Action Tips: Organize a Campaign about Animal Homlessness

Chances are there are tons of people out there who don’t know much about your cause or how many people it affects. Make some catchy flyers so they can be in the know and learn how they can make a difference too.

Double Check

First, make sure you are allowed to post your signs around school or on telephone poles and community bulletin boards. If your town won’t allow you to post around town, see if you can pass out flyers at your town hall, public library, a local business or at school.

Do Some Research

Gather some data for the signs and figure out how you want to present it. DoSomething.org has some great info on animal homelessness including facts about spaying and neutering and how to be sure your new pet comes from a responsible breeder, as well as a list of ways to fight animal homelessness.

Investigate

Find out about some cause-relevant stuff in your area. Check out DoSomething.org's project page to find out what young people are doing to fight animal cruelty in your town. And don't be afraid to call your local ASPCA or Humane Society to ask about the statistics on animal cruelty in your area. Don’t be afraid to include this info on your posters.

Details

See if you can get a quote from an expert. You can handle this during your call to the ASPCA. See if they can connect you with someone who has adopted an animal that was once abused. Interview him/her and include it in your campaign. Real stories are powerful!

Images

Sometimes pictures make stronger statements than words and are as much a part of the message as the chosen words, so don’t be afraid to use them. If that woman who adopted the battered animal is willing to show his or her face, let them!

Power in People

Now that you’ve got all this info, get some friends together to help you design and complete the posters or flyers. They can also help you put them up when you’re done.

Variety is Key

Keep in mind, that in order to make this campaign effective, you have to vary your strategy. So think about making a few different kinds of signs: Small flyers to pass out to people; Big, colorful posters to post on telephone polls: you want these to stand out because people will be driving and/or walking by them so you want to grab their attention; Informative flyers to post on cork boards or town message boards.

Timing

Timing is everything so find a time that is cause appropriate. April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, but if you’ve missed the date, don’t be hesitant to start a campaign regardless.

Be Bold

Think of strange places you can put up posters and see if you can get permission to post them there. Marketers have put up ads in odd places because it’s an effective tactic. Like the doors in bathroom stalls of restaurants, cafes, and/or even in restrooms of your local bus or train station. Try it out!

Post and Repost

While going out one day and posting is great, keep in mind that weather may damage posters so you’ll want to go out periodically and repost your signs. You also won’t catch everyone in one day so schedule a few days to go out and distribute fliers.

The Extra Mile

You can also recruit speakers to come in and speak to students at your school, church, or community center about your cause. Visit your local animal shelter or hospital to see if you can speak to someone about cases of animal cruelty he/she has witnessed. You can even go to your local police station and ask for resources. They’re usually more than willing to help support a positive cause.

And don't forget to let DoSomething.org know the amazing things you've done! You can also show off what you've done on our projects page.