- Organization Name:
- Saving Shelter Pets, Inc
- Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
- This is a large 2 x 3 foot poster that we display at our nonprofit booth at festivals and other fundraising events. We have also used this design on t-shirts and other items for sale in our CafePress store. It's a powerful poster that tends to grab people's attention with the shock that these adorable little puppies pictured in the poster were scheduled to be killed. The myth still exists that only old, sick, or aggressive shelter animals are killed, when in fact, millions of young, healthy, good-natured pets also face an untimely death.
- What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
- Pet overpopulation is a huge problem in the US with millions of dogs and cats being euthanized each year in overcrowded shelters. Animal adoption is a great way to save the lives of many of these animals, but spay and neuter is the only long-term proactive solution to make a real difference in euthanasia statistics. Education is key in getting more people to understand the importance of spay & neuter and how they can make a difference in the pet overpoulation problem.
- How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
- It's difficult to pinpoint exactly how effective this poster has been or how many pets have been spayed/neutered as a result, but I have seen the effect it has on individuals who view it at our festival booths. People will walk by, do a double-take, come back to view the poster, and express their disbelief of how many homeless animals are euthanized each year. This in turn opens up a discussion where we can educate individuals on the importance of spay & neuter in controlling pet overpopulation. So many people do not realize how just one unfixed animal can potentially create thousands of puppies or kittens in just a few short years.
