Instructions
Go to facebook.com and join (see link in Resources below). It's easy to register-if you have a name, an email address, a password, a gender and a date of birth--you're pretty much in. Then all you need to do is specify the city in which you live and you will be assigned a network.
Fill in your profile with your personal interests. If you like, you can include the work you have done thus far as an individual or as part of an organization or rescue group and what your goals are concerning animal rescue.
Enter an animal-friendly individual or rescue organization in the search and see if they are already a member of facebook. If so, click "Add .... as a Friend" and then just wait for them to accept. Once they confirm, they will be added as a friend to your facebook page.
Another way to find friends is to click on "Friends" at the top, and then click on "Find Friends" and put in your email address and password. That will automatically bring up all of the people and organizations you communicate with via email who are facebook members. All you need to do is check the boxes by the names of animal-friendly individuals/organizations and they will be sent friend requests.
You can also click "Friends" and then click on "Invite Your Friends." Then just fill in their email addresses separated by commas to invite animal-friendly friends/organizations who aren't already facebook members.
Join animal rescue or pet adoption groups by clicking on "Groups" under Applications and putting in the name of any group you are interested in where it says, "Search for Groups." When a group comes up that you would like to join, simply click on the group and then click "Join this Group." It will also show groups that your friends have recently joined.
You can add your own animal rescue organization by clicking on "Create a New Group." You can also join "Causes" that deal with animal rescue or create your own animal rescue "Cause."
Publicize adoption events or other animal-related events such as puppy mill rallies and fundraisers by clicking on "Events" under Applications and then click on "Create an Event," or you can simply post a link to the event in your profile. Another way to do it quickly is to announce it in your Status (where it says "What are you doing right now?") For example, "Melissa will be attending the Best Friends Super Adoption Event on Oct. 21."
If you want to search for animal-related events you can click on "Upcoming Events" or "Friends' Events" and then browse.
Post photos of animals that you have up for adoption or animals that others have up for adoption in your "album." You can also post photos of dogs and cats up for adoption to your Facebook profile with applications such as "Adopt an ASPCA Pet" and "Dogster Rescue" or publicize adoptable pets throughout North America that are listed on Petfinder.com by posting them to your Facebook mini-feed (see Resources for links).
How to Promote Pet Adoption on Facebook
The Internet is a very effective means for getting the word out about homeless pets up for adoption--you can reach the world--and Facebook is a popular and very effective tool to help network the message. Here are some ways to utilize Facebook for saving animals.