It’s official: Pets for Life has launched our Shelter Animal Ambassador Program!
As a means to help spread awareness of shelter animals, this program has two main objectives: to Educate and Advocate.
These objectives can easily be applied as steps to follow as an ambassador, directly targeting the issues we see as an animal shelter.
So, what issue is this program aiming to solve?
From overpopulation and animal health issues to stigmas or unintentional ignorance, this program only aims to catalyse a solution; to bring awareness to the issues many may not know shelter animals face, and create a larger societal shift in the treatment and views of shelter animals.
We believe anyone can be an ambassador with the right heart. Anything you truly believe in, or are passionate about, you should not hide away from. So, in the barest of definitions, this ambassador program is to help guide people with a love of animals to create a kinder world for them to be in.
If you think you are someone that has animals taking up a small place in their heart or a pet at home that you know has so much more than their brothers and sisters, keep reading and consider becoming an ambassador today.
What is a shelter ambassador?
We have defined a shelter ambassador as being based on two things, someone who cares and someone who has a voice.
Anyone who cares about animals, particularly those animals who may find themselves in a shelter, can be an ambassador. Similarly, anyone who is willing to have their voice heard, even if it’s just telling a friend, can be an ambassador.
Both are required to be shelter ambassadors, and we know both are already among so many kind-hearted people.
All done in your own time whenever you have a free moment, shelter ambassadors focus on educating themselves to be able to educate their community. Shelter ambassadors will also have model ambassadors to assist through Instagram and other platforms, providing inspiration for community engagement and/or further education.
Why be a shelter ambassador?
As mentioned, the outcome targeted by this program is better education of animal shelters and their occupants. In strengthening the connection between shelters and the public, solutions surrounding issues like overpopulation or breeders may be found and enacted upon as a more unified society.
In being a shelter ambassador, you get to help guide the information being shared with your community and be part of the call to help for shelter animals.
Animal shelters, specifically no-kill shelters, are integral to the wellbeing and containment of undomesticated animals, but shelters can only do so much. It is up to ambassadors to educate the public and help dissolve the many stigmas around shelter pets. It is up to you to help create the loving environment all animals deserve.
How do you become a shelter ambassador?
Firstly, and this is considered the most important step, educate yourself.
This may include reading the educational content we and other reliable sources make, or interacting with our content on Instagram (@petsforlifebillinudgel1). We will be asking what you and your community need more information/ resources on, so communicate with us via Q&A’s, polls and other methods we will provide so we can see directly what is needed.
Then, spread your awareness to educate others.
Share your experience with shelter animals/ as a shelter adopter by using the hashtags #adoptdontshop and #petsforlifeambassador on social media.
Need an idea? We’d love to hear the story of your shelter pet.
Don’t have a shelter pet? No problem! You (or anyone) can still be an ambassador. You can still interact and share the Pets for Life content we put out there, broadening the number of people and communities who have access to it.
There is also more you can do for your community than just social media representation. Look to our model ambassadors for support on this, such as making speeches in schools or volunteering at your local animal shelter.
For those with access to social media, please tag us and share your actions! We’d love to see and share your impacts. Who knows, maybe you’ll become a model ambassador yourself and appear on our social media pages.
We can’t wait to see the good you do, best of luck ambassadors!