Find a New Best Friend and Help Save a Life at the Same Time

Find a new best friend and help save a life at the same time

I. Developing a Relationship Strategy

A. Describe your initial reaction to sales and selling and your challenges with it

My initial reaction towards sales and selling of shelter pets is very strong. I am a huge animal lover and I hate to think that millions are euthanized every year because they do not find proper homes. I think it is important to educate people of the responsibilities of owning a pet before they bring one home, they are not an accessory, but a member of the family. The challenges that I face will be to encourage people to adopt from a shelter and not a puppy mill and also to encourage people to spay and neuter their pet so the problem of overpopulation does not continue.

B. Describe the background information (use your secondary research) of what you are selling and why.

I think one of the biggest problems with pet overpopulation these days is that people don’t understand the responsibly of what they are taking on when they get a pet. I have heard so many stories of people giving up their animal because it is to much work and they don’t have time for it or simply don’t want to deal with it. The “American Humane Association also supports research to assess the causes for pet relinquishment. Prior research studies suggest that 7 to 20 percent of pets entering a home are no longer in that home six months after acquisition. These animals often end up at shelters, contributing to the pet “overpopulation” issue”(American Humane, 2013). The problem is to now find these animals homes and to educate people that taking on a pet is a huge responsibility that is not to be taken lightly.

C. Describe the target customer; the target market’s unmet need; include target markets demographic table

The target markets unmet need is “to make shelters the first place potential adopters turn when looking to get a new pet, ensuring that all healthy and treatable pets find loving homes.” (AdCouncil, 2015) Every year approximately 17 million people will acquire a pet, whether it be through adoption or another way. Only about 3-4 million pets are adopted each year, leaving about 2.7 million healthy and treatable pets to lose their life in a shelter.

Gender % Income Bracket Education Level Age Metro Area Family Lifecycle Stage

Male/Female $35k-$150K Bachelors+ 21-44 Westchase Single/Married/Family

D. Describe your methods to strengthen a long term relationship

I think talking with a local shelter