The ABCs of Adoption Ambassadors

A) Empowers fosters to find adopters for the dogs in their care
B) Keeps dogs out of the shelter while the adoption process is underway
C) Expands shelter walls and creates community awareness in new sectors

Research conducted by the ASPCA has shown that this program reaches a different group of people than those who actually visit a shelter. And Adoption Ambassador dogs – who wear "Adopt Me" vests – have their own unique visual appeal, which generates new buzz.

The Program's Birth

The Adoption Ambassador program was developed at the Louisiana SPCA as part of the 2010 ASPCA $100K Challenge. Louisiana knew it had wonderful dogs up for adoption – but as is true in so many shelters, adoptive families were hard to find.

The program started out small, working with seasoned volunteers. But as homes for more and more dogs were found through the program – which is called Fast Track at the Louisiana SPCA – it was expanded and new Adoption Ambassadors were recruited throughout the community.

Over time the program gained momentum because it engaged the community, volunteers, and staff on a whole new level.

• The community rallied around a program that let dogs be adopted at local parks or coffee shops.
• Volunteers supported the program because it gave their favorite dogs new chances of finding homes.
• Staff members wholeheartedly supported the program because it allowed them to take ownership of the outcome of one dog at a time – and offered the promise of a happy ending.

Dogs placed into the Adoption Ambassador program had a return rate of 2 percent, compared to 10 percent for the control group. Researchers also found that dogs placed into the program reached a new audience: A whopping 70 percent of the people who adopted through the Adoption Ambassador program had never adopted before. They were also located in different areas of the city than those who adopted from the shelter.

Ready to learn more? Read how it works here
How do you get there? Read the step-by-step process