Operation Blankets of Love

Yesterday I mentioned that you could check out Operation Blankets of Love and do something similar - what I didn't know was that their website has had a disaster.

We're not sure yet just what happened, but it disappeared. And the web host's site has also disappeared. This is not a good thing, because their web-builder had not kept a back-up file. They may have to start over from scratch to re-create their website.

That's not a good thing - it was filled with great video clips of news interviews and photos of the animals they've helped, as well as all the information about their work.

Why am I telling you this? Because you may also be in a dangerous position. If you have a site built by someone else so the files are not on your computer, do something about it right away.

Recently I've talked with several people - both animal rescuers and Realtors - who have used some kind of service for their website and are unable to get at their HTML files to do basic search engine optimization behind the scenes. They're also unable to make updates themselves. And the worst part is that the people they count on to make updates and take care of SEO don't do it in a timely fashion.

So... I realize the reason so many take that route is that they don't know how to do it themselves. If that's your situation, then find someone to help you. If you have to hire a high school student to come to your house and work, do it. Just make sure that your own files are in a place where you can get at them - and make sure you've been shown how to do it.

Also, if some other person is named as administrator for your domain name, get it changed while that person is still available. If the person suddenly disappears you'll have months of hassle getting it into your own name. Believe me - I had it happen to me early on, and two different friends of mine have had the same challenge.

Sorry to disgress from dogs for a minute - but if you're involved with a rescue or a shelter, this is important to your fundraising efforts, as well as your ability to have your dogs and cats for adoption seen on line.

So what is Operation Blankets of Love? It's a very small group of people who are making a big difference in Southern California. They collect blankets from donation bins placed in vet clinics, Petco Stores, and other pet-related places. Then they deliver them to shelters and rescue groups across 7 counties. Shelter workers say it is amazing how much comfort those homeless dogs and cats get from just having a blanket to snuggle into. And when they're more secure, they're happier, and they're more easily adopted.

In the year since this project began, they've delivered over 35,000 blankets, towels, treats, pet beds, pet carriers, and toys to over 100 different shelters and rescue groups. They even helped with the rescue during California's wild fires.

They also do pet care talks in schools and take kids on shelter tours so they can learn more about responsibility and caring for our furry friends. Teaching the kids now just might help reduce the number of abused and abandoned pets in years to come.

I'll let you know when their site is back up. But in the meantime - how many blankets could you find to take to a shelter in your home town?