With the recent launch of their website, the Levelland Animal Control will be shifting more of their focus from Facebook to their website.
Levelland Police Chief Erica O’Bryon explained that the creation of the website was necessary as some individuals do not have Facebook.
“While Facebook has been one of our main resources, not everyone has a Facebook account,” explained O’Bryon. “Almost everybody has access to the Internet.”
Both O’Bryon and Animal Control Manager Macie Cole felt there was a limitation in reach. As a result, Cole suggested the idea of making a website.
Tasked with the responsibility, Cole spent several months getting everything in place for the website launch.
A lot of focus from Cole and the animal control staff was put toward making sure the website is a useful tool for not only the staff but also the community.
Talking to community members, Cole asked as many questions as she could when it came to what the website should provide or if a website was even needed.
Now operational, all animal control employees have access to the website to provide the most up to date information at tall times. Prior to the website launch roughly two weeks ago, Cole and staff spent about a week checking the functionality of the website to ensure there were no bugs.
For those with a helping heart and love for animals, volunteer documents are available on the website and can be submitted through it.
One of the biggest goals with the website is to cut down on the time it takes for adopting an animal. To do that, all documents that are required to adopt an animal are available on the website.
“When you come to the shelter to adopt an animal there is quite a bit of paperwork that needs to be filled out,” explained Cole. “The time it takes for paperwork, a meet and greet and everything else could take 45 minutes to an hour for one adoption.”
When considering the daily duties that need to be fulfilled, that is a considerable amount of time.
Now, if someone is interested in adopting an animal they can submit the proper documents beforehand. That leaves the meet and great plus the approval process which will help decrease time in the adoption process.
With a few weeks of individuals using the website the feedback has been positive, according to Cole. The shelter had a dog named Lucas get adopted recently. The individual who adopted Lucas shared that the adoption process was the easiest he had gone through thanks to the application process being online.
“We had everything ready to go before he had got to the shelter,” said Cole. “For some of those people when they put those applications in we're able to see if that pet is going to be a good fit for their home before they even get there. That gives us an opportunity to possibly recommend another animal better suited for their needs, so they do not have to sit at the shelter and wait for that end result.”
One of Cole’s favorite features of the website is the monthly success stories that are posted.
Those stories are centered around pets that were able to go to a home and highlights them a little more.
One of the caveats to posting on Facebook has been posts getting lost in feeds. Now, visitors of the website can click on one specific tab and see the pets highlighted along with their families or foster families. This also allows for families or fosters to be recognized for helping the shelter give that pet a second chance.
O’Bryon also noted that everything has become more organized for the shelter. In the past it was hard to keep up with what animal was adopted and if Facebook messages had been answered.
If a dog is adopted the animal will no longer be on the website. O’Bryon noted that since they are a government entity and Facebook is open records, they cannot delete posts.
“Even though we make another story or we put adopted sometimes that doesn't always get out there on peoples feed,” explained O’Bryon. “For me, I think my favorite part is the lost and found pets aspect of the of the website. If somebody is looking for their animal that is lost, they can go to that website versus having to scroll through our Facebook page and it being bombarded with the animals we have for adoption or our success stories.”
A disclaimer is provided on the website stating if a lost animal is not within the lost and found pets tab, the owner should check the adoption tab because the shelter is only allowed to keep the animal on hold for a three-tosevenday period depending on
the situation.
“I think that will help us hopefully get more pets back to their owners that potentially previously wouldn't know,” said O’Bryon.
Cole also cited at least three instances where the lost and found pets tab has helped somebody get their pet back already since opening the website.
“A really big question from everybody has been if we still going to be posting lost and found pets on Facebook. We will not because they do get lost on the social media feeds. If that animal does get adopted out somebody will go back to a post from two months ago and say that was my dog,” explained Cole. “This just keeps it a little bit more organized. We can always refer people to check our website, and we always include the day the animal will be up for adoption if the pet is not recovered.”
With the focused shifted from the Facebook page to the website, both O’Bryon and Cole feel there will be no drop off in updates on the website.
“We were already doing this on Facebook so that was something we were already having to keep up with,” said Cole. “Now it's just all in one place versus posting it on the page having to reach out to several different. This process has been very smooth for the staff.
Cole added that keeping up with updates has not been an issue because the limitation on space.
“We want the animals to go to a good home as fast as possible, so we know that the faster we get them posted the faster they have the opportunity to get reclaimed or go up for adoption,” said Cole. “When we have all 16 of our kennals full of seven-day holds because all those dogs had collars and they're not posted then that's the issue for us. Not only is it easier on us, but it's also getting that pets face out there faster to get them back home.”
O’Bryon added that staff operates seven days a week.
“We always have someone there regardless of holidays or weekends because the animals have to be fed, given water and taken out,” explained O’Bryon “On the back end of everything all staff is or will be trained and proficient in entering all the necessary information or data.”
For the shelter’s Facebook page, the feed will mainly consist of future events such as adoption events. Cole explained that the goal is to be out in the community more to provide as many opportunities as possible for the animals at the shelter to find great homes.
Notices will also be posted if the shelter begins to reach max capacity calling for adopters or fosters. Success stories will also be shared on the page as well.
“Facebook is a great tool, and we will still be active on the shelter page,” said O’Bryon.
Community members are encouraged to visit the new website at https:// levelland.shelterboss.com/Public/ Home. Individuals can also search “the Levelland Animal Shelter” and will be taken to the correct URL.
While the adoption process is possible online, those who wish to go through the process faceto- face can.
Cole shared that an individual recently adopted an animal who did not have a phone, email or internet.
“We were still able to get the proper records for the individual, so the online route is not the only way, but it does make some things a bit easier for all involved,” said Cole.
Also, the shelter is connected to Pet Finder which allows people to locate the shelter’s pets on Pet Finder. It is updated hourly which happens automatically from the website.
It will be for adoptable pets only not for lost and found pets.