Creative marketing helps 'sell' animals

By SAMANTHA DEPOY
Correspondent

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Staff photo by Samantha DePoy enlarge Carina Masterman, an animal care technician at the Franklin County Animal Shelter in Farmington, photographs a cat while Jessie Geis, the shelter's assistant manager, entertains several others. The digital images will be posted on the shelter's Web page through www.petfinder.com. The Internet is one of the many tools local shelters are using in their effort to place pets, particularly dark-colored cats. Others include personal ads, kitten showers and ``flavor of the month'' incentives.

FARMINGTON -- Vixen and her brother Dasher have tons of personality.

The cookies-and-cream colored cats are sweet and outgoing, said Carina Masterman. "As soon as you sit down, Dasher is all over you. They both have tons of energy and tons of love."

But despite their playfulness, the pair has never had a real home. After 15 months, the cats are still grounded in the Franklin County Animal Shelter, where Masterman works as an animal care technician.

"We notice that black cats and black and white ones are less likely to be adopted and we don't know why," said a frustrated Patty Lovell, the shelter's executive director, as she reflexively reaches out to rub a feline that flung itself into her lap.

In an effort to move long-term shelter residents into forever homes, Lovell decided to institute a "Flavor of the Month" promotional program Masterman learned about while working at a shelter in Kentucky.

During July, the usual adoption fee of $65 was dropped to $35 on cats that were cookies-and-cream colored. August's special is licorice -- with all-black cats featured.

Lovell said the "Flavor of the Month" is designed to get people's attention. "It gives them a chance to come in and check us out. Hopefully, it will increase conversation, traffic and, ultimately, adoption."

The Farmington-based shelter's pet promotions are part of a new trend of sales and specials that Martha Kalina, president of the Maine Federation of Humane Societies and director of Knox County's humane society, said is part of an effort among Maine shelters to "behave more like businesses," especially when it comes to marketing.

At the Humane Society-Waterville Area, that means producing a "Paws for Adoption" program promoting the shelter's pets on local access television Channel 7.

In Somerset County, it is "Double the Friends," with the traditional feline adoption fee of $30 covering two cats or kittens instead of one.

At many shelters, such as West Kennebunk's Animal Welfare Society, which has a media coordinator, kitten showers are often celebrated.

Kennebec Valley Humane Society Director Ann Slattery has only been on the job two months, but already knows the importance of innovation. Staffers at her Augusta shelter wear laminated badges that say "Get a Life" with a picture of a playful pup.

The next set of badges will read "Single White Female Seeks Lasting Relationship" and feature a white cat. After that, a rabbit duo will be promoted next to the tagline "Two SWM Seek Like-Minded Vegetarians for Lifelong Companionship."

Soon, the shelter's advertisements in local newspapers will be written like personal ads as well. Slattery anticipates it's something readers will look forward to every week.

"These animals have as much personality as anyone you'd read about in a personal ad," she said. "And they're a lot more reliable."

Using strategies long relied on by traditional retailers allows shelters to move merchandise that no one seems to be buying.

In Maine, shelter directors say the current overstock is cats, particularly black cats and black and white ones. Lovell said some people cling to old superstitions about black cats.

"The more you have, the less people want them," she admitted. "We can't just tug at heartstrings anymore. We have to be business savvy."

And as every marketing maven knows, networking is a must. In the past three years, shelters that used to see each other as competitors are now working together, Lovell and Kalina say.

"We see each other as a resource. We're all here for the same reason," Lovell said.

That means meeting to share strategies and sometimes swapping animals.

Kalina says that in Knox County, huskies aren't popular, so she sends them to Westbrook, where there are more fenced-in yards, which fit the breed's tireless temperament.

But as they work together to dream up more specials, shelter directors are also cautious about devaluing the animals by pushing them as possessions rather than pets.

For the first time ever, the Knox County shelter will be waiving the adoption fee on adult cats during the month of August.

Kalina worries that some people might think less of the cats because they're on the house, but says it's critical to controlling the shelter's population of more than 100 cats.

She prefers to phrase it as "waiving the adoption fee" rather than saying "free cats."

And because shelters rely on the money generated by adoption fees, they also have to be careful not to slash prices too much.

Ultimately, it's worth the loss in revenue, says Kalina, who points out that an overcrowded shelter is less efficient.

"Animal welfare workers are saying enough of having to kill healthy, adoptable animals," Kalina said.

"We need to get the public to understand this issue, accept accountability for it and then do something to help. It's a societal problem. This is a way for us to get the product out to the public and have them understand the sheer number of animals that are brought in here."