Analyzing Adoptions

Every shelter, every rescue organization exists to improve the lives of those animals with whom we come into contact. We want them to lead healthy lives with owners who will care for, protect, and especially, who will love them. But too often we don’t really know if we’re achieving our goal. Without a working follow-up program to actually check on the well-being of those companion animals who we’ve placed in a home, we can only hope and guess. The best adoption counselors, thoroughly trained and supported by successful, effective organizations, still cannot predict the future. Without systematic follow-up you may never know a problem exists – and so miss the opportunity to make a difference until too late!

A systematic follow-up program helps to:

• Reinforce important covenants of the adoption contract.
• Generate goodwill with your adopter. (Who may later decide to donate or otherwise support your organization.)
• Recruit new volunteers.
• Establish your organization as a resource for advice and assistance with their new family member.
• Increase staff and volunteer morale and combat compassion fatigue. (What better way for your staff and volunteers to see the results of their efforts?)
• Retain and recruit new foster homes.
• Provide “Success Stories” critical to future fundraising efforts.

So how can you ensure your adoption counselors are doing an effective job? Are your training programs, policies and procedures sufficient to provide absolute certainty that every adoption is successful?

“Companions for Life” has developed “Analyzing Adoptions” as a concise, simple, and proven program for conducting systematic follow-up, within the current resources of your organization.

Effective follow-ups CAN be done with minimal time and training. “Analyzing Adoptions” provides the outline, materials and information necessary to customize and initiate a program to fit your organization’s purpose, resources, and personality, and includes samples, data tracking forms, and more! Forward by Jill Nugent, Shelter Task Force, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

Cost? – None! Benefits? -Too many to list here! Support? – Free!

Email info@companionsforlife.org for your free copy.

Support for Analyzing Adoptions:

Since we started this program almost a year ago, the quality of adopters and adoptions has skyrocketed.  The staff is thrilled that the animals they have cared for are being looked after and we can report to them exactly that.  It has also helped us to educate those adopters who just need a little more information and has also helped us to weed out the ones who should not have a companion animal (very few, now).  Thank you so very much for sharing this program with us. It has made a world of difference.
~Patty Meehan, Volunteer Manager and Adoption Team Member Lafayette Animal Control Center (April 2010)

“I can honestly say I am so impressed with this program and am so excited to see the positive impact it will have on the shelter community both in our area and beyond!”
- Jill Nugent

“It [Analyzing Adoptions] was very in depth. Any group would benefit from it, even those who currently do follow ups.”
- Former Adoption Coordinator

“Great job! You covered everything. It is well thought out and all details included.”
- Humane Society
FollowUps Coordinator

Our thanks to the following for their assistance:

Paws In The City

Humane Animal Rescue Team

New Beginnings Cat Rescue

Dog & Kitty City

A special thanks to CFL volunteer Mike Epperson who spearheaded this project and without whose invaluable time and effort “Analyzing Adoptions” would not have been possible.