I’m the first encourage rescue groups to join forces with the corporate world. The skills and resources of commercial companies combined with the goodwill of rescue means huge benefits to both parties if the right partnership is struck. But while relationships with like-minded organisations are beneficial to rescue, others run contradictory to our pledge to better animal welfare and do more damage than good.
Businesses who make money trading off the farming of companion animals, and who support those who view dogs and cats as a cash crop are obviously the kind we would want to avoid as animal rescuers…. wouldn’t we?
Take this year’s Pets Paradise Christmas Giving Tree.
Pets Paradise is the largest retailer of live pets, puppies and kittens in Australia. They made a cool $80 million dollars profit last year from pet and pet product sales and their model relies directly on the ‘impulse’ of passing foot traffic.
With an enviable position in the retail world, millions of people visit the Pets Paradise franchise stores every week. What visit to the local shops would be complete without kids dragging their parents to see Pets Paradise? The retail franchise has a captive audience every week looking at the product offering.
Franchisee information
The idea of their promotion is this – visitors to Pets Paradise stores can purchase an item to donate to an ‘animal shelter’. That’s it. The store gets extra sales and the company gets to claim the valuable ‘halo’ of being seen to be helping rescue.
But wait! I hear you saying. The company isn’t contributing anything and are directly benefiting financially! Plus, aren’t they the kind of business we’d want to avoid?
Exactly. And that’s why when animal shelters were approached with this idea, they told Pets Paradise to go swivel. They could see that they were simply trying to ‘cash in’ on the kindness of the community towards animal rescue groups to improve their nefarious reputation.
That is, most animal shelters but one. And you’ll never guess who it was…
Christmas is always an exciting and beautiful time for families, but we shouldn’t forget our furry friends who are not lucky enough to have a home of their own.
Pets Paradise helped to donate over $50,000 worth of pet food, toys and accessories to The Lost Dogs Home, helping all of pet friends have a Merry Christmas. ref
So while animal rescue groups nationally are trying to educate the public about the problems with purchasing puppies and kittens from pet shops this xmas, the Lost Dogs Home is lending their name to help Pets Paradise launder its reputation. Not one to say no to a corporate relationship over a silly thing like ‘principals’, the Lost Dogs Home took the entire $50,000 donation of product. And the benefits to Pets Paradise were so enormous, that they’re looking to double the size of their campaign this year!
Last year our generous customers helped us donate over $55,00 in much needed supplies to animal shelters across the country. This year we aim to double the amount in donated goods for various shelters Australia wide.
Dear friends, if you have a passion to help animals in need, then simply purchase a gift from any of our Pets Paradise stores across Australia, place it under the Christmas tree and take home a tree tag to hang on your tree as a token of our and the animal shelters appreciation. ref
$100,000 and a whole bunch of goodwill to Pets Paradise, a company who should definitely not be benefiting from the work of animal rescuers. But thanks to the help of the Lost Dogs Home, they can enjoy basking in the glow of a successful holiday boom.
Merry Christmas!
