Transcript Comparison of Three Massachusetts Animal Shelters

Comparison of Three
Massachusetts Animal
Shelters
Madalyn Black
Agenda
 Introduction to shelters
 Overview of three different Massachusetts animal
shelters
 Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (MSPCA)
 Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL)
 Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL)
 Recommendations for each organization
Animal Shelters
and Public Health
 Care for animals is based on population health principles
 Pet overpopulation
 Spay and Neuter
 Remove dangerous animals
 Low cost veterinary care
 Zoonotic diseases
 Low cost vaccinations
 RABIES
Massachusetts
Society for the
Prevention of
Cruelty to
Animals
(MSPCA)
MSPCA
 Mission Statement: The Mission of the Massachusetts Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)–Angell Animal
Medical Center is to protect animals, relieve their suffering,
advance their health and welfare, prevent cruelty and work for a
just and compassionate society. ©2006 MSPCA-Angell
 The MSPCA was founded in 1868
 "MSPCA-Angell" was adopted as the society's identity in 2003.
The name was formed with the combination of the Massachusetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Angell
Memorial Animal Hospital.
 Target Audience: Low-income individuals who need medical
services for animals – and – those who want to adopt and support
homeless animals (same in all shelters)
 Open admission shelter
 The MSPCA is part of the Spay and Neuter Assistance Program
(SNAP).
Web Strategy
 Extensive
 Well managed webpage, Facebook accounts, twitter, YouTube page,
e-newsletters, and online publications
 In 2011:
 > 86,000 of our online registrants received the MSPCA e-newsletters.


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These cost-effective communications keep supporters informed about
MSPCA–Angell news and donor opportunities.
>39,000 of our supporters received our informative and attractive
Companion in print and online and the Annual Reports are available online
as well.
In January 2011, 16,000 people “liked” the MSPCA on Facebook. That
number has now increased to more than 24,000.
In November 2011, the MSPCA–Angell was named, along with four
national animal-welfare organizations, a leader in using social media to
advance its mission to protect animals.
In 2011, 2,396 people (more than twice as many as in 2010) follow the
MSPCA on Twitter and frequently retweeted news. (2623 followers as of
July 23, 2012)
42,000 Boston-area readers viewed our Angell print advertisements in
local papers.
SWOT analysis
Strengths
 Strong “Brand” recognition
 Has increased web presence of the past
few years
 Well executed social media strategies
including
 Personal stories included increase
donations
 Have e-newsletter to keep the most
interested donors up-to-date
 Has a large donor base
 Views can share information on social
media sites using “share this”
Opportunities
 Partner with other shelters to increase
impact on pet population
 Mobile platforms (apps and mobile
website)
Weaknesses
 Too much to focus on
 Multiple goals make it difficult to find
the specific information desired
 Limited budget
Threats
 Other animal shelters in MA that may cut
into donations from the public
Animal
Rescue
League
of
Boston
(ARL)
ARL of Boston
 Mission Statement: Rescuing domesticated
animals and wildlife from suffering, cruelty,
abandonment, and neglect.
 Founded in 1899
 Services provided:





animal rescue
law enforcement
Shelter
Veterinary care
mobile Spay Waggin’
 Limited intake shelter
Web Strategy
 Homepage a blog
  stories are easy for viewers to share and
repost
 Viewers can leave comments directly under
each story
 Manage the in print and e-publication Our
Four-Footed Friends
 Maintain Facebook, twitter, and blog
 Won the Boston Phoenix, Best Local Cause
award for 2012
SWOT analysis
Strengths
 Homepage reads like a blog
 Engaging website
 Strong focus on current happenings
 Personal stories are focused
 Easy to navigate website
 Website and Facebook have parallel
information
 Have received funding from grants from the
ASPCA and others
 Easy for viewers to share information on social
media sites
Opportunities
 Working with other local shelters to achieve the
same goal
 Apply for more grants from organizations such
as the ASPCA
 Mobile platforms (apps and mobile website)
Weaknesses
 Limited budget
 Blog style makes finding past
stories more difficult
Threats
 Other animal shelters in MA that
may cut into donations from the
public
Worcester
Animal
Rescue
League
(WARL)
WARL
 Services Provided:
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lost and found
boarding
adoptions
low-cost spay/neuter & vaccinations
end-of-life/euthanasia
educational programs
 Founded in 1912
 Limited intake shelter (No Kill)
 does not believe in time or space limits for adoptable
pets, and uses every resource available to place each
one
Web Strategy
 Limited
 Maintain a website and a Facebook
 Have an in print and downloadable brochure
SWOT analysis
Strengths
 Largest shelter in central Massachusetts
 Long history in the community
 Has a history of dedicated donors
Opportunities
 Expand personal stories to increase
relationships to donors.
 Use images to give information instead of
just text
 Improve homepage to catch attention
 Integrate shortcuts allowing users to find
information more easily
 Mobile platforms (apps and mobile website)
Weaknesses
 Limited budget
 Website home page is too word heavy
 Font used on website is spaced to narrowly
and thus is hard to read
 Images on home page do not tell a story of
their own, just cure animals
 Website not engaging
 Not short cuts or table of contents to
determine what information is on each page
 No links to social media websites
Threats
 Other animal shelters in MA that may cut
into donations from the public
 Larger shelters may have more funding
update media
Comparison Table
MSPCA
ARL
WARL
Facebook


(not linked to website)
Twitter


Online Videos

 (on about explaining how

the shelter works)
Blog
 (to describe different parts
 (homepage is a blog)
of shelter life and medical
care provided)
E-Newsletter


Contact Us


 (there is a link but the only
information it provides is how
to get to the shelter and hours.
A phone number is listed at
the bottom of the website)
Search Option


Online donation
option
Mobile Support



Recommendations for the
MSPCA
 Provide an area to sign up online
for e-news
 Exchange “share use” with
separate links for different
popular social media sites
 Make blog an actual blog
 Mobile support (website platform
and apps)
Recommendation for the ARL
 Provide an area to sign up online for e-news
 Mobile support (website platform and apps)
 Provide links in sidebars to jump to specific blog stories
Recommendation for the
WARL
 New font
 More images and stories on the
website
 Add a Facebook Link
 Update all publications including
the brochure
 Search box
 Online donations
 Contact information
 Mobile support (website platform
and apps)
Questions?
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