National dog welfare charity www.dogstrust.org.uk has found homes for an incredible 25 canine residents in the past six months alone through social networking.

Facebook finds homes

Dogs Trust launched its new website early in 2010 and, with over 100,000 Facebook fans and almost 15,000 Twitter followers, using social networks to further showcase specific dogs was an obvious step.

Jacqui O’Beirne, Digital Marketing Manager, explains: “The main aim of our online activity is to raise awareness of Dogs Trust. Our fans and followers are a very active bunch online and as they are all dog lovers it made sense to promote our rehoming appeals on our social networking sites as well as through traditional media.

It has been hugely successful with over 25 dogs finding loving homes through the online appeals so far this year.”

Video and photos

Across the charity’s 17 Rehoming Centres specific members of staff are responsible for taking video and photos of the dogs, which are then posted, and linked to, across all networks to ensure as many people as possible see the dogs featured.

Jacqui continues: “Just a couple of weeks ago a gorgeous German Shepherd called Jake was rehomed from our Salisbury Rehoming Centre following a video appeal we posted on YouTube. It was viewed 359 times and the link on Facebook received 328 ‘likes’ as well as 144 comments.

Social media is a brilliant way of reaching new people, and video is especially valuable as it enables us to show off our dogs’ wonderful characters.”

Anyone interested in giving a loving home to a Dogs Trust dog should visit the website at www.dogstrust.org.uk to find their nearest Rehoming Centre or call the charity on 020 7837 0006.