Saving Lives Through Social Media

Huey the dog owes his life to Facebook. 

Huey had a rough start in life — he was an 11-month-old pit-bull-type dog picked up in Los Angeles. Thousands of friendly pit bulls just like Huey are picked up every day in communities across America, and all too many never find homes. Huey seemed destined for the same fate; because of a lack of space, if Huey wasn't adopted, he was to be put down at 5 p.m. 

Luckily for Huey, a mere 10 minutes before his young life was to come to an untimely end, Sean Davis of L&J Gardens in Virgina Beach, Va., decided to check his Facebook page. He saw the plea about Huey's plight with the pup's photo. Sean responded that he would take the dog in a heartbeat if he were closer. Game on for the rescuers scouring the social network! Huey had a chance — now it was time to mobilize.

As soon as Sean hit "Enter," Facebook folks were working to halt Huey's destruction and arrange for his salvation. They would get the playful pup to Virginia Beach. Although Sean was nervous when he learned they had accepted his generous offer, he knew he did the right thing by committing to save the dog's life.

Huey's story attests to the special power of Facebook. Sites such as Petfinder are wonderful if you are in the market for a companion. And I find the funny  photos of adoptable dogs that WoofSLC posts and the video clips Animal Farm Foundation has on its web site to be great examples of marketing. The urgent pleas are always heartfelt. I'm also truly amazed by the videos aimed at getting special-needs animals adopted from Best Friends Animal Society.

But Facebook is unique. I find the site much more innovative and personal: The dog actually shows up on my page unbidden. Just by looking at the posts on my Facebook page, it's clear that hundreds of folks are stepping up and doing the right thing by encouraging their friends to adopt — not buy — a dog. At times, I find a story so compelling that I share it with my "friends," hoping someone will do the right thing and step forward. For the photos and short stories I've been particularly moved by, I even attempt to find out what happened to that friendly, smiling dog or cat. Was he a survivor like Huey or a statistic?

The photo and the earnest plea certainly worked out well for both Huey and Sean Davis. After Huey flew from L.A. to Norfolk, thanks to a Delta Airlines program, he arrived in the arms of the Davis clan — a mere six days after the Facebook message was posted. Huey is now a full-fledged member of the Davis family. Evidently, he has even won over Tsunami, the family cat.

Social-networking sites like Facebook and the animal-focused Best Friends Network are making it easier for shelter animals to be seen by a larger pool of adopters. Grassroots networking is key to achieving our goal of No More Homeless Pets. Let's share and encourage our friends to find a furry friend via the internet.

Photo Credit: Ed Fritz & Pinky at adoption event, by Melissa Lipani