Copywriting Assistant Buddy Center Volunteer Training Manual Thank you for volunteering in Customer Care as a Copywriter. This packet includes information to help you learn about the Copywriter position as well as some DFL policies and procedures. Copywriter volunteers will help spark interest in the adoptable pets and provide information to prospective adopters by using a template to create a brief, creative and informative description of the dogs and/or cats up for adoption. These descriptions will be posted on the website as well as on the bio cards on the animals kennels. You will be responsible for using the Chameleon database to gather information on the animals and to post the bio you write for each animal. You may also spend time with the animal or ask staff what experiences they have had with the specific animal to help you write a more accurate bio. Attendance and Vacations If you are unable to make a volunteer shift, please email Volunteer Services at volunteer@ddfl.org or call 720-241-7160. Please sign out on the day that you will be gone. This way we know that you will be out and can possibly find another volunteer to fill your shift. Writing Guidelines: Write bios in the copywriter template format (see page 13 for directions on pulling up the template) and please use 3 rd person (for example: Loves to play fetch and go for leash walks.) Please note that characteristics and behaviors should be listed and not in sentence form. Headlines: The bio template has a space for you to create an eye popping headline. In the space provided (see page13 for instructions on finding the template.), type two to three descriptive words that would make an adopter interested in learning more about the animal. For example- Playful, Active, and Loving! or Sweet, gentle, and goofy! The bio template is separated into 3 sections: Favorite Things, Special Features, and Dream Home Favorite Things Section:
This section is used to list things that the animal likes to do. For example eating treats, playing fetch, going for car rides, cuddling up on the couch. If there is no information about the animal, go visit! See if they like treats or toys or chin scratches! If you are unable to go visit, please skip the animals without information and write for the ones who do have it. After spending time with an animal please write in the note memo (or create one if none exist) about your experience. See page13 for a description of how to create a note memo. Please be diplomatic as you deal with areas needing improvement. If the animal has some noted negative behaviors like chewing or scratching, you might say that the dog will do best with some favorite toys for chewing, or the cat will need to have a scratching post. Special Features Section: This section is intended to highlight the animal s good history from its previous home and observations made by shelter staff and volunteers. This would also include any tricks or obedience training a dog may have or if a cat is clicker-trained by our behavior staff. Make sure that if you write about contact the animal has had in its previous home with babies, children, other cats or dogs, etc. keep it in the past tense (did well with children in the past; liked other dogs; was a loving pet). Do not make any claims as to how the animal will react in the future. In this section, you can use information from shelter staff and volunteers: (Described as sweet and affectionate by new friends here, loves belly rubs, etc.) The AO/Special Needs animals have a disability or medical need that will require a special home. For these cases, please use the following statement (and fill in the blank with the animal's particular disability) to describe the disability of an Adoption Outreach (AO) animal - Has been diagnosed with or Is (whichever sounds better) and will require a special home. Please call to learn more about his/her special need. Dream Home Section: This section is intended to describe the perfect home for this pet. If an animal has any restrictions, it will be stated here. Here are a few examples: for a dog that is high energy and has a no-child restriction: A child-free home with active adults who will love to spend outdoor time with him! A cat example would be: a quiet home where she can be pampered and loved as the only pet. Steps to Writing a Successful Bio: Please make sure that no personal information about a patron who has relinquished an animal is shared in the bio. Even if it seems innocuous, such as an allergy or a move, it is still personal info and may not be used in a bio. 2
Put a positive spin on things! Let s give the reader an uplifting message rather than an upsetting one. Please avoid saying anything that reads too negatively about an animal s previous experience. Some of the stories in the notes are heartbreaking and it is natural to want to share the background of an animal, but that can easily turn into something overwhelmingly negative, and that is not the kind of impression we want to make. Also, while it is great to convey the animal s eagerness to find a loving home, please don t suggest that the animal is unhappy or desperate to leave the shelter. Please do not write anything that encourages cats to be outside or dogs to be outside by themselves. Even if the notes say that it was an outdoor cat, it is our policy not to encourage cats to be outside. This would extend to the phrase, likes being outdoors. We don t want to encourage any patron to keep an animal outdoors. This can also apply to dogs, but that s more a matter of common sense. For a dog it would be acceptable to say something like, leash walks or fetching or playing in the yard with his human. As long as you include the patron in the outdoor activity with the dog, it is fine. We don t want to give the impression that any animal should be left outdoors alone. Make sure to keep each section to a length of one to two lines in the web memo. There is minimal space on the bio card. If you need to make one section 3 lines long, then another should be limited to 1 line so words will not be cut off when printed. Do not call attention to an animal s age unless the animal is very young. Also, please refrain from alluding to the animal s weight even in humorous ways -- if the pet is overweight. Avoid using an animal s name. The name is already printed on the bio card and doesn t need to take up space in the written bio. Avoid using seasonal and holiday references in the bio. An animal s stay with us may extend beyond a holiday or into a new season, and such references quickly can make the bio seem out of date. Also, because an animal may go live with a patron and later be returned to us, a bio referring to the time of year can seem out of sync when the former bio reappears at the time the animal goes back up for adoption. Animals on Hold If a Hold is listed on the Animals w/o Web Memos sheet ( Adoptions, Headstart, Offsite, Vet Tech, etc.), or on its Chameleon page (Orange Hand in upper right corner and/or note in the, Comment box), it is fine to write the bio, unless the animal is on an Adoptions Hold for a particular person, which will be indicated when you look in the notes to read about the hold. Please don t write a bio if the pet is on hold for an individual because the person who put the animal on Hold may become concerned if we add a bio to the pet s website profile. If the person does not adopt, we can write the bio later when the animal goes up for general adoption. If the animal is on a Purebred (PB) Hold, it is fine to write it because that is not a hold for a particular individual. 3
Technical Language You are welcome to read the animal s record, but please avoid technical-sounding language, such as allows all body-handling or solicits attention. It is better to use everyday language that is easily understood by the general public. Finally, the overall spirit of Dumb Friends League bios should be: Upbeat (please avoid sad or gloomy material) Inviting Optimistic about the animals bright futures Priority should be for older animals and those who have been here the longest. Puppies and kittens move through quickly, so writing about the youngest ones should come only after you have written about the others. Bonded Pairs and other stipulations. If the animal's record uses the word "bonded," as in "bonded with A#..." or "bonded pair," then that animal will be going home with the partner animal. Please include in the Special Features section the name and A# of the bonded buddy. For example: Loves his best friend Angus (A0687321) and they would do best in a home together! 1. The fact that animals arrived at the shelter together does not necessarily mean they are a bonded pair. Let the Comment Box on the animal s main page be your guide: Unless the comments specifically include such stipulations as, Adopt out with A0------, Bonded with A0------, Single dog home, Single cat home, No-cat household, No small children, or, No children under age 12, please don t include them in the bio. If they do appear in the Comment Box, please include them. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! Please print bios and proofread them, making sure the full bio appears on the card and there are no errors. Sick animals. If you notice that an animal is sick or hurt in any way, please report it immediately to a staff member. Please refrain from using the world friendly. Use related words for the animal, such as outgoing, loyal, loving, sweet, receptive, faithful, etc. Even if staff members or volunteers describe the animal as being friendly, please reword it in the bio. 4
There will always be questions as to whether something is appropriate to cover or how to phrase something, so please do not hesitate to inquire. Staff will be happy to assist you. Bio Examples: Cats: Example 1- a cat with no issues Favorite Things: Feather toys and ping pong balls, chin scratches, and hanging out up high where she can watch the world around her. Special Features: Uses the litterbox at the shelter with no issues, easy-going, lives well with cats*, and has adorable tiny ears! *I put lives well with cats in this example because the cat is doing well at the shelter and did well with cats previously. Dream Home: A loving home with humans to play and nap with. A home with another cat would be fine too! Example 2- a cat with limited vision Favorite Things: Getting head scratches, a comfortable lap, and being adored. Special Features: Sweet and outgoing; a history of enjoying living with well mannered children. Uses the litterbox and will greet you at the door after a long day at work. Cataracts limit his vision but that doesn t slow him down once he knows his surroundings. Dream Home: A quiet home where he can be the only pet and spend his days napping or in your lap. Dogs: Example 1- a dog with severe separation anxiety Favorite Things: Hiking or going on a run, playing fetch, and taking car rides. Special Features: An outgoing dog who has had some obedience training and will let you know when he needs to go outside. Heels well on the leash and will always bring the ball back to you for another throw! Dream Home: A cat-free home with active owners who can take him on their daily adventures and keep him feeling safe. Example 2- a dog with no issues Favorite Things: Leash walks, treats, and car rides. Special Features: Knows basic commands and is housetrained. Did well with children in her previous home. 5
Dream Home: She isn t too picky: a home with lots of love and daily walks is all she seeks! Getting Started: 1. Selecting a Computer The Chameleon program can be accessed in either the office or any of the adoption counseling rooms. Check with the adoption counselor at the dog or cat desk to secure an available room. If you share your shift with k-web volunteers who need an office computer, please use a counseling room. If you are not working during your regularly scheduled shift time, please remember that the office computers go first to those who are scheduled. To log on to a computer in the office or an adoption room: Username: adopt Password: dd39fl (all lowercase) 2. Login to Chameleon To access Chameleon, click the yellow dog s head on the computer desktop. Then login: Location: Q Userid: adopt (will show up in CAPS even though typed in lowercase) Password: dd39fl (all lowercase) 3. Run a Report in Chameleon 6
In the top toolbar, click on reports and then on run a report. Then scroll down to CC-Adopt Animals w/o Web Memos and click OK. 7
Then enter the shelter you are working in (Quebec Street or Buddy Center) Then enter the animal you will be writing about (cats, dogs, or both) Click OK. 4. Print the Report. Click the print icon on the menu bar. Writing a Memo: When the print menu pops up, click OK. 1. Gathering information. To gather information on an animal, you will need to access the animal s kennel page. 8
Kennel Page. To access this page, you will need to click on Windows on the Chameleon toolbar and then click Kennel. Push F11 to clear the screen. Then enter the animal s A number in the Animal ID box and push F12 to find. 9
On the Kennel page there are a few places to find information. a. Intake Information. This area will let you know how the animal came to the shelter (lost and found, a former owner, transfer, etc.). b. Dog s Head. This only needs to be looked at if the animal was brought in by a former owner, which you will find out in Intake Info. c. To Do. This box is mainly for dogs and can provide comments on the animal s personality, mainly the dog walking entries. d. Comment. This box can also provide information on the animal. Here is where you will find homing restrictions such as only dog home, no children, or bonded pair information. e. Notes. This is a great place to find comments on why the animal is here, personality traits, interaction with others, etc. Watch for notes added by our photographers, which are often found under, Marketing in the animal s Notes section. f. Photo. Click here to get an idea of what the animal looks like to help write a unique bio. (See following page for a letter key showing each of these areas.) 10
Spend a few minutes with the animal. If you do not find any info about the animal in the notes you might try going to the kennel and looking at the animal, or try spending a few minutes with him/her. With the cats, you might offer a toy or see how they relate to the other animals in the colonies. Try giving a dog a few cues like sit, down, shake, or paw to see what they might know. Are they sweet and outgoing? Timid and shy? Energetic or laid-back? etc. If you are spending one-on-one time with an animal, please make sure to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer between each interaction. Also, please use this guide of progression in order to help prevent cross-contamination: Cats 1 st -- visit Healthy Cat Single Kennels 2 nd -- visit Healthy Cat Colonies 3 rd -- visit TLC Single Kennels 4 th -- visit TLC Cat Colonies Dogs 1 st -- visit Healthy Dog Kennels 2 nd -- visit TLC Dogs 11
Ask a Staff Member. If they are not busy with patrons, ask staff members to give you their take on some of the animals on your list. They might know that little special something to give your bio a spark! Write down your observations in a note memo. If a NOTE memo already exists, use the space below the previous message to date and type your note (sweet boy, loves belly rubs) and conclude with your initials and title (cmd/vol). Press F8 to save your addition to the note. If no note memo has been created, open the Memo Page by clicking on the Animal ID box (where the animal s A number is), and then push F4. In the new window, press the note button to the right of the question mark. Type NOTE in the Type box. Then Click in the NOTE text box and date and type your note (lively girl, enjoys chasing da bird cat toy). Conclude it with your initials and title (cmd/vol) and use F9 to save the NOTE. (See instructions for writing bio, below. This process is similar but doesn t use the template.) 2. To write the bio, open the Memo Page. Click in the Animal ID box (same box you put the animal s A number) and then push F4. In the new window, press the note button to the right of the question mark. Type WEB in the Type box. Then type WEB MEMO in the template box. And press F4. Then select the web memo in the pop up screen. Chameleon should now look like this- 12
Type your headline in the first line, replacing the words INSERT HEADER HERE Then make sure cap lock is off and write each section of your bio. Once you have completed and proofread your bio, push F9 to save. After pushing F9, check the list below to make sure the web bio has appeared in the list. If you wish to check the bio after closing out of the memo window, click 13
Printing a Bio Card: on the memo icon (e in the illustration on page 12). To correct a mistake, double click on your bio entry, make the correction, and then push F8 to save. Important Note! Do NOT update bios between :20-:27 of the hour!! This is when Chameleon is processing and your memos will not show up on the web. To begin a new bio, push F11 to clear the screen. 1. Run a Report. Follow the same step as when printing the list of Animals w/o Web Memos. On the main Chameleon toolbar, click report then run a report. Select Adoption Bio (mult animals), which is third from the top. Click OK. Enter each animal s A number in the Enter a Value box and click the arrow to move it into the Selected Values box. Do not enter more than six animals at a time or the memos will not print. Once all your animals are entered, click OK. 14
2. Print, Proof and Place Bio Cards Once Chameleon has processed the memos in a new window, click the print icon. Proofread the bios. Use the paper cutter to cut the printed sheets into individual bios. Then place the new bio cards on the fronts of the kennels, replacing the old cards and putting them in the recycle bin. Kennel numbers are printed at the very bottom of the bio card underneath the animal s picture for your convenience. 15