StarkHumane.org - What's New

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

President's Message

Diane Neal, Board President

"Never Too Old To be Loved" - We Continue Our Work

September 12, 2006 -- Last fall, we introduced our public awareness campaign, "Never Too Old To be Loved," to our membership. This campaign is designed to educate the public regarding the many adult dogs and cats in our care.

When we eliminated our length-of-stay policy a few years ago, we realized that some animals remain at our shelter for many weeks or months awaiting adoption. Many of those animals are adult dogs and cats who are at the shelter because of the death, divorce, job loss, or relocation of their owners. Often too, when an older pet owner must move into assisted living or nursing facilities, their beloved pets are brought to our shelter.

Sadly, there are many people who do not consider adopting an adult dog or cat when they are preparing to adopt a new pet. Instead, they will quickly walk past the many adult shelter animals, focusing solely upon the pups or kittens. It is indeed heartbreaking to see these wonderful adult animals passed by day after day, awaiting a new home. We also know that many individuals who adopt pups or kittens may not appreciate the amount of time and effort that is required to train young animals. Nor may they understand that young animals are likely to have accidents on carpets or engage in unpleasant behaviors such as chewing. Therefore, for many, adopting an adult dog or cat may be a better choice. Since we recognize that there is a finite number of good homes in our community, it is our hope that we can reach some of these potential pet owners with our message.

To date, our campaign has been included in our educational and community outreach programs, and we have been developing both television and billboard ads to reach a broader segment of the community. To implement the "Never Too Old To be Loved" campaign on a broader scale, we have been working with Todd Locke, President and owner of WRL Advertising, to develop a billboard campaign that will be made possible through a generous gift we have received. We have also worked with Christine Schulman, Can-Do Promotions, and with Lynn Shimko of Lynn Shimko Graphic Design to develop a television ad that we hope will touch the hearts and minds of potential adopters. We want to thank Massillon Cable Television, their videographer, Randy Ramsey, and these other generous people for donating their expertise in this important educational program.

Diane Neal
Board President

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