Facebook helps shelter save animals slated for euthanasia

Companion Animal Alliance adopted out a record 50 cats, dogs, puppies and kittens during the most recent weekend, a feat due primarily to the alliance’s new Facebook page—Last-Minute Hope for Baton Rouge Animals—and the media coverage it generated. The Facebook page showed photos and descriptions of animals slated to be put to sleep in a matter of days or hours if no one adopted them. Readers of the page were spurred to act, and all of the animals scheduled to be put to sleep on Monday were saved. “When we created the [Facebook] page, we were aiming for transparency,” says CAA Interim Director Debbie Pearson. “We felt that the community needed to know how bad the problems were to address them. But this has proven that doing the right thing has other benefits. Now, we have this whole energized momentum.” Besides the adoptions, the coverage led to a jammed switchboard and 100 voicemail messages from potential adopters and volunteers. The sudden outpouring of community support boosted the October save rate beyond 49% and reflects a welcome change. See the Facebook page here, and read the full story here. —Adrian Hirsch