Animal shelter finds success at adoptions and fostering through social media

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A local animal shelter has used social media to find homes for stray animals.

The Tupelo Lee Humane Society targeted its social media use to encourage people to sign up to provide short term care for dogs and cats as part of its foster program.

With new arrivals daily,  the Tupelo Lee Humane Society tries to find forever homes for dogs and cats as soon as possible.

The animal shelter launched its Facebook page several years ago, and has seen a steady increase in pet adoptions since then. A social media strategy included quality pictures, taken by professional photographers, of each four-legged friend up for adoption.

But staff saw a need for several Facebook pages to make things easier to navigate.

“We took our main Facebook page and broke it down into three, our brand page, where we try and show our adoptable animals, special events, if we have an emergency need, such as supplies, we ended up creating a Tupelo Lee Humane Society animals lost and found page,” said Rachel Allred, Director of Operations.

The Humane Society’s Facebook page has become popular. Anyone in the public can take a photo of an animal they see out and about and they can post it themselves on the page.

All cats and dogs brought into the shelter are also put on that lost and found page.

“We want to make sure our animals, if they come here and don’t belong here, if they have an owner somewhere, whether it’s a dog or cat, that we get them back into their home,” said Allred.

Another recent addition is a private Facebook page for those who can foster animals until a permanent home is found.

Sheryl Blackburn has fostered many furry friends.

“To me fostering is something that most anybody could do, you just have to kind of be willing to open your house, home and heart,” Blackburn said.

The foster program allowed the humane society to care for more cats and dogs, through volunteers who are connected through social media.

Of course, people were encouraged to have their pets spayed and neutered, to prevent stray dogs and cats.

The shelter is always looking for volunteers, for more information you can go to the Tupelo Lee Humane Society main Facebook page.