Rescues who use Facebook?

[Guest]

I think the benefit of facebook is the share option. if you have an event or  particular cat, ask your friends to share the message, then their friends get to see it on their wall. You have 10 friends that all have 100 people on their list, by them sharing it that is potentially a 1000 new people that may have seen your original message.

[SamMewl]

Haworth Cat Rescue at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haworth-Cat-Rescue/24720682524?ref=mf
and as a 'person' ...haworth cat !!
http://www.facebook.com/haworthcatrescue

We have found it useful for things like advertising fundraising events and is used and appreciated as a way of people sharing pictures of cats they have adopted in their new homes with our volunteers (we include a facebook business card for haworth the cat with our adoption packs). I think there was at least one instance of a facebook friend then coming and adopting a cat from us.

[madkittyrescue]

we have a facebook page... really I'd say it totally depends on what you want to achieve from it.... we have turned ours into a little friendly community page and it works brilliantly for keeping in touch, PR, etc.

this is ours if you want a peek...  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunny-Harbour-Cat-Kitten-Rescue/27992174999

At the end of the day its not going to work miracles but it does help and we've found it a great tool for keeping in touch with the surrounding community, adoptees and generally spreading the word.

[Angiew]

We have a page though I'm not sure how useful it is at present.
There is a way you can feed stuff automatically from the website, spoke to someone else who had done this. TBH, I don't want to spend time duplicating updates to the website on FB as well as photoframes - but then maybe I'm just lazy...

[west0405]

I think it is a brilliant idea. I'm on Facebook and have 'liked' or become 'friends' with a few rescue's pages. Its great to hear about not just cats up for adoption but for upcoming events and fundraising etc. I have introduced many friends to rescue via Facebook who sadly have never even considered rescuing!

[Gillian Harvey]

Our rescue has a FB page  (Cats Action Trust N&W Wilts) It was my idea and guess who got lumbered with setting it up and maintaining it lol! Not really lumbered, I DID offer  and I enjoy it, although we 've  only in the past few months set it up and it remains to be seen how it will work for us, but we've used it to advertise for new fosterers and also to try and encourage people to join as a 'friend' of C.A.T, plus also to advertise our lovely cats for rehoming of course  .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cats-Action-Trust-N-W-Wilts/118979678161057

[thekittensmittens]

although im not a rescue myself i do have a facebook page as I work part time as a fashion blogger for a major online retailer. Facebook is great at spreading information fast and getting it across to others interested in the topic you wish to promote.
I am a "fan" of a few local rscues who are on facebook too, they share new residents, their past rehoming sucesses come on to .be shown by their new owners etc. also its good for spreading the word on upcoming events at the rescue, and generally informing people what its all about.
one thing i do suggest is the use of competitions which really is popular on facebook- the prize doesnt need to cost, it could be to be the face of the webpage or something. people love this kind of thing!

[Yvonne]

This is the Mann Cat Sanctuary

http://www.facebook.com/nikki.rushin/posts/10150276069667942#!/MannCatSanctuary

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Thanks you guys!

I've passed on these comments to our co-ordinator and we already have a volunteer who could update it and so I very much feel that we've nothing to lose!

Hopefull WharfeValley will soon be on Facebook!

[Ann Clarke (Tabby cat)]

We have one for Gateshead CP and it has proved very popular. As well as somewhere for us to post we also get lots of people posting who have rehomed cats from us which is great as we can see how the cats are doing and people can see how rehoming a rescue cat can be so rewarding. I would certainly recommend it.

[Liz]

Most of the CP groups have one and they put the cats for homing, events, neutering campaigns and updates for homed cats

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Thanks so much - great to hear a success story!

Our branch actually covers Bradford as well (for neutering) and so it's good to see how they're using it!

[souffle]

We adopted our kittens from RSPCA Bradford and they have one
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RSPCA-Bradford-District-Branch/125488997490587?ref=ts
They regularly update the animals available for adoption with pics and videos and you can post pics of your adopted animals on there. In my opinion it is an excellent way of spreading the word and letting people keep up to date and in touch with the organisation.
There are over 100 beautiful cats and kittens needing homes just now at that one branch. They are desparate. If anyone wanted one in this area I can vouch for how well cared for and socialised Monty and Callie were x

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Just a quick question... who here in rescue has a Facebook page?

Our co-ordinator is asking what a page can 'do' for a branch and i'm finding it hard to describe to people who've never even seen a facebook page.

Do you find that it generates homes/donations?
Does it highlight neutering etc?

I know that other CP branches have pages and it'd be great to get some feedback to pass onto my co-ordinator to decide whether it's something we could use!