Best Friends Blog
 

Grab your phones and check in to save lives

November 01, 2011 - By Julie Castle - ( 8 Comments )

Ever heard of foursquare? No, not the old playground game when we were kids. This foursquare is all about your mobile phone and checking in.

A location-based service, foursquare allows you to “check in” to physical locations as you go about your day. Now boasting 10 million users, people around the world check in at restaurants, stores, coffee shops and even animal sanctuaries. Specials can be unlocked simply by checking in, such as a free appetizer at a restaurant or a free gift when you check in here at Best Friends.

It’s a cool service and idea, right? Well, we’re using this technology as a way for people to connect to their local animal shelters. What could be more special than helping save the lives of dogs and cats currently in the shelter system? It’s an easy and low-tech way to help us get one step closer to a nation of No More Homeless Pets.

The first annual National Animal Shelter Check-in Day will take place on November 12th. It’s our hope that a whole new generation of people will hear about this day, and take the opportunity to visit an animal shelter and start seeing the many cats and dogs who never get that chance at a home. It’s all part of our invisible dog campaign. We’re asking every foursquare user to head to their local shelter and not just check in, but adopt, volunteer or simply take a photo of a dog available for adoption. By doing this, we’re making shelter dogs visible!

Right now, we’ve got quite a few shelters around the country ready to participate. We believe that they’ll meet new volunteers, supporters, and especially adopters on National Animal Shelter Check-in Day. Each of the participating shelters is already brainstorming their own ideas to make the day fun and unique for them.

The Invisible Dogs campaign is all about shining a light on local shelters around the country and letting the public know that there are incredible animals waiting for a home. They just need to be seen. The National Animal Shelter Check-in Day is another way to make that happen.

So grab your gadgets and download foursquare to your iPhone, Android or Blackberry and start checking in today!

Julie Castle
Senior Director, Communications

 

 

P.S. Even if all this new social media stuff is foreign to you, don’t worry! You’ll get the hang of it quickly. Please help us spread the word about this lifesaving campaign to your friends!

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  • Anonymous

    Great idea.  It all counts in helping all these amazing animals find a permanent loving home and to reduce their suffering.

  • Anonymous

    Great idea.  It all counts in helping all these amazing animals find a permanent loving home and to reduce their suffering.

  • Lisa

    This is a great idea, but people should keep in mind when you check in to places remember to check your security level on facebook and twitter etc…. because when you “check-in” to a restaurant, you are also informing people that you are not home.  I had a friend had her home broken into and one question that the police asked was if she “checked in” by her phone and what her security level’s are.  And she been using foursquares. I just want people to be caution out there.  I know I will get some negative responses but remember to think!  

  • Lovefelines2003

    This is a great idea, as is the entire Invisible Dogs Campaign!  But I would like to suggest that this become the Invisible Dog and Cat Campaign.  More cats are killed in our shelters than any other species.  Approximately 70% of the cats who enter shelters never make it out again.  In fact, I think the campaign should be called The Invisible Animal Campaign to include the bunnies and any other species in our shelters. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ISRJPOYFI5LBHJGSO5AP3VG3PE CJ Anderson

    Oh my!  How brilliant this is!  Just yesterday I was grousing how I didnt knw Petsmart charites were having an event and the same for a rescue in Cave Ceek on Saturday! This is going to make my life easier for sure!

  • friend of shelters

    It is a wonderful idea and I hope a ton of people do it.  I volunteer at my local shelter and it is rewarding.  Shelters are often very under-staffed.  The only sad thing is Nov 12 is a Saturday and there are shelters out there that are not open on Saturdays.  They also may be closed Nov 11 for veteran’s day. 

  • http://twitter.com/jeffryeon Jeff

    Lovely Animal as title blog name is Best Friends Animal Society   Oh Blog!!~` how comes  best idea…

  • Elizabeth Luik

    Please help our Furry Friends to get more help with more loving care.