES CAN HELP SAVE SHELTER DOGS
What rescue group has not received a desperate request to help save a dog from a high risk shelter? How often have you wanted to get a dog to safety but been unable to find an available foster home? What do you do?
In many communities, rescue groups partner with doggie daycares, dog boarding or traditional kennels to offer a temporary housing solution to help get dogs out of high risk shelters until a foster family is available. The beauty of this arrangement is that in most cases, dog business owners will do this at no charge. Aside from almost certainly being dog lovers themselves, why would a dog business owner provide services to your rescue group for free?
Because your rescue group can help promote their business, that’s why. Rescue groups are made up of devoted volunteers, foster families and supporters all of whom spend money on pet related businesses in your community. They are much more likely to spend their money at a business that supports your rescue group than at those that don’t.
What about dogs in foster homes who need a little socialization time? Doggie daycares are often willing to offer free services in exchange for free marketing through your rescue group. Foster dogs get to burn off a little energy and enjoy some often needed socialization.
When approaching a local boarding or dog daycare business, consider offering them the following in exchange for free services for your foster dogs:
•Offer to post the business link on your shelter website.
•hand out their brochures and business cards at all adoption days
and fundraising events.
•Regularly feature the business in your rescue newsletter, blog,
or on your website. Share the stories of individual dogs
who have been helped by their donation of services.
•Offer the business owners the opportunity to promote their
business in person at fundraising events.
•At off site adoption events, place a sign on each dog’s crate
featuring the business logo and contact number. State
that the business is providing free boarding/daycare for your rescue dog.
In addition to offering free boarding or daycare services for your rescue dogs, many businesses will also help cross promote your rescue group by:
•Featuring your dogs on their website, in a flyer and on their check-in
counter.
•Promoting your dogs and adoption days in their customer e-newsletter and on
their website.
•Linking to your rescue group’s website.
•Placing your rescue’s business cards or adoption day details on their
bulletin board.
It seems clear that cross promotion is a win-win for everyone involved. If you’re not currently taking advantage of cross promotion opportunities in your community, now is the time! Creative, free cross marketing with local business owners can help you rescue more dogs, increase adoptions, even help you attract more volunteers. In the end the winners will be the dogs that you and your community partners helped save by working together.
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