For the year 2001, the SPCA of Texas has set a goal of 5,000 cat and dog adoptions--42% of these placements are to be through offsite adoptions alone. Because of its acknowledged importance to the organization's mission, the Offsite Adoption Program will stand alone as a separate program for the first time next year (rather than as part of the Animal Care and Adoption Center). And yet the Offsite Adoption program really didn't get into full swing until 1995. For secrets of the program's success, Maddie's Fund gave a call to a dynamo named Gloria Meyer. Gloria was the first volunteer to manage the program and today serves as Offsite Adoption Manager.
Q. Gloria, how did this incredible program get rolling?
A. From 1988 to 1994, our offsite adoption program was part of the volunteer program. We primarily went to PetSmart, Petco and other pet supply stores and did about 75 adoptions a year. In 1994 SPCA of Texas Executive Director Warren Cox and I presented a business plan to the Board of Directors to expand our offsite operations and increase resource allocation. Our request was granted and the program really took off the following year. In 1995, we hired an adoption coordinator, increased by more than five-fold our adoptions to 393, traveled to 53 sites and had a gross revenue of $21,000 (which included adoption fees, donations and merchandise sales.)
Q. What was your argument for expanding the program?
A. Many potential adopters do not want to travel to the shelter for a variety of reasons. The main reason is the reputation all shelters have for being dark, depressing places. Other reasons include the migration of people to North Dallas and even further, which can be a lengthy drive people don't want to make. When we take the animals to the people, potential adopters are on familiar territory and do not have to travel much at all. Another incredible advantage for us is that we can take older dogs that would never have been seen but really have wonderful personalities. People could see the animals in a non-shelter environment, spend time with them one-on-one, and the dogs aren't competing with puppies.
Q. So even with more resources, how did you achieve so much growth in your first year?
A. A lot of our growth can be credited to volunteers who opened doors for us at new venues and our willingness and ability to take advantage of these new opportunities. For example, in 1995, volunteer connections got us into the Dallas Home and Garden Show, a festival called Taste Addison, the Plano Balloon Festival, Easter at Lee Park, and many others. We made it a point to really push and go everywhere we were welcomed, and we quickly became very popular. We were immediately deluged with people at these events and were often the biggest draw.
Q. When your program was first getting off the ground, was it totally supported by staff and volunteers?
A. Like any new program, there were some growing pains, but I'm proud to say that today I have an excellent working relationship with the shelter manager, the executive director, and the assistant executive director; we're all on the same page and they've been very supportive. Also, people throughout the shelter see that these animals are being adopted and that the program is really making a huge life-saving difference.
Q. How have your numbers risen since 1995?
A. The easiest was to demonstrate this is with the following statistics:
1995: 393 adoptions, one staff, 2% total adoptions, 53 sites, $21,000 revenue
1996: 817 adoptions, one staff, 10% total adoptions, 80 sites, $97,300 revenue
1997: 1,154 adoptions, two staff, 15% total adoptions, 90 sites, $154,000 revenue
1998: 1,032 adoptions, three staff, 18% total adoptions, 156 sites, $160,722 revenue
1999: 1,627 adoptions, five staff, 24% total adoptions, 152 sites, $276,000 revenue
2000(est.):2,875 adoptions, five staff, 28% total adoptions, 150 sites, $250,000 revenue
Q. Your revenue is unbelievable. Where is it all coming from?
A. From a variety of sources. We generate $46,000 per year from donation canisters alone. Second, adoption fees account for another portion. The fees are $129 for dogs and $99 for cats, and this includes spay/neuter surgery, worming, routine vaccinations, rabies vaccinations, and a heartworm test. Third, we make a lot of money selling merchandise offsite. Logo wear like hats, T-shirts, sports bags, bottles and mugs is popular. I sell a line of recycled rubber products-place mats with matching dog bowls and coasters-that I can't keep in stock. I sell cat and dog toys that you can't find in stores for $6 to $13. I sell collars and leashes. And at the holiday season, I sell cat and dog gift items like picture frames. This year I expect us to gross about $125,000 from merchandise sales. Expenditures forthe offsite program, including a projected staff of eight, are 40-45% of program's gross revenue.
Q. Are there a few special sites that are real winners, and if so, why?
A. The malls are absolutely fantastic because they get so much traffic. We currently go to three different malls in the Dallas area and are often set up for an entire month or more. For example, we were at Northpark Centre, in a very desirable and popular section of Dallas, every weekend in July, where we did 65 adoptions and made $14,000 in revenue. Other great sites are festivals, trade shows; even office buildings can be great. Right now we're at the State Fair of Texas and it looks like it will be a real bonanza because the fair attracts about three million visitors.
Q. We've talked about the fact that offsite adoption programs dramatically increase placements and bring in revenue. Any other benefits?
A. Outreach like this is fantastic for education and public awareness. While we're on site we talk to people constantly, from general discussions about what kind of pet to adopt or when would be a good time to adopt, to spay/neuter questions, to more specific questions about the various programs and services of the SPCA of Texas. Obviously, one of the prerequisites for this program is having staff or volunteers who are knowledgeable about the organization so they can answer all these questions. And of course, the public awareness of your organization is priceless. I estimate that this year, five million people will see the SPCA of Texas. And you never know what it will lead to. Not long ago, two ladies who has seen our site at Northpark Centre each wrote use a check for $100,000 so that we could buy two 37-foot-long offsite adoption shuttle buses. These buses will have everything built in so that all we have to do is go to a site, open the door, and be ready for business.
Q. How do you publicize your program and your different locations?
A. Basically, I do almost no paid advertising. If we're going to a mall, for example, the mall will do most of the promotion for us. When we go to office buildings, we'll go two to three days in advance and put up a sign that says "The SPCA of Texas will be visiting your building on such and such day and time" and place it on an easel in a prime location. We also ask building newsletters to promote our arrival. At trade shows, we're listed in the programs. Our publicity department also sends listings to local media. Occasionally, we make flyers, and sometimes I'll advertise in the classified under "Pets" to promote a location for the weekend. Next year, we're planning to do a lot more promotion of offsite events on our website, www.spca.org/events.cfm.
Q. Can you give me a brief description of how your program operates?
A. We usually do offsite events on Saturday and Sunday and sometimes during the week. However, with the addition of our two mobile buses, we plan to be on the road at least five days a week. Many weekends we have two different events and sometimes three. We go out in two vans, one for the animals (transported in crates) and one for merchandise. We may take as many as twenty to twenty-five animals, maybe twelve to fifteen dogs and four to five cats. It takes about 30 minutes to set up the animals (displayed in folding cages made by Precision Pet Products) and one hour to set up our merchandise display. We usually do adoptions from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. but are flexible and set our schedule to accommodate our host. If it's a first time visit to a location, we may do twenty adoptions the first day, and we generally sell $600 to $1,500 in merchandise per day.
Q. Do you ever run out of animals?
A. We actually do. For example, every year from mid-November to early January we set up an adoption pavilion at Northpark Centre in Dallas. Even though we did 389 adoptions in 42 days, it's still hard to have all the small dogs and kittens people want.
Q. What are your biggest problems today?
A. Finding good staff that I can afford and finding more volunteers. As we expand the program, this is a challenge I will have to overcome.
Q. Finally, in your opinion, what are the five most important things to remember in creating a successful offsite adoption program?
A. 1. Don't say, "I can't do that because-" because you can! Don't limit yourself to where you go or when you go. Don't turn anything down just because you think it may be hard or pose challenges. Take advantage of your opportunities. The sky is the limit!
2. Make your site look as good and as professional as you can. Don't set up beat-up cages and place too many animals inside-it looks bad and you'll get criticized for it. If you can't take a lot of animals and look good on site, take fewer animals.
3. Someone with knowledge and experience must be in charge of the site. They have to know about the organization and be able to answer questions about programs and procedures.
4. Choose animals carefully and make them look as good as you can. Try to take a variety (not 10 black labs, for example), make sure they're bathed and groomed, make sure they can handle the stress of being at your location, and make sure they don't pose a danger to public safety.
5. Show up and be on time-for the sake of the volunteers who are meeting you on site and for the sake of the locations that are hosting you.
For more information about the SPCA of Texas Offsite Adoption Program, you can email Gloria Meyer at gmeyer@spca.org.
