Mission Statement
With a statistic of one pet per every three households within New York (specifically Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn) it is only inevitable that this city holds a great deal of uplifting, inspiring tales of pet rescue. It is not uncommon to find yourself talking to a pet owner, whom you’ve merely crossed paths with on the sidewalk and known for just a few minutes, but is nonetheless delighted to share the story of how they rescued or adopted their pet, and explain the cruel conditions from which their pet was saved. These are stories that deserve to be heard in an effort to promote the importance and necessity of adoption.
This blog could spark the interest of a range of readers, from those who are interested in adopting and would like to learn more, to those who have already participated in the adoption process and are supporters of the cause. Who doesn’t enjoy a good success story when it comes to animals? The purpose of each story would not just be to brighten someone’s day with an account of how an innocent animal was saved by a person’s simple act of kindness, but to also act as a gentle push in the right direction for people who would like to make a difference in an animal’s life.
Each post would begin with a focus on a specific story as told by the owner of an adopted pet. It could include ideas such as where his or her pet came from, what conditions the pet was saved from, the overall adoption process, how the pet reacted to a new home and owner, how the pet has transformed, and so on. This would include direct quotes from people, as well as pictures of the pet and their happy owner. The idea is to begin each post with a focused and in depth story, similar to those found on Humans of New York. Instead of dedicating an entire post to just a story from an owner, the blog would only use these stories as a starting point to delve deeper into more factual content. The bulk of each story would consist of statistics and information relevant to adoption in New York, revolving around a central topic that relates back to adoption story told earlier. The posts will be concluded by information that one could utilize in order to obtain information about adoption, as well as places they can visit if they are ready to begin their adoption process.
A blog of this type is necessary because of the fact that it would convey important information regarding pet adoption in New York, while being presented in in the form of and enjoyable, heart-warming personal account of how their pet was able to overcome a harsh upbringing and become a valued member of the family. There are not many other blogs out there that contain as much pertinent information as this one will. The world needs a blog like this in order to demonstrate how meaningful and beneficial adoption could be, which will hopefully in turn compel others to do the same.
There are many other blogs out there devoted to the general topic of pets or animals. Some blogs focus primarily on promoting a single adoption agency, and some exist solely to provide an audience with cute pictures and stories of pets. This blog would be unique in the sense that it would incorporate a mixture of photographs, personal accounts, data and statistics of adoption, and vital information to learn more about adoption in New York. This could be a blog that people turn to for a variety of reasons. Some readers may just be looking for a light-hearted, entertaining read, while other may be people with serious inquiries about pet adoption. If someone is interested in adoption but has their doubts and worries, it may comfort them to read about other who have made the decision to adopt and are very content with the choice they made.
Upon researching other blogs revolving around the same topic, I found some that were similar, but none that were really comparable to the vision I have for this blog. Most of the blogs I found were simple websites created by a pet adoption foundation such as Homeward Pet, Pets Alive, Adopt A Pet, and so on. These blogs in particular are only interested in promoting pet adoption at their own facilities. They feature pets they currently have on site, and limited information on the process of adoption. My blog would go well beyond that. I hope to create an online community of animal lovers and adoption advocates alike.
In all, the ideal blog I wish to create would be both relevant and entertaining. By combining both interesting tales and factual data in one presentable manner, the blog could be a great success. It could have the capability to attract a variety of readers with varied interest. This unique blog could act as a great platform to promote pet adoption throughout New York, benefitting both animals in need and people seeking a loyal companion.
Editorial Plan
The overall aim of this blog is to promote pet adoption in New York while incorporating relevant, factual data revolving around adoption in such a way that is entertaining yet compelling. In order to do so, I will need to actively interview people whose stories of adoption could be featured, as well as do extensive research regarding the facts and figures known about pet adoption in New York. With that said, I think an appropriate name for this blog could be The ManPETtan Project.
As far as the type of content, each blog would begin with a person’s story as a starting point and use this to frame the rest of the piece. The post would continue on to factual reporting relevant to the preceding story. Each post would end with information as to where one could go to learn more about adoption or actually begin the adoption process.
Within just my neighborhood, I have met many people who have adopted and have very interesting stories to tell. I believe that finding people to interview will be fairly easy, as most people are readily willing to give information. I already know several neighbors and relatives who would be more than willing to be featured on the blog. One potential idea I have is to write a piece specifically about puppy mills, as I already know much about this topic because I had a dog that came from a puppy mill, however my family did not find this out until years later. Throughout the entirety of my dog’s life, she had several health problems and passed away at a very early age, which we believe may have been the result of being bred in a puppy mill. Another idea I have is to cover certain events. I’m aware that sometimes North Shore Animal League comes to areas in New York City or states surrounding New York to create pop-up adoption centers in which people can go to see the available pets and adopt one on the spot. I could attend some of these and create blog posts about it, or I could do some sort of live coverage in the form of a tweet. As for other blog posts, I would like to incorporate interviews with people who work for adoption agencies or are in some related field.
As for the multimedia aspect, pictures will definitely be used frequently in order to attract readers. I would like to highlight pictures of animals with their owners. In addition, if people have any pictures from when they first adopted their pet, maybe they would be willing to let me use that to create a “Then and Now” side by side comparison. If this proves successful, I would like to make it a recurring post to show how many animals’ lives have been significantly improved since being adopted. I believe videos would also be powerful if I could get the opportunity to take videos at certain shelters.
I feel as though social media outlets would be extremely useful and effective for a blog of this type just due to its nature. Many people spend time scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram when they are bored but would pause if they saw an image of some cute animal. A picture is a useful way to draw attention, but it would include a follow through link leading the reader to the actual blog post. On Facebook, I would try to make the blog interactive by holding contests. Each week these contests would be themed, and would encourage readers to submit their own stories based on the topic at hand. I would then choose the winner each week and feature them in a “Guest Writer” blog post. I would also like to hold similar contests on Instagram each week. At the beginning of each week I would announce a hashtag (such as #MyFavoriteToy, #AWalkInThePark, and so on) and people could post their photos with the hashtag. From there I could pick a few finalists and post the pictures on the Instagram page to have followers like the picture they think is the best. In doing so, I hope to gain more readership and followers.
In an ideal world, I think one solid blog post a day with several smaller updates in between would be effective, however for this class I don’t think it’s realistic. Since I am working by myself, it will some take time to interview pet owners, adoption agency representatives, and shelter workers. The statistical research aspect of this blog would be a bit quicker and simpler, as most of this information can be readily found online. In all though, I think I will be able to achieve most goals I have set for myself in creating this blog.