Pupper Bowl

In honor of the Atlanta Falcons' second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, I wanted to refresh our memories with ads containing dogs from previous Super Bowls. Here is a list of my top five Super Pup Bowl commercials:

(You may want to grab a box of tissues before you hit play)

"Get a Dog" - Pedigree (2009)

"Wiener Stampede" - Heinz (2016)

"Dog Tested" - Subaru (2016)

"Lost Dog" - Budweiser (2015)

"Puppy Love" - Budweiser (2014)

I know I said I was only going to include previous Super Bowl ads with dogs in them, but this last one really encompasses all the feelings and is an important message to remember.

"Someone Waits for You At Home" - Budweiser

Also, don't forget to tune in to the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet before the Super Bowl this coming Sunday February 5th at 3pm. Check out the starting lineup and any other information you may need regarding the Puppy Bowl here. Which pups are in your starting lineup for the Puppy Bowl fantasy game?

Guide Dog Foundation

Continuing with my theme from last week, using digital media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, can extend a company or anyone's reach significantly, specifically when it comes to dogs. Last week I focused on adopting from local shelters, such as the Athens Area Humane Society. This week, I'm going to shift gears a little bit and talk about an organization that has a big piece of my heart, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind (GDF). I recently raised Jetta, a golden retriever puppy, for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and could not be more proud of all she has accomplished and will continue to accomplish during these next few months of final training before she is matched with her future handler. 

Over the last several years, service dog awareness has increased tremendously and is continuing to increase. One of the main reasons for this increase in awareness is due to the fact that many more people are using service dogs. Another reason, the one I'm going to focus on, is GDF's ever increasing presence on social media. From their Instagram to their Facebook page, GDF is constantly posting pictures and articles about what the foundation does and how they do it.

Recently, GDF used Facebook's live feature and live streamed a video featuring Hallie Wells, GDF's Puppy Program Manager, talking about the volunteer puppy raising program and answered any questions people posted throughout the live stream. I felt like this was a great way for GDF to stay connected with its followers, especially since Hallie was able to answer questions as people asked them. In addition to GDF's constant presence on Facebook, a lot of people currently raising puppies for GDF create Instagram accounts for their pup. Jetta had one (@jetta_futureguidedog), and I still use it to post updates whenever I get them from her trainer in New York.

Furthermore, the Guide Dog Foundation's sister program, America's VetDogs (AVD), has been in the spotlight  because the Today Show is sponsoring Charlie, a black lab, to be raised as a service dog for a veteran once his training is complete. The amount of exposure the Guide Dog Foundation and America's VetDogs has received is overwhelming; as a result, awareness about both of these incredible programs has skyrocketed. The Today Show posts pictures on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook of Charlie with celebrities and other people who appear on the show every day, which continues to drive traffic back to GDF and AVD. This traffic is incredibly important because it teaches people about the organizations and their purpose.

Finding a "Fur"ever Home Through Social Media

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of animals being adopted, and part of that increase is due to humane societies’ social media platforms. A lot of people like pages on Facebook for humane societies near where they live and other animal rescue groups. As a result, these people's news feeds are flooded with adorable pictures of dogs and cats searching for their "fur"ever home. 

Throughout the adoption process, people are asked how they found out about the specific dog or cat they are inquiring about, and an answer that is growing in popularity is through social media. The Athens Area Humane Society constantly posts pictures of dogs and cats available for adoption on their Facebook page and Instagram account; thus, whoever is following the Athens Area Humane Society sees the posts and shares them.

I think a large part of the reason social media is helping to increase the number of animals adopted is because of how easy it is for people to share the animals up for adoption with their friends and family. If I share a picture the Athens Area Humane Society posted about a dog up for adoption, the Athens Area Humane Society's reach increases. Now, factor in 15-20 shares. The reach the Athens Area Humane Society and other pages in general have the possibility to achieve is incredible.

Before the Internet, if someone wanted to adopt an animal, he/she had to physically go to the humane society/local shelter/wherever and look at the available pets in person. A lot of the time, he/she may have gone home empty-handed. However, nowadays it's incredibly simple and convenient to look through pets that are available for adoption from the comfort of your own couch. Then, the only thing someone has to do is fill out an application online. Not only does this save a lot of time, it also enables people to share certain animals with friends and family that they otherwise couldn't. For example, I'm currently looking to adopt a dog because I recently raised a guide dog for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and I want to have a dog of my own now. My friends know this; as a result, whenever they see a dog they think I would like on the Athens Area Humane Society's Facebook page or Instagram, they comment with my name so I will see it. 

Additionally, through the use of Facebook and Instagram and other social media platforms, I can look for dogs that are up for adoption outside of Georgia, which I would not be able to do unless I visited the shelters in person. I think, at times, social media can have a negative association because of cyber-bullying and the spread of fake news, but, at the same time, it can also be used for good.

If you're like me and are searching for your new best friend, consider looking at fur babies available at the Athens Area Humane Society!