My January 2019 Doobert.com BlogPost
I’m still brimming with excitement over the launch of Hand-off Captures! Back in early 2019. This is where Doobert photographer volunteers will be at relay transport hand-offs, to capture some professional images for the rescues, the transporters, Doobert, and all other stakeholders (like the adopters!). By having a photographer at some hand-off points, it will provide the shelters/rescuers/fosters with incredible pix for their social media pages and great pix help get the animals placed faster! We are also going to launch video short stories for the relays as well.
We began testing back in August with our gal Rusty at Liberty Ride Transport: Happy Tails when she found out we were beginning this. She was setting up an intricate relay for 3 English Bulldog puppies that were surrendered and are all special needs with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. All 3 would have been euthanized if not for these two specialty rescues: Opie’s Special Needs English Bulldog Rescue (in MO) and Lily’s Pad Rescue (in WA) Opie’s & Lily’s Pad often work in conjunction with each other when one is full, or dogs being rescued are geographically closer to one or the other. Opie’s does a lot of lifetime medical care and even provides doggy wheelchairs at no cost to adopters when needed!
I was real excited we could launch a wider ‘beta test’, if you will. This was going to be the first ever “mass” mail to Doobert photographers to enlist help! I was beside myself, knowing how Chris must feel seeing one of his dreams get a boost out of his “ideas bucket” into a “started” bucket! I mean the scripts aren’t even written yet for the Doobert site, or anything! That angel Rachael, though was standing by to help in every way she possibly could. (Bless you!) Not only did she download some lists for me, but organized the MailChimp app in order to send out the notifying emails. So you are witnessing history folks this is what we have done to date to get this test going:
- Mapped out all the zip codes the 4 transports are passing through
- Crossed them to all the Doobert photographer profiles with those zips
- 204 initial emails to this list to introduce them to the request/test
- Answered the initial respondents (3)
- Developed and sent out a guidelines for our test phases sheet
- Received feedback from them and further developed some more info pieces
- such as “How the photos will be used” type sheet to give to drivers to provide awareness
- A 2nd set of emails was sent with the actual map and a “Meet the Pups” sheet
- Answered additional responses of photographers volunteering!
Well, Rusty orchestrated relays (4 total) to get Deuce, Gracie & Betty to their adoptive homes in VA, WA & ID (respectively) over the course of two weekends. Meet Deuce below!
Gracie kicked everything off in OH headed west, and they pick up dear Betty in MO on the way. Then the two will have a layover in CO with foster Savanah Henderson, before heading west again to eventually split off and complete their journeys. Deuce is a solo traveler that 2nd weekend going from MO to VA.
We ended up with 4 confirmed volunteers for that run! This was beyond exciting, because out of a pool of 204 emails, I noticed a good chunk were created years ago, so, who really knows where they all are in their lives at this time. Baby Steps! I’m so totally okay with that! Shhh don’t tell anyone but if too many volunteers jumped on board I would have been overwhelmed!!…but that’s between us. (wink wink)
Further scripting was built in to Doobert, where the photographers can sign up for legs in a similar fashion as the drivers do now.
Here’s a super fun side note Rusty messaged me with the other day:
This special needs bull named “Jagger” (with Spina Bifida) rescued by Opie’s had never been diapered before rescue (but needed them) so poor fella kept pulling the diapers off! Well, with a little creative LOVE the pup had surely never known, this was drivers Deana P & Terri A’s loving answer to the diaper dilemma! A Walmart stop off! Nice job ladies!!!! See what LOVE can do?
Calling all STUDENTS, HOBBYISTS, AMATEURS, PROFESSIONALS (active or retired)
Build your Photographer Profile on www.doobert.com TODAY!
Love & Cheers,
JJ
