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Cross Post To Save Pets Lives

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Introduction

You can save pets lives by cross posting. Cross posting is also known as sharing posts, and networking an animal. It involves sharing posts of animals you see on social media appealing for rescue spaces with animal rescues. The animals only have a limited amount of time in the local authority shelter or pound before they are put to sleep. More cross-posters are always needed to help find them a rescue space before that happens.

The Amount Of Time On Death Row Differs

Different countries, states, and municipalities have different laws and rules about how long they hold animals in their pounds before they are put to sleep. In the UK it is seven days, except in Northern Ireland where it is five days. In the US, it is a much shorter period, even just hours in some states. That time is for the owner to claim the dog, but if that looks unlikely, then towards the end of that time, pound pullers can appeal to the rescue community for a rescue space to save the dogs life.

Pound Pullers Give The Animals A Chance

Pound pullers, also called pound helpers, arrange with local authority pounds to go in and get details and photos of their animals. They then post their photos and details on social media platforms, such as Facebook. Cross posters then share those posts in as many places on social media as they can. The idea is that an animal rescue with a rescue space gets to hear about the animal.

A cross poster can be anyone who wants to save pets lives. Many animals find rescue spaces this way. Without pound pullers and cross posters doing this work to save pets lives, many more innocent abandoned animals would die.

“But I Don’t Know Anyone At An Animal Rescue”

You may think that you do not have links to any animal rescues on Facebook, so what is the point in you cross posting onto your profile page. You may not have links to animal rescues, but you may have Facebook friends who do. They may see the post you cross posted, and cross post it (share it) themselves. They may also know which groups are best to post it in, and do that. If enough animal lovers do this, animal rescues are bound to see it.

Image: The dog I fostered (below left), with rescue back up, was in a local authority dog pound at the other end of the country to me. If the pound puller had not gone into the pound and got his details, and people hadn’t cross posted those details on social media, he would not have found a rescue space. He would therefore not be alive today. There is also the life saving volunteer animal transporters to thank for transporting him up the country to his rescue space.

Cross Posting To Save Pets Lives My Foster Dogs
My Foster Dogs

Posts To Be Cross Posted – Explained

Rescue spaces need to be found before the dogs are put to sleep in local authority pounds and shelters. In the UK, they are held by the local authority pounds and shelters for seven days, except in Northern Ireland where it is five days. In the US, where the problem of abandoned dogs is worse, it can be as little as 72 hours. If it looks unlikely that the dog will be claimed, then towards the end of that time, some lucky dogs have pound pullers who try to find them life saving rescue spaces.

Pound pulling organisations on social media sites, depend on people cross posting (sharing the posts) to save pets lives. Cross posting means more people see the posts of the pets asking for rescue spaces. This can save pets lives by leading to animal rescues seeing the posts and offering rescue spaces.

Image: A Pounds For Poundies (a pound pulling organisation) post on the Pounds for Poundies page on Facebook, appealing for a life saving rescue space for a local authority pound/shelter pet. Image Source

Social Media
Lives Social Media

Make Sure It Is The Original Post You Share

It is important to share from the original post. To get to the original post from the one you see on Facebook, all you need to do is click on the picture. This will open the original post. Sometimes when you click the picture, it will take you to a website page. There you should find all the details of the pet. If that happens, share the website page. If you do not share the original post, you end up sharing just copies of the original. People may comment on these posts, offering rescue spaces, but because only the original post can be monitored, such offers will be missed.

Add A Paragraph ExplainingWhat The Post Is About

If you choose the “Share…†option on the menu that appears when you click the “share†icon on the post, you can add writing to the post you share. You can see what I wrote at the top of the post below.

Once the post is cross posted (shared) from the original post, you can see below what it looks like below.

Image: What the same post looks like once shared on Facebook . You can see what I wrote in capital letters at the top of the post. I did so so anyone who saw the post could immediately see the importance and urgency of it, and would hopefully cross post it (share it) again. Image Source

Cross Posting To Save Pets Lives Social Media Post Example
Social Media Post Example

Understanding The Different Language Used

Not all posts appealing for animal rescue spaces look like the examples above. There are many set out in different ways and using different language.

For instance, to indicate when the pet entered the pound, some posts say “In:†and then state a date. To indicate when the pets time is up, or when it needs a rescue space by, some posts say “Out:†and then state a date.

Different Posts Come In Different Styles

Different information is used on different posts, depending on which pound puller wrote them and what information they have about the pet. It is vital to have on the post who to contact with an offer of a rescue space, and how.

Sometimes all the information about the pet is on the post. If there is more information hidden, you can see it all by clicking “see more†at the bottom of the Facebook post. With other posts, you may have to click on a link on the post that will take you to a website page. This is where you will find more information.

Posts Can Have Photos Or Videos On Them

There are posts that put videos of the animals on instead of photos. This is good because it can show the pets interacting with people and being playful and affectionate. This can make them seem a lot more rehomable, and therefore more attractive to rescues. There are also posts that are images that have all the information written within the image, such as this one:

Image: An example of a post appealing for rescue spaces to save pets lives. All the information needed is in the image. Image Source

Example of Post Appealing For Rescue Space
Example of Post Appealing For Rescue Space

Below is a post from the Southeast USA Rescue Network 4 Precious Lives Needing Urgent Help Facebook group.  In their group, they say:

“This Group was created due to the dramatic increase of killings of very adoptable animals in the Southeastern USA, where there are horrendous gassing and heartstick shelters. Many of these shelters are extremely high-kill. These animals truly need our help. They need YOUR time, YOUR help, YOUR compassion. Only YOU have the power to save them.â€

Image: A post on Facebook appealing for a rescue space for a death row dog in the USA. Cross posters are needed to save pets lives. Image Source

Cross Posting To Save Pets Lives Facebook Post
Facebook Post

Phrases, Abbreviations, Acronyms & Initialisms Used

When cross posting rescue space appeal posts, you may come across language you do not understand. The following abbreviations or phrases are often used:

RBU or rbu = Rescue back up

Rescue back up is when a foster home is used as the rescue space, but an official animal rescue backs up that foster. The rescue pays essential veterinary & food fees for the pet. The pet will also be re-homed through the rescue. If anything goes wrong and the foster cannot continue fostering the pet (for instance, if the foster has to go into hospital), the rescue will take responsibility for the pet and keeping it safe.

The term RBU is often used on a post in the context of “Can go to rescue, or foster with RBUâ€. This means the animal either needs to go to a rescue that has a rescue space, or a foster home that a rescue is providing back up support for. If the animal has the possibility of a foster home but has not yet had an offer of rescue back up for it, the post may say something like “ RBU neededâ€. All foster homes need to have had a home check.

EB or eb = Emergency boarding

This is when the animal is put in boarding kennels at a cost, to give it more time to find a rescue space. Funds have to be raised for this, so on the posts there are often appeals for funds.

HC or hc = Home check

A home check is where the prospective adopter is visited in their home. It is done to check they are a responsible person who will keep the pet safe and well cared for its whole life. Fosters also need to be home checked.

PTS or pts = Put To Sleep

This refers to what will happen to the pet if a rescue space is not found in time. The phrases “Euthanised†is often used. “Destroyed†and “Put down†can also be used.

Safe = Rescue space has been offered to this pet

This is the best news to see on a post! It means that a rescue space has been secured for the animal and the post no longer needs to be shared. However, there are always plenty others that do! Other words or phrases are often used to mean a rescue space has been offered, such as “Placedâ€, “Rescue space securedâ€, or similar.

Placed = Rescue space has been offered

As above.

Secured = Rescue Space has been offered

As above.

Pledge = A promise to donate later

You may see on a post that pledges are needed, or that pledges have been made. Making a pledge to an animal needing a rescue space means making a promise to donate later to help with that animals rescue costs. Pledges or donations can give animals a better chance of being offered a rescue space by a rescue.  Some posts ask for pledges or donations to be paid immediately, as sometimes people who have made pledges sadly do not keep their promise.

Rescue Only = This pet cannot yet be adopted by a member of the public, it can only be saved by an animal rescue

Local authority pounds and shelters do not usually assess the animals and re-home them. “Rescue Onlyâ€, or “Rescue Space Only†means they will not re-home to the public. They will only allow an animal rescue with a rescue space to take the pet, who will asses it and re-home it.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Sometimes posts can be updated with this phrase, or a similar one, such as “Gone To Rainbow Bridge”. It sadly means that there was not a rescue space offered in time and the animal was therefore put to sleep.

What happens once an animal is offered a rescue space?

Once a pet has been offered a rescue space, their post (and website page if they had one) will be updated. The edited post will often say SAFE, RESCUE SPACE SECURED, PLACED, or something to that effect. Those posts no longer need cross posted (shared). However, sometimes a rescue space can fall through, and the pet will again need its post shared to find a rescue space.

If you look in the comments of the post, you can often find updates about what is happening before the post or website page is updated. The comments can sometimes be confusing about whether the animal still needs a rescue space or not, but if the actual post (as opposed to the comments) still says it does, then it is worth cross posting (sharing).

Image: A post appealing for an animal rescue space has been cross posted and a rescue space has been secured. This post has indicated this by updating the post with the word “SAFE†(under the dog’s picture on this post). Image Source

Lives Social Media Post Success
Lives Social Media Post Success

Once the rescue place is secured, the animal can be removed from the pound or shelter. Volunteer transporters are often needed transport the pet to its rescue space, which may be quite a large distance away. They are a vital part of the life saving animal rescue chain, as if the pet cannot get to its rescue space quickly, it will lose it.

People fostering and adopting pets from animal rescues and shelters is also vital. If people did not do that, no life saving rescue spaces would ever become available.

To understand how all the different cogs in the animal rescue machine work together to save the lives of innocent animals, see the How Animal Rescue Works page.

How Does Cross posting Save Pets Lives?

Pets are regularly put to death by local authority pounds and shelters to make room for more abandoned animals to come in. As the stream of these abandoned animals is constant, the deaths are unfortunately constant.

Animals on “death row†at local authority pounds and shelters need to get out before their time is up. They get 7 days in the UK and as little as 72 hours in the US.

The Only Way Out Of Pounds

The only way the pets can usually get out of the local authority pound or shelter:

  • Claimed by their owner – Very few are claimed
  • Being offered a rescue space by an animal rescue.
  • There may be the odd pound who allow pets to be adopted direct from them, but this is not usual
  • Being put to sleep

The only way animal rescues know that animals need rescue spaces is if pound pullers go into pounds, get their photos and details, and share them on social media.

Image: Dog in shelter. Save pets lives by cross posting.  Image Source

Cross Posting To Save Pets Lives Dog in Shelter
Dog in Shelter

If no pound pullers go into your local authority pound or shelter, then it is likely that the lots of pets there regularly die with nobody ever knowing they needed a rescue space. If nobody cross posts the pound pullers posts, the same thing can happen.

Why Some Pounds Do Not Allow Pound Pullers In

Some pounds and shelters do not allow pound pullers access, as it can bring them unwanted attention. For instance, sometimes people who see the posts on social media contact the pound or shelter, giving them abuse about killing animals to make room. This often causes the pound or shelter to stop giving any access to pound pullers. Sadly, this results in many more animals being put to sleep, feeling alone and unwanted. To avoid this happening, many pound pullers keep the identity of the pound or shelter they have access to a secret.

Cross Posting Really Does Save Pets Lives

Local authority pound and shelter animals depend on people cross-posting the posts pound pullers put on social media. Cross posting (sharing) the posts on social media is done in the hope that someone connected to an animal rescue with a spare rescue place will see the post. It saves many lives.

Many Animals Need Cross-Posters

You will sometimes find there are not just cats and dogs that need cross posted. Other animals, such as horses and farm animals need rescued before they are sent to be slaughtered.

Image: A social media campaign helped save and find a rescue space for a bull who was going to be sent to slaughter because he was more interested in other bulls than heifers. Image Source

Benny The Gay Bull
Benny The Gay Bull

Where do I Find Animals Posts To Cross Post?

Social networking sites such as Facebook are a good place. Search for Facebook groups containing words such as

  • “Death Row Dogsâ€
  • “Dogs Rescue Spacesâ€
  • “At Risk Dogsâ€
  • “Crosspostingâ€
  • “Cross postingâ€
  • “Cross-postingâ€
  • “Rescue spaces neededâ€
  • Other similar variations.

Also, try replacing the word “dogs” in the phrases above with “cats”, “pets”, and “Animals”. If you can think of any other words and phrases people may put in the names of such Facebook groups, try those too.

You will have to request to join the groups once you find them. It helps your chances of being accepted into the groups if your own Facebook page shows you have an interest in helping animals. Your posts need to be set to public for those who run the groups (admins) to be able to see them. Group admins often look at peoples pages to make sure people have a genuine interest in helping animals before they allow them into the group. This is because they do not want spammers (who post irrelevant posts selling things). They also do not want trolls (who post messages designed to be highly offensive & upsetting to group members) in the groups.

Image: An example of a US crossposters group to join on Facebook to save pets lives. Image Source

Cross Posting To Save Pets Lives USA Based Crossposter Banner
USA Based Crossposter Banner

Where Do I Crosspost Them To?

Cross post (share) them by posting them on your own Facebook page (timeline/profile), and also in any other pages and groups they are relevant to. Share them on “no kill” animal rescue pages or groups.

You could also share them in pages/groups where there is likely to be people who have Facebook friends in the animal rescue community. To find such pages and groups, try entering phrases such as:

  • “animal rescueâ€
  • “animal shelterâ€
  • “rescue spacesâ€
  • “rescue places”
  • “animal loverâ€
  • “pet rescueâ€
  • “save pets”
  • “save pets lives”
  • “death row pets”
  • or any other variations you can think of that people connected to animal rescue might be involved in.

You can also ask your friends to share your posts. You can post them on their Facebook pages as well, unless their settings mean you cannot. Every share can be one step closer to that pet getting a life saving rescue space. Without the share that got the pet that rescue space, there’s a good chance the pet would have been put to sleep.

It is all dependant on an animal rescue learning about the animal at the right time.

Image: You can save pets lives by animal cross posting on social media networking sites. Image Source

Would Your Facebook Friends Save Your Life
Would Your Facebook Friends Save Your Life

Other Ways To Save Pets Lives Online

Additional things you can do to save pets lives:

Join social media sites selling puppies and kittens. On posts where people state they are looking for a dog or cat, respectfully and politely ask them if they would consider adopting a rescued dog or cat. Point them to the list on this website where they can find animal rescues in their area.

Also post animals that are available for adoption in the groups were pets are being sold. You will be able to find these animals on the websites or Facebook groups/pages of animal rescues.

People have misconceptions about animals in rescue, so let people know there are:

  • General animal rescues
  • Small dog breed only rescues
  • Large dog breed only rescues
  • Rescues for specific breeds of dogs or cats for nearly every breed in existence.
  • Rescues for other animal species, such as fish, reptiles, horses, farm animals, etc

Tell them how by adopting they will be saving a life. They will give a forever home to one pet, and by freeing up a rescue space, they will save the life of another. The more people who adopt, the fewer pets have to die alone and unloved at the pound.

Other Ways You Can Help

There is a huge problem of pets being put to death because:

  • They are abandoned by owners who did not use foresight when they got them
  • Too many people buy and breed new pets instead of adopting abandoned animals.

You can help by raising awareness of animal adoption, and of pet abandonment. You can do this by sharing information from this site on social media. Let people know how to spot and avoid bad breeders. Tell people about fostering or sponsoring animals. Warn people of the horrors that can happen when giving animals away free or for a low price online.

There are different ways of raising awareness of these issues. For example, you can share information on social media, on blogs, through word of mouth, and through messages on clothing.

Making people aware of these issues is instrumental in helping to stop animal suffering.

Animal rescues are also usually in need of volunteers to help in a whole variety of roles.

If you could spare even a small donation, it could mean the difference between an abandoned pet being saved or put to death. Even just the price of a cup of coffee at a cafe, or a bottle of fizzy pop.

Effectively Spread Awareness Of Animal Rights

Do you want to make the world a kinder place by helping stop terrified animals being put through horrific cruelty? You can do that. Share the information on social media to get more people helping animals.

Other Ways To Help Stop Animal Suffering

On this site there are many different ways to help animals. There is something for every personality type, no matter what their circumstances.

Help animals more by sharing information about animal cruelty from the Aid Animals website onto social media. You will be letting people learn about many different types of animal abuse. This, in turn, helps animals by making people want to help. Also let them know how they can help animals by directing them to this website. Please be aware that you may find the information on the Aid Animals website distressing.

Only Taking Action Will Help Animals
Only Taking Action Will Help Animals


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