INQUIRIES COORDINATOR
Your main responsibility is to field inquiries from people interested in adopting your FP dog.
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A program of Austin Pets Alive!
You have your finger on the pulse for your FP dog. Because you know how much interest they are getting, and because you are talking to people interested in meeting the animal, you can help your Flight Crew make the adjustments improve your FP dog's prospects.
Inquiries Coordinator Eligibility & Promise
This is an ideal job for a dog-lover that can't make it to the shelter in person on the regular
You will do your best to:
Get to know your animal! Take them on walks. Take them on a field trip. Hang out in the airstream. Take them on a sleepover if you can. Get home notes!
Deep dive into your animal's behavioral and medical history with your Flow Coordinator to make sure you understand everything. Talk to your Flight Crew regularly to get any updates they might have about new tricks, quirks, outings, issues that have arisen recently. These are all things you can use in your conversation with potential adopters. "Billy just went on the trail last week with one of our Ruff Trail Runners and it turns out he's part fish! He couldn't resist the lake and had a blast swimming all day." or "Billy has been going to playgroup regularly to work on his relationships with other dogs, but is probably better suited for a home full of cats.";
Check your email regularly and respond to inquiries from Potential Adopters (PA's) within 48 hours;
Help your PA set up an appointment with a Matchmaker to meet your animal;
Work with your Flow Coordinator to be sure you have a clear and deep understanding of your FP dog's medical, behavioral, and placement histories so that you can discuss these things with Potential Adopters (PA's)
Introduce your dog to the Foster and Adoption Matchmakers to facilitate any interactions they have with PA's or PF's (Potential Fosters);
Work with your Flow Coordinator on the "Canned Response" in your FP dog's Matchmaker Summary and keep it up to date; and,
Report to your Flow Coordinator on your FP dog's inquiries, prospects and anything you think your dog needs to become more adoptable.
Inquiries Coordinator Time Commitment
You might spend anywhere from 15 to 75 minutes each week as follows:
Roughly 5 to 15 minutes checking in with your Flow Coordinator or your Flight Crew for any updates might impact how you talk about your FP dog;
Roughly 10 to 30 minutes each week answering emails from Potential Adopters (PA's). This is entirely dependent upon how traditionally desirable your dog is. (eg, big floofy dogs, small floofy dogs, and popular "breeds" will get a lot of inquiries);
Roughly 5 to 15 minutes reporting to your Flow Coordinator on your FP dog's inquiries that week and any ideas you have to improve your FP dog's adoptability.
While there can be only one Inquiries Coordinator, you can have as many people as you want on your team. For example, if you know you need to be off-the-grid for a couple of weeks, you can have a team member step in for you. Or if you want to share answering inquiries with another person, you can set up a google group and have inquiries directed there so you can both answer them. And of course, if you don't have a backup in place and need a break, you can always ask to have inquiries directed to the adoption staff to handle them for you.
The Inquiry Process
A Potential Adopter goes to the APA! website and clicks the "Adopt Me" button on your animal's profile.
When they do that, it sends an email to a group of volunteers that field those inquiries.
When those volunteers see the animal has a Flight Crew Inquiries Coordinator, they will forward that inquiry to you.
You will write the Potential Adopter (PA) back to begin a conversation about the animal and how well-suited their lifestyle / home setup / energy level is to your animal.
If it's a good fit (yay!), then you will help them set up an appointment with a Matchmaker using this form to come in and meet your animal in person. Or, if you are trained and approved by the Adoption Team, you can introduce them to the dog yourself.
Sometimes people show up in person and apply to adopt your animal right then. In that case, The Inquiries Coordinator will be notified when preadopt/prefoster training sessions begin (if they are required) and at the time of adoption - so you can celebrate and possibly even make it down to the shelter to send them off and get great pics of your success!
How the conversation with a Potential Adopter might go:
PA Email: "Hi, I'd like to know more about 'Dog.'"
Your Email Reply A: "Great! Here's what we know about his background and his terrific personality! He may have some behavioral quirks / needs, and our Behavior Team can talk to you about those after you've met him!" (You can use this Inquiry Response template to shape your email to them.)
Your Email Reply B: "Great! Let's hop on the phone and chat about 'Dog!' When's good for you?"
Without making it feel like a barrier or an interrogation, below are questions you might ask to help you and the Potential Adopter determine if they are a good fit for "Dog:"
I'd love to hear more about your home set-up to see if he would be a good fit for you! Please answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible and I'll get back to you after I receive them!
How soon are you looking to adopt?
Any preference on age, size, gender, or energy level of the dog?
Do you live in a house, apartment, duplex, or condo?
Do you have a fenced yard?
Do you have any breed restrictions?
If in an apartment, on what floor do you live? Are there hallways or stairwells that are shared with other units?
How many people are in the home
What are their ages?
Any children visiting or that the dog would need to meet now or in the future?
How often do you have visitors?
How many hours per day do you anticipate the dog will be home alone?
Do you have any other pets in the home?
If yes, what kind of animals do you have in the home? Are your resident animals spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations?
What type of activities would you like to do with your dog (i.e. running, hiking, couch companion, patio restaurants, dog parks)?
Is it a priority for you that the dog has the potential to go to dog parks or patio settings?
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