Thought Bubble
At an awards luncheon on a sunny Autumn afternoon, CooperKatz received an ‘Honorable Mention’ in the PRNews Platinum PR Awards for ‘Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet Day’! As finalists in the Word of Mouth / Viral category, CooperKatz was noted for its 360-degree approach to PR and social media in the planning and execution of this campaign.
The number 15 was extra special for adoptable pets this year. Petfinder.com celebrated its 15th birthday, partnered with more than 1,500 shelters and rescue groups, and surpassed its goal of more than 15,000 pet adoptions at their Big Birthday Adoption Event!
CooperKatz lent a hand in planning, organizing and promoting Petfinder.com’s Big Birthday Adoption Event that took place in cities and towns across North America during the weekend of July 15-17. The largest online database of adoptable pets set the bar high for its birthday celebration and managed to exceed its adoption goal! By the end of the weekend, Petfinder.com found forever homes for more than 15,700 adoptable pets.
At any given time on Petfinder.com, the largest online database of adoptable pets, there are more than 320,000 pets waiting for someone to give them the home they deserve. This year, Petfinder turns 15 years-old and celebrates more than 17 million adoptions since 1996. To drive awareness about how many pets are in need of a family – while pursuing the goal of securing 2.5 million adoptions this year – CooperKatz helped Petfinder kick off its 15th birthday celebration with "Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet Day"on March 15.
According to a survey conducted by Petfinder.com, the largest online database of adoptable pets, approximately 84 percent of animal shelters and rescue groups see family pets returned to them because of behavioral issues that could have been resolved with the proper training and resources. Sadly, these adoptable pets almost always have a harder time finding forever homes because their behavior problems were left untreated. In celebration of National Train Your Dog Month, Petfinder.com partnered with Andrea Arden from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) to launch Train FurKeeps, a program designed to teach families easy training techniques and ultimately decrease the number of pets relinquished to shelters.
As a culture we talk a lot about striving toward equality by reducing discrimination and prejudice within our society. But when it comes to pets, those loveable creatures whom many of us consider to be members of our own families, we do not always apply the same principles.
Petfinder.com, the largest online database of adoptable pets, points out that all too often people will visit an animal shelter in search of a puppy, kitten, or other animal that is a preferred breed or color; nearly always bypassing those animals that are older, darker in coloring or that have special needs. These pets are deemed “less-adoptable” not because they wouldn’t make great additions to a family or would love you any less, but because they have certain physical features that make them less desirable.