CalAnimals Launches "It's a Sign" Advertising Campaign to Increase Pet Adoptions

Three-Month Pilot Campaign Will Encourage Californians to Find Their Next Pet at a Local Shelter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals) today announced the launch of "It's a Sign," a new public awareness advertising campaign designed to encourage more Californians to adopt pets from animal shelters. The three-month pilot campaign will begin June 15 and run throughout Los Angeles and Riverside Counties in both English and Spanish.

The campaign comes at a critical time for California animal shelters, many of which continue to care for large numbers of homeless pets while facing adoption rates that have not kept pace with incoming animals.

According to industry data, only 30 percent of people acquiring a pet obtain that pet from a shelter or rescue organization. The majority acquire pets elsewhere, representing a significant opportunity to connect prospective pet owners with the thousands of healthy, adoptable animals already waiting in California shelters. Even modest increases in the percentage of Californians choosing shelter adoption could translate into thousands of additional pets finding homes each year.

Rather than focusing on shelter overcrowding or asking consumers to "do a good deed," the "It's a Sign" campaign takes a lighthearted and imaginative approach. The campaign, developed by Off Madison Ave, a global creative collective, playfully suggests that when people begin noticing shapes, images, and unexpected reminders of dogs and cats in everyday life, it might just be a sign that it's time to visit a shelter and meet their new best friend.

Advertisements feature familiar objects and scenes that appear to resemble pets in surprising ways, encouraging viewers to see the world through the eyes of someone who may be ready to welcome a new companion into their life.

"We know that most people looking for a pet are not visiting their local shelters and we wanted to find out why," said Jill Tucker, CEO of CalAnimals. "Our research has shown that many people avoid visiting shelters because they expect the experience to be sad. 'It's a Sign' is designed to replace those perceptions with something positive, fun, and memorable while reminding people that incredible pets are waiting in shelters every day."

Animal shelters offer a wide variety of dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits, and other companion animals. Shelter staff and volunteers help families find pets that fit their lifestyles, and adopted animals are typically already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped—making adoption one of the most affordable and responsible ways to welcome a new pet into the family.

Los Angeles and Riverside Counties were selected for the pilot because of their high shelter intake numbers and large populations of potential adopters. The campaign is also expected to reach audiences in neighboring Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Kern Counties.

The campaign will utilize television and streaming video, Google, Meta, TikTok, paid search, radio, and other advertising platforms to reach millions of Californians. Advertisements will direct prospective adopters to www.cashelterpets.org, where they can locate nearby shelters and view adoptable pets.

CalAnimals will work with participating shelters to evaluate the campaign's impact by tracking adoption activity and other engagement metrics where available. Results from the pilot will help measure the effectiveness of the campaign, inform future refinements, and support efforts to secure additional funding for a statewide expansion.

The statewide campaign has been developed through years of research, testing, and collaboration among California animal welfare organizations. CalAnimals hopes the pilot will demonstrate the power of consumer-focused adoption marketing and encourage additional philanthropic, corporate, and community investment in expanding the effort to shelters throughout California.

"Every day, shelters have wonderful pets ready for loving homes," Tucker said. "If this campaign helps more people discover that their perfect pet is already waiting for them, it will be a tremendous success. Our hope is that the pilot will also demonstrate the value of investing in large-scale adoption marketing so that this effort can ultimately benefit shelters and communities across California."

Major contributors to this pilot campaign include Life of Riley at Spring Point, the San Francisco SPCA, Petco Love, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the ASPCA, and San Diego Humane Society.

The 30-second video advertisement for the “It’s a sign” campaign can be found here: https://offmadison.box.com/s/v8g6h39bbohna317kiva6g2uqn3ppp7u

About CalAnimals

The California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals) is the state's professional association for animal sheltering and animal welfare organizations. CalAnimals provides training, advocacy, resources, and leadership to support the humane care of animals and strengthen animal services throughout California.

Media Contact

Jill Tucker

Chief Executive Officer

California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals)

jill@calanimals.org

510-525-2744