1. Open Adoption Resources
ASPCApro.org
Return rates:
LASPCA 2% vs 13%
CAS 7% vs 17%

2. ASPCA Adoption Ambassador Program
Shelter
ASPCA Adoption Ambassador Program
Foster
(Young, Sick)
Ambassador
(Healthy)
Adopter

3. Design LASPCA (2011) Charleston AS (2012) Shelter Ambassador
(healthy)
Adoption (healthy)
LASPCA (2011)
Charleston AS (2012)
Adopter
Survey asked questions about previous pet ownership, sources of those pets, experience coming to rescue or other animal welfare org, how they learned about that pet, were they planning on adopting a pet before seeing this one, etc

4. Have you ever adopted from a shelter or rescue before?
Ambassador
(healthy)
Adoption (healthy)
51% No
70% No
Adopter
Survey asked questions about previous pet ownership, sources of those pets, experience coming to rescue or other animal welfare org, how they learned about that pet, were they planning on adopting a pet before seeing this one, etc

5. Take-Aways from Ambassador Research
Adopters already looking to adopt
Informed decisions/expectations
Easy for adopter to imagine life with dog
Lower return rate
Adopters learned about dog in variety of ways
Take-Aways from Ambassador Research
Return rates:
LASPCA 2% vs 13%
CAS 7% vs 17%

6. Impact of Program Increase your reach Increase community awareness
Increase number & type of foster homes
Reach new adopters
Save more lives
Impact of Program

7. Adoption Ambassadors Sariah Hopkins, Executive Director
Safe Harbor Equine and Livestock Sanctuary

8. Handing Over the Reins Foster homes know the horses best
Speed up your adoption process
Share the workload of adoption
Adoptions should be exciting!
Foster homes feel success and satisfaction
Handing Over the Reins

9. Traits of An Adoption Ambassador
Desired Traits
Active on social media
Organized
Good communicator
Enjoys spending time with foster and taking photos/videos
Responds to s and phone calls promptly
Provides feedback to rescue regularly
Positive attitude about rescue, horses, and adoption.
Independent, and understands policies
Not Desired
Addicted to social media
Uses poor grammar and punctuation
Presents controversial or offensive material
Non-responsive to s and phone calls
Takes low-quality photos (blurry, weird angles, too many selfies)
Extremely introverted
Needs rescue support for all things foster related
Traits of An Adoption Ambassador

10. It’s Easier Thank You Think!
Our foster homes don’t have time to do site visits.
Solution: Replace the site visit with the reference check of vets or farriers and have professionals provide your site visit information
Our foster homes don’t have access to the data they need.
Solution: Cloud based storage and databases put data at everyone’s finger tips. We use RescueGroups.org and Google Drive
We don’t want our foster homes accepting cash checks.
Solution: Pay the fee online through donation link or Paypal
We don’t know how to train foster homes to do this.
Solution: Contact Safe Harbor for templates
It’s Easier Thank You Think!

11. Key Points To Ponder Foster homes: not all are adoption ambassadors
Facebook: Keep a secret FB group for your foster homes
Advertise: Use farm signs, car signs, shirts, flyers, etc.
Be realistic: Support ambassadors but realize may not be for everyone
Reward your people: But..Remember it’s all about the horses
Key Points To Ponder

12. Heather Mohan-Gibbons (ASPCA) heather. mohan-gibbons@aspca
Heather Mohan-Gibbons (ASPCA) Suzanne D’Alonzo (HSUS) Sariah Hopkins (Safe Harbor) Adoption Ambassadors