Abandoned Dogs Get Billboard Attention

Posted on: Feb 17th, 2012 | News and Announcements

Mobile County has embarked on a unique marketing trial: it is advertising its real-time animal shelter dogs on an electronic billboard, hoping that some passing motorists will want to make a home for the abandoned animals. ?We want to get our animals adopted and we need the community?s support to do it,? said Mobile County Commissioner Mike Dean. ?This is just another way of communicating to the public.? The billboard only features dogs that actually are available for adoption. The animals share the rotating lineup with up to six other advertisers. Each unique billboard stays up for six seconds. As the dogs are adopted out, they are pulled from the advertisement to make room for a new ?mutt-shot.? ?The County provides animal control services and wants to give the best care possible,? said Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson. The number of abandoned animals in the county has been a pressing issue for years. The Mobile County Animal Shelter takes in more than 8,000 animals a year; but even more of them ? and an increasing number of them ? are relinquished by owners. More than 3,000 are adopted out of the shelter each year. At the same time, the county has established several other approaches to tackle the glut of unwanted animals. Among those, the Mobile County Commission last year approved a new protocol for adoptions that will have the county spaying and neutering animals before they can be adopted out of the county shelter. A partnership with several local veterinarians offers the procedures at a discount. ?A lot of these animals have survived because of the behind-the-scenes efforts of our staff and the local rescue organizations,? said Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood. ?The billboard campaign is just another avenue to improve awareness.? If the marketing efforts prove successful, the County?s animal rescue partners have agreed to help raise funds to sustain the program. ###