All pet lovers know what sweethearts our pets are.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by raising money for homeless pets or by increasing adoptions. Here are a few of Valentine’s ideas.
Run an adoption ad honoring the Valentine’s Day holiday.
Run ads in the newspaper prior to Valentine’s Day suggesting that readers visit their local shelters to find their forever Valentines. Animal shelters or individuals can run these ads. Or, this would be a great project for kids to do at school, for co-workers, for neighbors, etc. Anyone can contact the local newspaper to do this. Often newspapers give discounts for advertising related to animal shelters.
Include photos of shelter pets and if you run ads for several days, try to rotate the photos if possible.
Ideas for the advertising copy include:
Your best friend is waiting.
I’ll be your Valentine every day of the year.
Find your forever love.
Your true love is waiting.
Be my Valentine. You’ll have my love forever.
The best Valentine you’ll ever get is waiting for you at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.
Our sweet loves need your love. Bring your Valentine to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter to find your best friend.
Substitute Gifts to Each Other for Donations to Your Local Shelter
If your sweetheart typically buys flowers, dinner, a gift, etc., for Valentine’s Day, suggest before the holiday that as a couple you substitute some of those expenditures as donations to your local shelter. This is one of the easiest ways anyone can help. Let your friends know you’re doing this; they might follow your lead.
Offer Gift Cards for Pet Adoptions
Shelters can advertise they offer gift cards to cover the cost (or part of the cost) of adopting a homeless pet. Since it’s best for owners to choose their own pets, parents could give this gift card to their kids in a Valentine card or a wife could give this to her husband.
A newspaper ad could say something like “Your sweetheart deserves to be loved by me. I’ll always be there for her.” Include a photo of a shelter dog or cat.
Reduce Adoption Fees for the Month of February
An ad advertising this promotion could say something like “Two sweethearts for the price of one. Bring your Valentine to the shelter during the month of February and select two sweet loves for your family.” Include a photo of two dogs or cats cuddled up with each other.
Coordinate Valentine’s Day Tree for Homeless Pets
Make a Valentine tree for a group of people, such as office employees, the staff of a retail store, the staff of a library, a neighborhood, a kids’ class, etc. The tree could be made from wire used in floral arrangements and twisted to form the outline of a heart. Wrap the wire with a red cloth. On the tree hang Valentines from homeless pets. Include photos of pets from the local shelter with wording such as “I’m waiting to be your Valentine. If you can’t adopt me, please donate to the Santa Fe Shelter on Valentine’s Day in my honor. I’ll love you forever.”
Or, “While I wait for me forever home, my favorite Valentine’s treat is just having my favorite food every day. I’ll be your Valentine if you donate (ask your shelter what food to request) to my shelter.”
Attach an envelope addressed to the shelter with a donor form ready to fill out.