Video stories reported and produced by McKenzie Muskett and Julio Martinez. Web editing by Rayna Kanas and Jessica Perlaza Medina.
Viral videos help SPCA Tampa Bay
When it comes to pets, Tampa Bay animal shelters are converting likes and shares into saving lives.
SPCA Tampa Bay has used the internet’s love of furry friends to encourage pet adoption by posting to their social media platforms. With 4,000 followers, 17,000 likes and a viral video under their belt, the Hillsborough County shelter has seen a difference in adoption rates, all thanks to their social media influence.
“Sometimes the first thing they say when they walk through the door is I saw this cat or this baby guinea pig on your social media or online and I’m here to meet it,” says Ashley Rafferty, SPCA Tampa’s digital marketing and social media manager. “It actually feels really good.”
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, national pet adoption rates have skyrocketed, much of it due to social media advertising. According to an ASPCA study, pet adoption rates have increased by 66% because of social media. One in five households have rescued an animal, and 86% of the shelters said that their use of social media helped raise awareness of their organization as a whole.
Over on SPCA Tampa Bay’s Facebook and Instagram they have a weekly feature called Walk Through Wednesday, where the adoptable animals are showcased in small video clips.
If you’d like to learn more about SPCA Tampa Bay, adopt a pet or get involved, you can visit their website.
Tampa therapy animals help those in need with Paws for Friendship
When it comes to furry friends, Paws for Friendship knows the power their love can have on others.
The nonprofit was founded in 1993 after Jennie, a Great Dane puppy, came into founder Jan Schmidt’s life. Since then, the organization has expanded worldwide, bringing therapy animals to those in need, and allowing everyone to feel the power of puppy love.
“We have paws to read where students will actually go to a library and students will spend time reading to the dogs to get over their anxieties,” said Alicia Young, a volunteer. “We also offer services to victims of trauma and abuse. We also offer stress relief to college students during exam time.”
Though founded in Omaha, Nebraska, the nonprofit now has its headquarters in Tampa. They say that their organization is founded on the basis of continuing on the legacy of Jennie, the original therapy dog in their founder’s life.
“We’re just looking, when we go into those facilities, to put a smile on somebody’s face and let them feel the love of our animals.”
For more information on Paws for Friendship and how to get involved, visit the group’s website.
