ONLINE SUCCESS FOR NEW MEDIA MUTTS
09 August 2010
National dog welfare charity Dogs Trust has found homes for an incredible 25 canine residents in the past six months alone through social networking.
Dogs Trust launched its new website early in 2010 and, with over 100,000 Facebook fans and almost 15,000 Twitter followers, using social networks to further showcase specific dogs was an obvious step.
Jacqui O’Beirne, Digital Marketing Manager, explains:
“The main aim of our online activity is to raise awareness of Dogs Trust. Our fans and followers are a very active bunch online and as they are all dog lovers it made sense to promote our rehoming appeals on our social networking sites as well as through traditional media.
It has been hugely successful with over 25 dogs finding loving homes through the online appeals so far this year.”
Across the charity’s 17 Rehoming Centres specific members of staff are responsible for taking video and photos of the dogs, which are then posted, and linked to, across all networks to ensure as many people as possible see the dogs featured.
Jacqui continues:
“Just a couple of weeks ago a gorgeous German Shepherd called Jake was rehomed from our Salisbury Rehoming Centre following a video appeal we posted on YouTube. It was viewed 359 times and the link on Facebook received 328 ‘likes’ as well as 144 comments.
Social media is a brilliant way of reaching new people, and video is especially valuable as it enables us to show off our dogs’ wonderful characters.”
Dogs Trust adds new appeals on a daily basis and a video of Bouncer, a doggy resident of Dogs Trust Kenilworth who is in need of a home, can be viewed here.
The friendly and lively ex-racing Greyhound would suit a home with children over six years old, possibly with a female canine companion.
Anyone interested in giving a loving home to a Dogs Trust dog should visit the website at www.dogstrust.org.uk to find their nearest Rehoming Centre or call the charity on 020 7837 0006.
ENDS
Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity with 17 Rehoming Centres across the UK.
Notes to editors
• Dogs Trust social network details:
o www.facebook.com/DogsTrust
o www.twitter.com/dogstrust
o www.youtube.com/user/DogsTrust
o www.bebo.com/dogstrust
o www.myspace.com/officialdogstrust
• Dogs Trust digital and rehoming centre staff are available for interviews.
For images or interviews please contact
Krystyna McGrath Press Officer
0207 833 7616 krystyna.mcgrath@dogstrust.org.uk
Katy Heaphy Press Officer
0207 833 7692 kathryn.heaphy@dogstrust.org.uk