My First Rescue Pet

My First Rescue Pet

When young adults go off to find a place of their own, many choose to fill the new space by getting a pet. Unfortunately, animal rescue resources tend to pitch to people who are either far-left activists (exclusively vegan, etc), or much older than my college aged peers (parents with families). While targeting these two groups is one strategy for securing homes for homeless animals, it leaves my demographic bracket, young mostly mainstream pet owners, unaddressed. Because of this, many young adults remain ignorant and continue to support puppy mills and unethical breeders when they obtain pets. This support can lead them to buy pets instead of to rescue and thus contributes to the unnecessary euthanasia, homelessness, and general mistreatment of companion animals.

Resources Inadequately Addressing Target Group

• http://www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdRescue is not scannable and features images of older women and families. 
• http://www.feralfriends.org/ does a good job of organizing its information, but features events and images centered around older adults with children
• http://www.peta.org/ espouse an all-or-nothing approach to animal stewardship, alienating many potential rescuers.
• http://www.peta2.com/ successfully targets my age group, alienates people who wear/eat animal products. 
• http://www.aspca.org/ great resource that lacks a section addressing young adults.

How This Blog Will Help

I want to curtail this trend of misinformation and unethical purchasing behavior with my blog, My First Rescue Pet. By combining persuasive, accurate information with up-to-date tips and trends, I will craft a concise, accessible, fun blog resource aimed at young adults that teaches the merits of adopting versus purchasing a companion animal. This blog will provide resources on animal selection, pet preparation, activism, and global animal stewardship all in a voice that the teens and twenties set can relate to. There are resources out there and blogs about adopting, however, none are zeroed in on this subject for this audience like mine will be. I will post twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday evenings so that my post can be considered and commented on by my readers throughout the week. Encouraging readers to become part of the discussion will be a key element of this blog.

I know I am a good candidate for producing and curating this resource as I have personally spent my life working for this cause by both putting in volunteer hours with rescue groups and being pet parent to many cats, dogs, and various small pets that would have otherwise gone on without a home. As a twenty-two year old college student heavily involved in many internet communities, I feel that my writing style would be ideal for a blog targeted at young people who think in the language of the web. This project will ultimately lead to a more informed readership, an end to unethical breeding practices, and translate into more rescues and adoptions.

References
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ASPCA. www.aspca.org
Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance. Feral Friends. www.feralfriends.org
Good Shepard Rescue of North Texas. www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdRescue
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA. www.peta.com
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA 2. www.peta2.com