Being The Change You Want To See

Last weekend (April 9 - 10, 2010), I attended the first annual Blogpaws conference, a conference for pet bloggers and writers. Even though I was on the planning committee since the beginning, helped suggest speakers and other event details, invited friends and people in my network to consider going all the way to Columbus, Ohio, for a completely unknown event, I still wasn't quite sure what to expect myself. It was a little nerve wracking.

First up, we would be meeting the people we converse with on Facebook, Twitter and via email ... face-to-face. I was excited to finally meet my colleague, Jenna Stregowski RVT, Guide to Dogs at About.com and DrV of Pawcurious, who I interviewed last fall.

Second, we had many informative keynote speakers and seminars that covered many aspects of "pet blogging" -- building a community, search engine optimization tips, finding your writing "voice," best practices for product reviews, and so on.

The third component was the vendor area, where attendees could interact and learn about pet care products from a variety of pet-related sponsors. Several veterinarians were in attendance, and as a vet, I was especially pleased that the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) was a sponsor for this event.

This crowd of 250 attendees was most definitely passionate about pet adoption, rescue and animal welfare. Everything was flowing along nicely and as planned.

But then something bigger happened.

People discovered the true power of like minds getting together and networking. The collective power of working together, rather than isolated entities, to educate, inspire, and truly make a difference to animals around the world, was realized.

One of my official duties as a committee member was to observe and report back on the The "Be The Change" seminar, moderated by Jane Harrell of Petfinder and including panelists DrV of Pawcurious, Dorian Wagner of Your Daily Cute, and Lynn Haigh of PawPawty.com. It was a well-organized, inspiring session.

It wasn't your typical sit-and-listen type of talk, though. No, thanks to DrV, they threw out a challenge to everyone in the audience, everyone at Blogpaws, and all of YOU out there reading this blog. This inspiring video, created by Lynn Haigh, pretty much sums up their session and our mission.

The mission is simple: to be the change you want to see in the world. Wishing more pets had forever homes? Sad about the increasing numbers of shelter surrenders because people can't afford to feed their pets? Frustrated with animals returned to shelters because of behavior problems? Wish there was an angel fund for vet emergencies? What's your pet peeve? How can you make a difference?

One small step
You don't have to own a pet-related company or raise thousands of dollars to help pets. Start small. Changing the life for even one animal makes a difference.

Here are some ideas to get started:

• Donate food, cat litter, cleaning supplies or even old towels to your local shelter. Cash donations are always appreciated, too.
• Don't have time for a pet? Volunteer your time to provide some human interaction and socialization for shelter pets.
• Foster a pet waiting for their forever home. Fostering teaches a pet valuable lessons about living in a home, makes them more adoptable, and ultimately less likely to be returned to the shelter. Because of the connections I have made through Twitter and Facebook, I was encouraged to do something I said I could never do: foster a dog.
• Do you have a camera? Volunteer to take photos for your local rescue group or shelter. An attractive pet photo will garner more inquiries and ultimately a quicker adoption time than a poor photo.
• Are you a web designer? Volunteer your design services to help your local rescue group or shelter. So many people use the Internet to start their search for their new pet. The Creative Paw web site is a way for designers to connect with animal groups and volunteer their talent for logos, web design, and other creative projects.
• Help someone start their own blog. This will add their unique voice and network to a new audience. I volunteered to help my friend start up her very first pet blog.
• Already a blogger? My friend Jane at Petfinder offers 10 simple ways bloggers can help pets every day.
• Do you have a talent or business that would be of interest to pet lovers? Consider donating something as a prize for your local shelter's auction or other fund raising event. In my spare time, I make glass beads. I love to donate them to various animal-related causes, and the money earned from them benefits shelters and animals. What talent do you have that can be shared with others? Think outside the box.
• Are you a dog trainer? Consider donating your time to help people pre- and post-adoption to help new pet adoptees integrate into their forever home.
• Offer your knowledge. I have connected with a person on Twitter who is interested in adopting a puppy mill rescue dog. We will be featuring her pre-adoption questions and story on this site. My hope is that her story will educate and inspire others to consider a "special needs" dog or cat.
• More great ideas from Jenna, the About.com Guide to Dogs, on how to Help Pets in Need.

Why I love this idea
I have always felt that each person has the power to affect change. Admittedly, sometimes the "hugeness" of a problem can be overwhelming, but start small. Each positive action will have a ripple to create more positive actions, as we saw at Blogpaws. Here is a video of two people who met at Blogpaws and through that connection, found a way to benefit animals, right then and there.

Are you ready to Be The Change?
How can you "be the change" for animals in your community? Please post your work, your ideas, and your brainstorming questions in the comments below. If you are on Twitter, join in and use the tag #BeTheChange so we can connect.

Are you on Twitter? Join the Blogpaws Twibe!
Are you on Facebook? Join the Blogpaws fan page!

What about you? Have you been inspired to share your talents and voice to help animals in some way? Tell us how you are Being the Change

Related:

• Social media and being the change you want to see
• More about Blogpaws and the Be The Change challenge

Photo: Animal Planet's Andrea Arden, Cosmo the Havanese, and his human, Diane Silver at Blogpaws Credit: Brad Smith

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