Animal Welfare Professionals

Our small foster based rescue is putting together a "May The Fourth Be With You" adoption event (on May 4th natch) and I am looking for ideas and suggestions for VERY low cost ideas. I just created our Facebook event and we will also promote on Twitter, Instagram, and NextDoor. We nabbed a cute meme with a black cat dressed as Darth Vader (I imagine most of you have seen it on Facebook at some point) and are working a black cat reduced adoption fee special fitting with the meme.  We have enough "geeky" volunteers (I'm one so it's ok for me to say that) to have some props we can use for photos to promote heading up to it. 

I just need more ideas on how to make it a little more than "just" an adoption event. We have trouble getting people to this location without puppies (we likely still will have at least a few by then) so I am hoping to have a good draw that fits with the theme. Costume contest? Like all small rescues (I think?) we struggle for donations so anything costly is not going to work.

Thanks for any suggestions or ideas! 

https://www.facebook.com/WAGSAnimalRescue/

Yay! It's on Saturday this year which gives you lots of flexibility. Do you have a Petco near you? They just had a Stars Wars themed merchandise push and most of it local to me is either 75% off or being donated to rescues. Might check with your local store and see what's left over...collars, leashes, costumes, beds, toys etc. were included in the theme. I'm thinking you might offer a variety of activities that appeal to a variety of interests... wish list shower, educational presentations, kids activities (lots of humane education resources with downloadable content available online), Star Wars trivia contest ...maybe use day to encourage visitors and community support versus just focusing on adoptions? I'm sure some visitors will come for that purpose anyway but others might happen organically? Might also grow volunteers and advocates! <3

So far we are adding into the mix a Star Wars themed pet costume contest. Thanks for the tip on the Petco stuff! We actually have a few Star Wars things we have gotten from them in the past, but that could make for a great raffle basket. Tempted to get a Jedi robe and make my husband wear it and pose for pictures. 

Trying to think of what community push or promotion would best tie in with the theme. We are foster exclusively so this isn't at a shelter but instead a local pet supply shoppe we visit frequently. Thinking if I could get a good fostering tie in going that would be amazing. 

May the foster be with you?

May the fur be with you?

I'm thinking you could wear the Princess Leia gold bikini outfit & get LOTS of fosters! LOLOLOLOL ;-)

Have you seen these?

https://barkpost.com/humor/dog-star-wars-may-the-fourth/

Do you have any volunteers who are also photographers (or even just do it as a hobby?) You can offer professional pet portraits as part of your event. I think you can set the donation from anywhere between $25-$50 depending on what the photographer is willing to do ie will he or she provide all the photos, do any retouching? Since you already have a lot of props, you can add those to the photos if they'd like. Hopefully this will bring out people that already have pets and aren't looking to adopt. 

You can also see if the pet store you're having it at is willing to offer you a % of sales. You can use that in your promotion, too. 

Do you have any ewok-y looking dogs right now? You can use them in the promo materials. 

Can you offer a reduced adoption fee for cats and dogs older than 4?

We do have some photographers in the group, but we have actually tried with the photo shoot idea twice now at this location and not had a single person show up for it or want to do it. Not saying it isn't a great idea, but it doesn't appear to be the locale for it.

And no ewoks- honestly they go like hotcakes in this area. 

We are doing $10 adoption on black cats, and we already have "bargain" pricing on older dogs.  So we are definitely trying to up our promo game to even just get people talking about it.