On Sunday, Nov. 29, millions of television viewers will learn about a new holiday pet-fostering program. An announcement after the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of “A Dog Named Christmas” on CBS will direct viewers to Petfinder.com to find shelters and rescue groups in their areas who are participating in the Foster a Lonely Pet program. We invite you to take part.
Why should I participate?
- A unique opportunity to connect with your community
- A way to start a fostering program or develop new foster families
- A way to promote your adoptable pets
How does the program work?
- You register with Petfinder as an official “Foster A Lonely Pet for the Holidays” site. Your shelter contact information for the program will be on the Petfinder Web site. Potential foster families will contact you.
- Petfinder will provide you with free support materials, including sample forms, logos, answers to frequently asked questions and more.
- CBS, Hallmark Hall of Fame and Random House will advertise the program, whenever possible, in their nationwide marketing efforts for the movie and the book.
- The first 200 shelters to register will receive either a free "A Dog Named Christmas" DVD or book, compliments of Hallmark Hall of Fame and Random House.
- Hallmark Hall of Fame will announce the program when the movie airs on Sunday, November 29, on CBS. The announcement will encourage the public to foster a lonely pet for the holidays and direct them to Petfinder.com to locate the nearest participating shelter or rescue group.
What’s involved?
Petfinder.com will get the ball rolling by making it easy for interested individuals to search for a participating organization, but you can help increase the publicity.
- Alert your local newspapers by sending them a press release. You can use this sample press release as a starting point.
- Contact the CBS affiliate in your area and let the News Director know about the program.
- If several organizations in your area are participating, consider having a joint press conference to benefit the animal welfare community.
- Email your supporters to spread the word. Get the buzz going around town.
Evaluation
At the end of the program, we will collect:
- number of pets fostered
- number of adoptions from foster
- any helpful suggestions to improve the program for next year
More about "A Dog Name Christmas,"
based on the book by Greg Kincaid
When Todd McCray, a developmentally-challenged young man still living on his parents’ Kansas farm, hears that a local animal shelter is seeking temporary homes for its dogs during the days leading to Christmas, he knows exactly what he wants for the holidays. His father objects, but Todd’s persistence quickly wins out. Soon the McCrays are the short-term foster family for a lovable pooch the young man names Christmas. But what about all the other dogs who will be forced to spend the Yuletide season in cages? In the days that follow, Todd uses his special gifts of persuasion to encourage his hometown to participate in the “Adopt a Dog for Christmas Program.” What follows from his small act of kindness will teach his family, and his community, about peace on Earth and goodwill toward men – and animals.
