URGENT! Dahlonega GA Bruiser & Roscoe (3 MO Lab siblings) must be out by May 1 or PTS

 

 (45 min North of Atlanta)  

Bruiser and Roscoe are the bubbahs of the puppy room.  Trouble is they have been at the LUKPKIN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
over their allowed time.  They have to be outta there by Wednesday May 1 or they will be PTS.

The siblings are three month old Lab puppies.  They are all lab, have never met a stranger and are rarin' to go.
There are too many black dogs in our area since there is a hex on black so we need to work hard on saving these kids!

The adoption fee is $90 and we may be able to find donors for that.

PLEASE let me hear from you with good news.

Dan Bowers, Adoption Coordinator 706-973-9411
Lumpkin County Animal Shelter

1363 Red Oak Flats Road

Dahlonega, GA 30533

(706) 867-7297

lumpkincounty.gov‎

Share for them via Text or Twitter! 

URGENT! Dahlonega GA Bruiser and Roscoe (3 MO Lab siblings) must be out by May 1 or PTS
http://j.mp/Y3qrVw #gapol #PetRescue

FAQ for Stray, Wayward, & Lost Pets

FAQ for Stray, Wayward, & Lost Pets (via @SEPRR) http://j.mp/FAQLostPets

When anyone finds a Wayward Pet, the course of action is straightforward:

Part One: Finding the Pet's Owner:

1- Secure & safely isolate the animal. Provide a quiet warm location with Bedding, Water, something to chew on, and basic food.

2- Call, Text, AND Email the Contacts on the Tags. (Do all 3!)

3- Visit any vet clinic;Scan for a Microchip. (If there is a MicroChip, the Vet will often secure the pet until it's owner arrives. Your work is done!)

Note: In ITP Atlanta, PetSmart is open on Saturdays. Pets Are People Too behind Ansley Mall is open 24/7.

4- Take Some Pictures and then Empower Your Posts! 15 minute Social Media Primer for Pet Rescuers: http://bit.ly/ngw1c5

5- Post the pictures to a Public Album. (Note: FB requires a user login even if the Album is Public. Google+ is truly public, not requiring a login. Hence, post the photos to G+. )

If all these efforts fail:

Eventually, you will have to take your Wayward Pet to Animal Services. When doing so, Stress to Intake Personnel the Pet is a Stray and NOT "Owner Turn In"

Want to know more? Owner Turn-In's can be Euthanized the same day. Strays have a 7 Day hold / owner recovery period. After which time, the animal is "reviewed" (the "Review Date") given a list of circumstances that may or may have anything at all to do with the disposition or health of the pet, the pet can then be euthanized on or after the Review Date. Groups like BHVF raise money so the Pets can be held for adoption after the Review Date has passed, however there is a finite number of pets that can be held for an extended period of time, and the number varies based upon available resources of money, space, fosters, and volunteers. So fostering is a good way to help these pets live and find a home. Usually all the pets need is a bit of extra time to find a home. Policies can and do vary over time.

Part Two:  Rescuing the Pet after surrender to Animal Services:

• If you plan on making sure the pet survives or is more easily rescued, please consider administering a round of shots before surrendering to Animal Services. Rescues spend most of the funding on vet bills for pets that contracted a condition in animal control. Why? Animals are not usually given shots in any animal control. Fulton County often will thanks to BHVF funding & other grants, but you will need to double check before you turn them in. 
  
  
  Want to know more? Processing in Animal Service is a legal requirement that clears any claim of title the prior owner may have had if the prior owner fails to recover the animal within the Owner Reclaim period. This is enables the animal to be adopted by new owners without the possibility of the prior owner suing for custody of the pet.
  
  
• Identify a Foster with a Rescue Group Willing to Foster the Pet.
• Apply to become a Foster

- Angels is a very good organization that handles cats & dogs of any age/breed/mix (Fostering with Angels)
- Friends of Fulton County Animal Services now has a solid fostering program Contact Robbie Caban, FCAS Volunteer Coordinator for an application.

• Promote the Pet to find a Rescue or Foster: Use this article to empower your Social Media reach and save your new Furry Friend!

Want to know more? Rescue groups focus their efforts on homeless pets on death row in Kill Shelters. While Atlanta Humane Society does kill some pets during the intake process, it is not considered a Kill Shelter. The difference is simply the level of killing that takes place.  View 2009 Animal Control Statistics for GA here.  Even with so-called No Kill Shelters, consider the fate of a pet that arrives after the No Kill Shelter is full? That animal will likely be redirected to a "Kill Shelter" unless immediate fostering/rescue resources can be secured. 

Suffice it to say, that given limited resources of rescues, if the pet is not already on death row, a rescue will not be able to bring (or "pull") the pet into their network without you personally stepping up to foster the pet.

Simply opening your home to the pet as a foster parent and shuttling them to/from adoption events is sufficient.

Find a pet rescue near you: For your own sanity, find a rescue with pet adoption events close to your home.  Visit the larger pet stores near your home and ask the store manager for the rescue groups contact info that hold events at that store. Then apply directly to those groups, then pull the dog yourself as a qualified foster into the rescue. Make sure they have frequent adoption events so you can show off your foster! 

When Apply to become a Foster, ask the Rescue for all the items the pet will need: A kennel, animal ID#, a supply of food, existing health records, medications, leashes, the direct link on the website where the pet is listed (petfinder.com/petharbor.com etc), schedule of remaining vet appointments, location of the vet, and a list of upcoming adoption events.



--
For our Furry Friends!

Bryan "Beau" Grant

Director, SE Pet Rescue Railroad

Co-Founder, Fix Georgia Pets
#PetRescueTwitter Admin: @FCASPets @SEPRR @ANGELSRESCUE @FIXGAPETS @DOGBITECON @TRIBEDOGS

SEPRR Blog:http://sepetrescue.blogspot.com/
Wags McGruff's FB Profile: http://facebook.com/wagsmcgruff
Fan Page: http://facebook.com/seprr
Twitter: http://twitter.com/seprr
Email ListServer: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/SEPRR

Save Homeless Pets Once & For All! Support 3 years of Free Spay & Neuter!
Detailed Policy Proposal http://j.mp/3YFSNGA via @bryangrant

Stop Killing #HomelessPets in #GA! Provide 3yrs FREE #SpayNeuter!

Follow @seprr to Stop KILLING Homeless Pets! Give 3yrs of FREE Spay Neuter! http://ow.ly/70qdh  #petrescue #occupy #animalcontrol

SEPRR and Fix Georgia Pets advocates and proposes specific policy changes and agenda in their home State of Georgia. Most other states policies similar to Georgia’ addressing only the Symptom of pet overpopulation, instead of addressing it’s cause, exponential reproduction by increasing numbers of unsterilized pets. Current policies provide NO END IN SIGHT to the killing in “shelters” and the EXTREME EXPENSE to TAX PAYERS.

For 70-80% of homeless pets at risk IN Animal Shelters relates to sterilization. The remaining balance relates to owners who purchase a pet, then toss it away, usually for Personal Problems, Allergies, or a new Child in the family. (Read more here: http://ow.ly/747rK). Only 10% are unadoptable animals.

WE kill around 300,000 homeless pet’s per year in Georgia..

WE pay over $100 million year in taxes for related expenditures.

WE can end this waste and expense.  

WE can save pets and save tax money.

WE, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to Enact reformative expansions to the Current Animal Welfare Act as follows:

 1-               Georgia Department of Agriculture (GADOA) will require of animal control and rescue licensees periodic reporting to a central open source database of related operational statistics including operating costs.

a.               The minimum datapoints to be collected are visible on this PDF document, http://ow.ly/747lj. The database shall publicly accessible via the internet for public awareness, policy improvements, research, and analysis.
b.               The database shall enable tracking of the animals in the system via consistent Tagging Nomenclature for all Licensees. From pick up, induction to animal control, to rescue organizations,  to adoption by new owners, or to the “room” euthanized and disposed.

 2-               After the Reporting Policy is established and 12 months of running statistics are gathered:

a.               Offer FREE spay-neuter for a period 3 years for the entire state, with voluntary participation by owners and veterinarians. 

i.                    Trial Program: To prove the business model and savings for Statewide implementation, SEPRR will fundraise and manage a Trial Program comprising a region of ten “average” Georgia Counties. This trial will last one year, and accurately track the cost/benefit of the program over the one year period. The statewide program is estimated to reduce animal control populations by at least 40%, saving $40million-$65million & 100,000 animals by Month 24 of the program.  Our goal is to determine if the Trial Program matches the Per Forma estimates in the 12^th month of the Trial. Assuming there is a significantly compelling proof of the business model resulting from the Trial, Dept of Ag would be empowered and justified to roll out the program Statewide, since the program would align with Dept of Ag’s mission by humanely managing the pet population and reducing expense to the Tax Payer.

 3.          Critical To Success: Geo-Tagging the location where Homeless Pets are picked up from the streets. Any "hot spots" producing unusual numbers of homeless animals will become visible. Deploy already existing non-profit funded mobile spay/neuter clinics. Encourage local residents to sterilize their pets by offering incentives such as Wal-Mart gift Cards, etc. Current Mobile Clinics simply have no way to focus their efforts since they are unable to visualize the "Hot Spots".

4.               Ongoing Low Cost Sterilization: Following the Free 3 year program, the state would provide on-going, needs-based, state-wide low cost spay-neuter with a differentiated licensee fee. Grant Applications by related organizations would distribute the budget for actual use. Licensing would be handled by the state, not by the 159 individual counties, the current Status Quo.

5.                Consolidate Animal Control Operations. After the Three year program, many Animal Control operations will become redundant. Via a change to the State’s Constitution that currently saddles each county with the responsibility of the Animal Control function, place the remaining Animal Control operations, assets & related staff under the management of the Dept of Ag. (Ops and Staff are easily transferable. How we transfer related assets, buildings enforcement vehicles,  remains a question.)

a.                    No Kill Shelters: Adopt a policy that mirrors the CAPA, Companion Animal Protection Act (http://j.mp/osg9Cn) template promoted by No Kill organizations, to optimize animal control services delivery and management and improve conditions for the animals in the shelters.b.                    Under NO Circumstance will a healthy, adoptable Homeless Pet ever be put at risk of Euthanasia owing to the irresponsible actions of it’s owner

 6.  Funding: Public, Private, and Non-Profit Funding

a.               Realign the existing Georgia Spay/Neuter License Tags funds.
b.               Further Suggestions:
i.                   Voluntary add-on donation at Point of Sale at Pet Service Providers  (pet food stores, vets, groomers)

ii.                    Sales Tax on Pet Products 

iii.                    Differentiated Pet Licensing $25 - $50 year Unaltered, Free Altered 

iv.                    Corporate Gifts 

v.                    Foundational Grants 

Respectfully,Concerned Citizens

Note: Georgia’s statistics are in line with most other states, especially ones that neighbor Georgia. 

Every year in Georgia, over  300,000 Homeless Pets are euthanized costing taxpayers as much as $100 million per year.  90% are Adoptable Homeless Pets, only 7% are reclaimed by owners, 10% adopted from animal animal control, 12% pulled by rescue groups,  and 61% are KILLED by County Animal Control Services  throughout Georgia's 159 counties.  SOURCE: SpotSociety.org & GVAW.org

Related Data and Articles:

60% of DeKalb County Animals Die in 2010-2011 $1,750,000/YR Spent  http://j.mp/Z494l5

For 70-80% of homeless pets at risk IN Animal Shelters relates to sterilization. The remaining balance relates to owners who purchase a pet, then toss it away, usually for Personal Problems, Allergies, or a new Child in the family. (Read more here: http://ow.ly/747rK). Only 10% are unadoptable animals. 

SPOT Society 2009 Atlanta GA MSA Homeless Pet Euthanasia Statistics:"54% Euthanasia Rate  56,381 killed of 105,186 Animals Impounded in 16 Atlanta Metro Counties 2009" . SOURCE:  SpotSociety 2009 Shelter Stats http://j.mp/13ryBdw

  105,186 Impounded - 56,381 Homeless Pets KILLED  [54%kill ratio] in 16 ATL Metro Counties (2009 GVAW site is down). 

I used this as a primary basis for the statistical analysis of Georgia counties, meshing it with SPOT Society's research to zero in the 300,ooo & $100million figures. The actual numbers are much higher depending upon the assumption one uses to compute the results. The highest number I obtained was 644,000 killed/yr average. Incredible, but the only reason I reduced the number to 300k is that people simply believe that number. The actual is most assuredly more towards the 500k-600k range. This is why we need a mandatory reporting system for all animal controls so regulatory interests can be addressed. That was why Chris Benson wrote and launched the database, but I dont think it is being used, though Black alluded he would begin using Jan 2011 I think. If anyone knows that state of the database, and can get some reports from it, that will be sufficient right there to substantiate the figures. I am 99% confident that if the actual numbers are pulled from the Dept of Ag animal control database, they will jibe with the estimates we have been using.

2007 cost analysis "City Council ends use of carbon monoxide for euthanasia at shelter" http://bit.ly/aCfy80

Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare (GVAW) Survey of Animal Services in Georgia 2009 REPORT http://bit.ly/2009GVAWReport


"Puppy-mill prescription" Why some states do not have the will to end Puppy Mills http://ht.ly/1UBSm

AJC:  Senate bans gas chambers for animal euthanasia; sparks Holocaust, suicide debate http://ht.ly/1TB3f 

AJC: April 19, 2010 Counties killing dogs, cats by the thousands http://ht.ly/1TB6L 

Related: 

Florida needs Statewide low cost_free spay-neuter Intervention  http://j.mp/YL9WwV

           National Animal Control Association Condemning gassing in Shelters: http://www.nacanet.org/guidelines.html#euthanasia 

South GA Pet Rescue NEEDS YOUR HELP!

We have posted this all over the place:

CODERED #Hoboken #Ga  #petrescue CLOSED: WILL EUTHANIZE ALL PETS TUE9am 10/25 9am http://j.mp/pgy3la via @seprr


You could help these rescuers out by also Tweeting and Texting it. 

I am sure legions of other well-meaning people have reach this point of burn-out. I know I have. Seeing the death of so many warm and loving furryfriends is a recipe for mental disorders, but if you are like me, the fight must continue. If we only save 10 out of 100,000, think how much it counted for just those 10. And if I save 10, then perhaps someone else will follow the lead, and rescue 10, or perhaps become the person to rescue all 100,000 by generating policies that end the need for this archaic, barbaric, deplorable system of managing animal populations. Read this if you want an idea of how to do just that:

Please Sign & Share this Petition http://j.mp/3YFSNGA  



We hope that:


 1- we can rescue the pets by generating widespread awareness of the problem
 2- Perhaps these people will partner with a larger group, and effectively become fosters for a group that does have a good infrastructure in place for sustainable operations.. like a fundraising business plan, social media strategy, volunteer organizational frmework.. etc


Getting the word out for an "urgent rescue notice" is the 1st job for any rescuer. 


So.. not using twitter for rescue is like driving a brand new sports car with the emergency brake on. 


Yet, Twitter is EZ to Learn &  Use!


@seprr has written this so you can Pump Up Your Rescue Volume with The Twitter:


Twitter Primer: Hashtags, Mentions &; Missions. Oh My!" Click here to read it http://bit.ly/ngw1c5 #petrescue via @seprr & @tribedogs


So now you have been there and done that, SHARE this Tweet ON TWITTER and send it via SMS Text to your lady friends who love texting! 


Tweets can be texted via SMS.. since they are text & under 140 characters! Lovely!


CODERED #Hoboken #Ga  #petrescue CLOSED: WILL EUTHANIZE ALL PETS TUE9am 10/25 9am http://j.mp/pgy3la via @seprr

Facebook Events: Adding all of your Facebook Friends to an Event.

rt @tribedogs Facebook Events: Adding ALL FB Friends http://bit.ly/q4SV3S #socialmedia


When inviting Friends to Events and Fan Pages, ALWAYS Use a Facebook User Profile to Invite ALL friends.

The Invite via Email function is practically broken, not accepting comman separated email addresses, forcing you to enter and invite one by one. Yikes.

<3 Facebook? NOT. Let's be honest, Facebook is a fad and a necessary evil. For now, it reaches people, so we use it.

Here is the JavaScript that to use to INVITE ALL via Firefox.
There are several other methods. This one has a major advantage, you do not need to download any plugins to run the script.

1- Go to the Event or Fan Page you wish to Invite Friends to.

2- Pull up the Invite Dialogue, scroll ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM. (This takes some time)

3- a- PC/Linux Firefox Users- Ctl-Shift-K.

3- b- MAC Firefox Users- Ctl-CMD(APPLEKEY)-K

4- Paste the text between the quotes into the K-screen command prompt (look for the ">")

5- Because the JavaScript keeps conficting with Blogger.com html interpreter, I have placed the text of the script in a separate shared document.
Please CLICK HERE to grab the SCRIPT.

6- Smile.

5- Hit Enter

Twitter Primer: Hashtags, Mentions & Missions. Oh My!

Twitter Primer for Rescue & non-profits http://bit.ly/ngw1c5 #petrescue via @seprr & @tribedogs


^TREND^ ResQ Posts: Use  #petrescue #animalcontrol #pts #euthanize #occupy #animalcontrol #homelesspet #state #city via @seprr

Here is a Twitter Primer I am putting together.. referencing rugby and pet rescue as "neutral" topics to serve as practical examples. I do not train for free on commercial use of twitte! ;-) However, you could use this to figure out your own commercial social media strategies if you are on a tight budget.

Scratch Pad:

Use a text editor such as Wordpad, TextEdit, Vi, Word, Google Docs, etc.. to format your tweets. You will need a scratch pad to rehash your posts into the most effective Tweet. Sometimes you will revisit a reoccuring post and tweak it as you think of clever ways to improve the post, reducing characters in the post, mentioning @usernames and #hashtags in the posts.. tracking people who RT the post, etc.

I use Notepad on the local computer, then update a copy on Google Docs when I am sharing with a team such as @atlpetresq. Originally, many of these promotions were created for a great Atlanta local rescue group, @angelsrescue. It is a good idea to ReTweet related organization's posts, so consider Following @angelsrescue 

I can access Google Docs from any smartphone anywhere, so it is very convenient when away from the office.

Lesson1: Always post to Twitter so that it could go viral via easy sharing (RT) keeping most of the post intact as it is shared.

RT, a "ReTweet" implies that who ever posted the ReTweet (RT) is posting a Carbon Copy.. NO CHANGES.. to the original post. The challenge is that some people dont bother to post to twitter in a way that can be RT without any changes. Few people will sit down and change a Tweet so that it can be shared.

Here is an example:

Here is the Facebook post:  A Terrific Atlanta Pet Rescue

Sending a big thank you to the Wee Wonder Preschool who hosted us at their school today to receive the change they collected over past month for their "pennies for pets". Guess how much they raised?! Not $4, not $40, but $420!!!! Thank you Jen Leveillee and her daughter, and new foster Tiffany Lambert for helping to make this possible. Also, a big thanks to Otto, Drake II and Polly for making their guest appearances to discuss rescue. :)

"@ATLPETRESQ" is not an actual twitter account
(...wait a minute.. I will reserve that.. done. ;-) 

..I will figure what to do with it later.)


AutoPost to twitter from the FB Fan Page:

RT @ATLPETRESQ: Sending a big thank you to the Wee Wonder Preschool who hosted us at their school today to receive the change they... http://fb.me/Mw34sN50

This is a broken/garbled twitter post that can not be easily RT since it is gibberish in Twitter.

Wee Wonder doesnt have a twitter feed... the success story is cut off. If anyone wanted to share, they would have to reformat it, manually. Not good for sharing.

A possible Tweet: BIGTHX to Wee Wonder having@ATLPETRESQ visit today. WeeWonder raised $420 for #petrescue in #ga!http://fb.me/Mw34sN50

This Tweet is shareable, conveys the main points of the communication from the original post, and is easily shareable without losing any of the content, nor forcing another Follower to make significant changes in order to RT. I was unable to secure a Twitter handle for Wee Wonder. When organizing partnerships, it is always important to gather these items, such as the Fan Page name & URL, Twitter handle, & specific hashtags.

Also coordinate the timing of the posts with partners so that a greater impact can be achieved.

Lesson2: To Gain Visibility of your Posts, @Mentions are more important than the number of Followers

Mention: People following related users, (ex: @pabstblueribbon @cityofmarietta) may have setup a tracking feed for that user, and may have set it up to notify them when the @username is mentioned by anyone in Twitter. If nothing else, the related users sees that we are promoting them, sharing visibility. The best result is that many other users tracking those related users will see our post, and perhaps begin also following us. It is easy to see how this is useful for building relationships such as sponsors and donors.

Followers view your posts in the Twitter Home Feed, a deluge of real time posts that swarm over your screen. Your posts are easily crowded down the Feed by all the other posts from other @usernames a user is Following.

You will accrete Users over time. Do NOT pull any stunts to attract users. These activities usually blow up in your face, reducing credibility of your @username. This may also reduce your Twitter Klout score, a credibility metric in Hootsuite, a tool used by social media pros.

Generate visibility for your posts by always "Mention" the "@usernames" referenced by your posts.

For example: Dont say "Steam House Lounge" in your post. DO say @steamhouseloung.

DONT: Join Angels Pet Rescue at Steam House Lounge for a PBR for Pups Benefit http://on.fb.me/angelsevents

DO: This week! Join @ATLPETRESQ @steamhouseloung &  @pabstblueribbon PBR for Pups Benefit http://on.fb.me/angelsevents #atl #gapol

@ATLPETRESQ is the host of these events.

@steamhouseloung is the venue

@pabstblueribbon is a sponsor

#atl Atlanta

#gapol georgia politics Spay/Neuter and Animal Welfare is a political/special interest/lobbying topic

Lesson 3 Find Your Partners and MENTION them!  
Google search your Partner's @usernames referenced in your posts!
To Find a Twitter @username Account:

- Visit Google and Search for "Twitter " You may have to add a few other search terms to narrow the scope, but usually the @username pops up in the first few results. Cut and paste that @username into your posts.

Atlanta Renegades Rugby, a prominent Rugby Club in the Atlanta area,  is sponsored by several companies. Bushmills will serve as a good example.

Google "Twitter Bushmills" which results in three bushmills twitter accounts.

Perhaps the goal is to periodically Shout Out to Thank the sponsor for their support.

Schedule a post and format as follows:

@atlrugby Thanks @BushmillsUSA our Teams leading sponsor! @BushmillsSA @BushmillsGlobal @GaRugbyUnion

@atlrugby makes it easy for people to find our feed, no matter what

@BushmillsUSA is the team sponsor

@BushmillsSA is in South Africa, but SA has rugby right? Why not let them know we are up here playing?

@BushmillsGlobal hits Bushmills Corporate in Ireland.

@GaRugbyUnion has nearly 600 followers and hits many other teams in SC, GA, AL.

Could also add the USA Rugby feed.. browse the various ones here. http://bit.ly/qiS8It

Lesson 4 Giving Back - Tending Your Garden

Remember to reinforce your network by giving back to your Followers. Your Followers, and even those who arent Following but saw your tweet via a Hashtag or a ReTweet, should be given positive reinforcement. In Twitter, this often takes the form of:

1. - ReTweet where possible your Followers posts that are Relevant to your own account.
2. - Following People Back who Follow your @account 
3. - Follow those who RT and/or Mention your  @account
4. - Mentioning those who share your post

An effective and manageable way to stay on top of reinforcing your network's relevance and bond with your Followers, involves Thanking them all at once. 

Wrong way:

Instead of Multiple Posts..

@PetAgProducts Thanks for the RT!

kinshipcircle9:19am via web

@katsndogs Thanks for the Mention!

kinshipcircle9:19am via web

@AnipalAwards Thanks for the Follow!

kinshipcircle9:19am via web

@TinyPearlCat Thanks for the RT Mentions & Follows!

This will drive you NUTS trying to keep up with the Thank You's!

And.. very soon you will just skip this process, and your accounts will wither.

You are no longer watering your garden! 

BETTER WAY: Thank by using "Block Posts"! 

Advantages

 - Will not dilute your timeline

 - Allows your followers to netwotk with easch other. 

 - Easy to collect all the @usernames with rapid cut n paste keystrokes in any aggregator such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, etc.

How to form a Block Post to Thank people:

Include a releveant Hashtag such as: 

#ff is Follow Friday

#ww Woof Wednesday #petrescue related

#mm Mutt Monday -or- Meow Monday #petrescue related

...and any other relevant HashTag

By doing so, you are presenting these @usernames to those who follow a #Hashtag topic as being active in that topic area! Your @username friends will gain followers, mentions and RT.. and so will you.

Using the posts from above: 

RT @kinshipcircle #ff @PetAgProducts @katsndogs @AnipalAwards @TinyPearlCat TY4RT Follow &/or Mentions! <3! #thaiflood #petrescue

- Covers all the @usernames supporting your account

- includes Hashtags to amplify reach into relevant memes 

- Thanks for all possible ways of interacting with the account. 

- More efficient than dividing up which @usernames  Mentioned, Followed or RT. These activities usually overlap,so what is the point of separating them all?

Lesson 5: Grind an Axe! Want people to hear your complaints? Want to reach an organization directly? 

Recently, I stayed in Newberry SC for a funeral at the Hampton Inn. They have terrible Internet access, which presented several problems since I am an adjunct professor teaching ONLINE. I figured out their entire company's traffic for hotel guests is routed via a gateway in South Texas to and from the real Internet. Talk about sloooow. So..

@thehamptoninn @HamptonInn @HamptonFYI Fix your Internet Service in Newberry SC! 3days of Internet HELL at your hotel.

@HamptonFYI just saw your response. Here is the full story:bit.ly/ozcN8Z

The Link above, brought Hampton In to an explanation of the problem. I  was contacted via email within 10 minutes of posting by Hampton Inn's Corp Mkt Director.. I received two nights free a couple of weeks later with no conditions for removing the post. 


Here is the diaogue. Bear in mind. EVERYONE on Twitter could see these posts. 

@HamptonFYI Thank you for sending 2 nights free. Did u ever resolve Internet issues for all other customers? bit.ly/ozcN8Z

Hide conversation

BryanGrant: @HamptonFYI Followed and DM your handle.. and ....nothing. Thanks!3:36pm, Aug 24 from HootSuite

HamptonFYI: @bryangrant Replied via DM to you, please provide me some contact information so that we can discuss.3:46pm, Aug 24 from HootSuite

BryanGrant: @thehamptoninn @HamptonInn@HamptonFYI internet is still hosed. Busy couple upstairs banged around until 3:30am. I must switch rooms.11:20am, Aug 25 from HootSuite

HamptonFYI: @bryangrant This information has been added to you file.2:46pm, Aug 25 from HootSuite

BryanGrant: @hamptonfyi Thank you for sending 2 nights free. Did u ever resolve Internet issues for all other customers? http://t.co/nSErIyh4:32pm, Oct 22 from HootSuite

Two years ago, I had a similar result related to a Washing Machine Delivery botched by HomeDepot that ended up earning me a $300 discount on the purchase.

So.. Twitter can really Light up a Flame!

You can also use it to get timely emergency updates. When the Hurricanes were swarming up the east coast in August 2011, my relative's beach house was in danger, but they were unable to reach anyone to inspect the property during or after the storm passed.

I went on twitter, and posted the following to the local Police Dept near the house, they actually went over, checked it out, and replied back via twitter.. within a matter of a few hours. My relatives enjoyed peace of mind as a result.

Here is the interaction:

BryanGrantAug 27, 1:25am via HootSuite

@PawleysIslandPD do u think #irene passing during outbound tide helped? Was creek loop rd itself under h2o along creek?

Hide conversation

BryanGrant: @pawleysislandpd how much #ireneflooding was there on creek loop rd on north causeway? We've got a house there. Thanks!12:55am, Aug 27 from HootSuite

PawleysIslandPD: @BryanGrant Not sure in the back but there wasn't much on N Causeway. Island roads saw up to 4 feet on south end.1:10am, Aug 27 from UberSocial for BlackBerry

BryanGrant: @PawleysIslandPD do u think #irene passing during outbound tide helped? Was creek loop rd itself under h2o along creek?1:25am, Aug 27 from HootSuite

Lesson 6: Dont skimp on the Hashtags

The entire purpose behind any of our activities in non-profit is to generate awareness of the organization's Mission. For a rugby team, that means getting more players and fans to turn up. Similarly, for animal rescue, it means more volunteers, more people sharing the posts so that person who can actually take action will know about the opportunity in the first place, and to generate awareness, advocating changes to stop killing all these animals while taxpayers foot the bill for the slaughter of voiceless innocents that end up in animal control usually owing to irresponsible ownership of the pets, chiefly not bothering to spay and neuter.


Hashtags supercharge this strategy. They enable a HUGE "long-tail" (forgive the pun) or "splash"-effect into new audiences. 

"The “long tail” theory took shape in an article by Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine, which grew into the 2006 book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More."

The original article by the Guru of Long Tail, Chris Anderson,  in Wired Magazine, The Long Tail. 

"This is not just a virtue of online booksellers; it is an example of an entirely new economic model for the media and entertainment industries, one that is just beginning to show its power. Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it in service after service, from DVDs at Netflix to music videos on Yahoo!" 

It is the wildwest when using Hashtags. Anyone can co-op an existing hashtag, or create a new one.

Proper use of Hashtags is equally useful as properly Mentioning an @username for the exact same reasons given in the Mention Lesson.

S/O is twitter-brief for Shout Out
#ff follow friday to give props to followers
#ww is woofwednesday similar to #ff for #petrescue peeps
#mm Mutt Monday similar to #ff for #petrescue peeps
#fb highlights it is on or related to Facebook. (@facebook S/O directly to Facebook the company.)

#rugby is obvious for tracking rugby comments

#rwc is rugbyworld cup

#occupy is for the Occupy Movement

#teaparty is for the Tea Party

#gapol is a tag for people following political activity in Georgia. #dnc #gop etc..

#petrescue is hashtag for people tuning into conversations related to the hashtag.

#animalrescue is another.. but it's longer and less used.those tuned into #petrescue will not necessarily hashtagged posts with #animalrescue and vice versa. To be seen by both both hashtags would have to be present. Sometimes it is good to pick one or other, both, or post twice with two different hashtags. there is no one right answer here.

To focus the use of a Hashtag.. a user could Suggest as follows:

rt @seprr USA Rescuers Why waste characters on hashtags? Use #petrescue instead of

#animalrescue to focus the resq convo!

We also regularly post this Tweet to remind rescuers and ReTweeters so all the posts lead to trending our rescue topics.. and thereby getting a HUGE "long-tail" (forgive the pun) or "splash"-effect into new audiences.


^TREND^ ResQ Posts: Use  #petrescue #animalcontrol #pts #euthanize #occupy #animalcontrol #homelesspet #state #city via @seprr


Translated: Increase Topic Trending Statistics to increase visibility of your own posts by using the following Hashtags to focus the conversation around these hashtag meme/topic areas #hashtag1 #hashtag2 etc etc.


Schedule this announcement to go out a few times a week so the #hashtag gets established in the topic community.

Lesson 6: Social Media Aggregators or "Dashboards"

Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Seesmic, & other related services allow a social media manager to control all the various social media assets in oen dashboard. Hootsuite allows Teams to share SM Assets. The other two Tweetdeck and Seesmic are for one user managing personal SM Assets and few other SM items.

Personally, I pay to use Hootsuite to manage my tweets.. for several reasons, but the leading reason is that I can pre-schedule tweets to post from an unlimited # of twitter accounts.. with the click of the button. Hootsuite also has a wide range of social media service providers to use. Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, MySpace, LinkedIn. etc.

Pre-Scheduling Posts

So.. These posts are for the PBR #petrescue event example from above.

I schedule these to go out on various Twitter accounts and Fan Pages, and FB User Profiles.

Just 2 wks away! Join as @atlpetresq  @steamhouseloung &; @pabstblueribbon PBR for Pups Benefithttp://on.fb.me/angelsevents #atl #petrescue via @seprr

This Weekend! @atlpetresq  #petrescue ADOPTIONS @ THE AVENUE in @cityofmarietta (E Cobb)http://on.fb.me/angelsevents #atl #petrescue via @seprr

Today! @atlpetresq #petrescue ADOPTIONS @ THE AVENUE in @cityofmarietta (E Cobb)http://on.fb.me/angelsevents #atl #petrescue via @seprr

Hapnin NOW! @atlpetresq #petrescue ADOPTIONS @ THE AVENUE in @cityofmarietta (E Cobb)http://on.fb.me/angelsevents #atl #petrescue via @seprr

#atl is geo-location tag

@seprr is the org who promotes rescues in SM, handling a lot of @angelsrescue social media strat, and their day to day posting. @seprr should be referenced. As the @seprr network grows,@seprr can drive rescue interested audiences to other rescues in need of visibility.

Lesson 7

Shortened & Reusable Links

Shortened Links (bit.ly is a good one) allow a degree of visibility of how many click thrus for a link, who is clicking, from where, and usually their twitter accounts and FB usernames can be tracked. Yep.. big brother. ALL link shortners have some level of this functionality.

Resusable Links are easier to manage. Rinse and Repeat. http://on.fb.me/angelsevents is a re-usable link to any event posted on @atlpetresq 's fan page.. the user lands on the events page, will see all the other events along with this one, and then can easily pick from a wider range of events as well as rsvp for this one.

Lesson 8: Other odds n ends

Lists are useful to track people who RT your posts, who generally support what you support, are a source of good posts for you to RT, etc. Use them. Obvious Lists to create and maintain are donors, sponsors, media, volunteers. Those users listed can be seen by others as having been listed by your account. Gives street cred to that User since someone else has listed them.

wefollow.com is a very useful way to manage your twitter visibility. Just visit the site and follow the instructions. Only specific advice to consider: Select the Tags with the highest user numbers associated.