Every year, over 7.5 million animals enter pet shelters in North America.
Of those, approximately 2.6 million pets are euthanized annually due to overpopulation and underfunding. Pet rescues do incredible, important work—but the current system is frighteningly problematic. So how can your veterinary practice help?
Traditionally, veterinary clinics have been somewhat removed from the adoption and rehoming process. After all, your focus is animal medicine, not sanctuary.
At LifeLearn, we knew there had to be a way to put pet health at the forefront of the adoption process and alleviate some of the pressure placed upon shelters. That’s why we’ve partnered with Get Your Pet, an online community of pet lovers with a radical new approach to pet adoption and rehoming that incorporates veterinary influence and avoids rescue shelters altogether.
Here’s everything you need to know about what Get Your Pet can do for your practice, patients, and pet owners.
What is Get Your Pet?
Get Your Pet is an online community that connects potential pet adopters with those who are looking to rehome their cat or dog safely, humanely, and economically. Get Your Pet allows for a seamless transition of pet guardianship from one loving home to another. As a bonus, this exciting service uniquely incorporates a free veterinary assessment into the adoption process to encourage pet health.
How does Get Your Pet work?
Let’s say a client is no longer able to adequately care for a beloved pet. Typically, outside of friends and family, rehoming options are limited: shelter or classifieds—where just about anyone can claim your pet. Get Your Pet is different.
With Get Your Pet, pet parents can adopt or rehome a pet with confidence, knowing they are backed by a pet-loving community and protected by a secure, legal, and ethical adoption process:
Step 1: Potential adopters browse local pet profiles by type, gender, traits, and more based on the information listed by the owner seeking to rehome their pet.
Step 2: Potential adopters join the community website and message securely with current pet owners to learn more about dogs or cats of interest.
Step 3: The potential adopter and current guardian meet in a neutral place to see the pet act naturally in a stress-free environment.
Step 4: When all parties have found the right fit, the adopter pays a nominal fee to complete a legal adoption.
If for whatever reason the adoption doesn’t work out, it’s free to re-list a pet for rehoming. This ensures that pet parents and pets are ultimately happy with the fit.
Why should your veterinary practice get involved?
With the Get Your Pet feature, everyone benefits—veterinarians, pet owners, and most importantly, pets. When clients choose this route for adoption and rehoming, dogs and cats are spared extra stress and unnecessary exposure to potential illness and euthanasia commonly experienced in overcrowded pet rescues. That way, shelters can prioritize abandoned and abused strays who often need help the most.
From a veterinary standpoint, the advantages are endless. Involvement with Get Your Pet allows your practice to gain a prominent role in the adoption process—making pet owners feel more connected to your team right from the start. The opportunities for client education here are excellent, with the potential to gain lifelong clients as a result.
How can you incorporate the Get Your Pet feature at your veterinary practice? *Only available for US WebDVM customers*
WebDVM users can now add a link on their veterinary website that encourages pet owners to visit Get Your Pet when looking to adopt or rehome a cat or dog in your local area. Don’t worry, we know your veterinary team is super busy! That’s why Get Your Pet facilitates the adoption process—all you have to do is spread the word.
Want to add the Get Your Pet feature to your veterinary practice’s WebDVM website? Get in touch with support and we’ll set it up for free!
