Get your ads in front of the right eyes.
A great ad doesn't help if no one sees it. These platforms and publishing strategies help you display your dogs where the right people will find them.
Where, when, and how you publish decides whether your dog gets seen — these three dimensions must not be overlooked.
Where to publish your ads.
International
Facebook Marketplace & Groups
Post in local rehoming and rescue groups — huge organic reach within your community.
Visual-first platform ideal for dog photos and Reels — use adoption hashtags to widen reach.
TikTok
Short, fun videos spread fast — a playful clip of a dog can go viral and reach thousands of new adopters.
YouTube
Post adoption videos and Shorts — a great way to show a dog's personality and reach a huge audience.
Petfinder
The largest US adoption listing site — most adopters search here first. Free for shelters and rescues.
Adopt-a-Pet
North America's largest non-profit pet adoption website, syncing listings across many partner sites.
GetBuddy
A pet search engine that pools adoptable dogs from shelters and rescues across the US — adopters filter by breed, size, age, and distance.
Chewy
Chewy's rescue and shelter network puts adoptable dogs in front of millions of pet owners nationwide — partners also get supply and food support.
Nextdoor
Reach verified neighbors directly — great for local adoption events, urgent placements, and building trust street by street.
Turn holidays & seasons into adoption momentum.
Publishing has more impact when it aligns with human emotion. Holidays, celebration days, and seasons already put people in a warm, generous mood — here they are, sorted by country, with dates and advertising ideas.
Every season brings its own flow.
Shelters in every country and region experience their own intake and adoption surges — from spring litters to summer vacation surrenders and December gift adoptions. Knowing this rhythm lets you put the right ad in front of the right people at the right moment.
Spring — March to May
Litter season & spay/neuter window
- Litter season: Unspayed animals produce large spring litters — many shelters fill with puppies, kittens and young dogs.
- Post-Easter returns: Pets given as Easter or spring-break gifts are often surrendered shortly after.
Advertise
Rally your puppy photos in volume, amplify 'Adopt don't shop', point to spring spay/neuter campaigns — and push young-dog and puppy profiles harder.
Summer — June to August
Vacation surrenders & fireworks losses
- Vacation surrenders: Some people drop their dog before going on holiday — early-summer intake climbs noticeably in many shelters.
- Fireworks panic: Major holidays (e.g. July 4th in the US) drive lost dogs into shelters within days.
Advertise
Recruit vacation fosters, post 'foster instead of surrender', run a summer foster campaign for the holiday window and share fireworks-safety tips.
Fall — September to November
Summer returns & big events
- Back-to-school returns: 'Summer dogs' come back once families underestimate the school routine or the cost of training/childcare.
- Adoption events: Fall is traditionally a season of large adoption events (e.g. Clear the Shelters in the US).
Advertise
Join large-scale events, promote 'Senior Pet Month' discounts, share 'training vs surrender' stories — and double your publish frequency during event windows.
Winter — December to February
Gift adoptions & January returns
- December adoptions: Gift adoptions climb around the holidays sharply — an opportunity, but also a risk (pets as surprises).
- January returns: Shortly after the holidays, many gift pets land back in the shelter.
Advertise
Run an 'adopt don't gift' campaign, offer pre-adoption conversations, push senior dogs around Adopt a Senior Pet Month (Nov) and stage a Valentine's Day push.
Let us advertise your dogs for you.
Upload your dog database or link to it. Choose the advertising channels you prefer in your country. Better Together For Dogs will then take care of publishing your dogs for you.
Not ready to use yet — work in progress
We're still working on this section, so it isn't ready to use yet. We would also appreciate help — if you'd like to get involved, please reach out.
Your own webpage matters.
Your website is often the first impression adopters get of your dogs. It should represent them just as well as your best social media posts.
Represent your dogs well
Good photos and videos matter on your website just as much as everywhere else. A dog listed with only a blurry kennel photo gets far fewer inquiries than one with several clear, inviting images and a short video.
A filter section eases matching
A filter section (by size, age, energy level, compatibility with kids or other pets) can drastically reduce the sometimes frustrating and time-consuming matching process for your staff — adopters find the right dog on their own, faster.
Petfinder Matchmaker →Did you know we can provide an online page for your dog? Check out the Ad Builder – Publish – Create ad page.
Ad Builder →Free webpage builders
Wix
Drag-and-drop editor — easiest for beginners with no design experience.
Squarespace
Polished, designer-quality templates that make your dogs look great.
WordPress.com
The most flexible option, with a huge library of plugins and themes.
Carrd
Perfect for a simple one-page site — free and fast to set up.
Google Sites
Free and integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace tools.
Weebly
Free plan with built-in e-commerce if you sell merchandise too.
Webador
Simple, beginner-friendly builder popular in Europe.
Strikingly
Built specifically for clean, mobile-friendly one-page sites.
Webflow
The most design control, with a steeper learning curve.
Tap into the reach of Influencern.
A single post from a pet influencer can reach thousands of potential adopters. Reach out to local dog and animal welfare influencers, offer them exclusive photos or stories, and invite them to adoption events.
How to find influencers
Search Instagram and TikTok for local hashtags like #adoptdontshop or #rescuedog combined with your city. Look for genuine engagement, not just follower counts.
How to reach out
Send a personal message featuring a specific dog, high-quality photos, and a clear ask — e.g. a sponsored post or a shelter visit.
Share your thoughts
The photography tutorials were a game-changer. Our adoption photos look so much more professional now.
We used the Ad Builder to create profiles for 15 dogs last week. The download quality is amazing.
