Sunday, September 6, 2009

Hearts On Noses is Advertising!!


Okay i made the big leap and spent some of the pigs money on advertising for both volunteers and financial support. "Think like a business", they tell me so relying on the monthly media attention we get from our local papers for years now on everything from the flood to community support like our shed delivery. And Craig Spences novel idea, or our pigs kissing principles all over the lower mainland does not bring the pigs any really huge public support. Our ad worth thousands is a one time deal as the price we got in itself is a miracle alone so with added prayers I hope to get the help with it "we" as in the pigs and I need!

Today's third phone call generated from the first ad last Tuesday i can't return because the number left on the answering machine is not clear. ;o(( The first call wanting a couple of pigs and the second from a genuine kind man who spoke with love of the pig they once had.

With the advertising and the articles in the papers this sanctuary has generated over the years i know had i of been rescuing cats or dogs we would surely be living in the Sanctuary of our dreams. I love cats and dogs and share my life with them and help in that field when i can but NO one is helping pigs or farm animals in B.C. in a big way. And it is not for lack of trying , let me tell you!!!!!!!!!

I even wrote one of the bigger players here in B.C. who works to change the laws of animals in production but basically got the " i must be doing something wrong" letter with a list of recommendations of how to proceed. HAHA Thanks , but i am doing the job 24/7 here and by writing you i was doing just that and trying to get you see the need for this Sanctuary to succeed in B.C. We are working for the same thing. I just live with, the animals your trying to change laws for. My first pig Willy would say " humpf " here.

Yes we do get support , yes the pigs have money in the bank but we are only maintaining the current work here. We need more to expand, help more, build a medical facility , an education center, provide tours for children, young adults and seniors.

I am more then grateful for EVERY person , dollar and visitor that comes threw here . If not for YOU the animals who live here now would not be safe. But what about the ones at the auction standing there in fear , smelling the death that surrounds them. And those left behind on abandoned properties waiting for someone like me??? The little goats and mini horse's the donkeys who were kids pets now wondering why they ended up in the slaughter line. Where is the darn family who left them to die this way , I need to be here!!!!!!!! Please please help me save them, save more .. i am ready to start crying now so I need to go out to a pig now that we saved .. spread the word for this little Sanctuary.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Janice, who is this guy with the ear tufts?

Also: yes--thinking like a business. That's a good idea. I wonder if you can hook up with some local schools for field trips (and ask for a small donation from the parents)...
I don't know how you do it all. It's just amazing. Amazing.

Janice Gillett said...

That is my Rose , isn't she beautiful!!

Thinking like a business were words spoken to me over ten years ago by Pigs A Sanctuary. And of course HONS is run like any small business, and at the end of the year the works goes to the Accountant. We work our strategies ,marketing , awareness, and presentation. Coming from another Society at this stage in an insult to me.
The pigs and i are living on an acreage worth well over half a million that I bought alone and my career has been in customer service and management for 30 years. All which work hand in hand with the Sanctuary.

However if there is no interest in what your marketing any entrepreneur would of closed this idea up and moved on to something more profitable. And what I am trying to say here that no matter how much you sink into a vested idea , if that product is not marketable and you have no interest in what your trying to sell, you close.

With the threat of H1N1 the Sanctaury is closed to any big events/ tours on site. I am still allowing some visitors and volunteers by appoinrtment only.

The animals must be protected from getting sick and who knows what the almighty pork industry might have my vets do ofthey did.

As you can tell from my last post here i have my days LOL

My mom reminds me of all the support we do get and how much i have accomplished over these years. I am italian and impatient however and want to do more.

sobe said...

Janice, stupid question maybe but...are the vegan movements in Vancouver aware of you and your sanctuary?

if not, email me and maybe I can do up a letter to them asking for support/fundraisers for HONS

Just a thought

Caroline

Janice Gillett said...

Its not a stupid question and i appreciate every ones comments. I am not sure if they know about us or not to be honest with you. If you could do a little net working on our behalf i would be so very gratful.
With all the exposure we get I am forever surprised when people say they never heard of us lol. I swear it, i am in the media every month for something. Last month the new Blueberry Publication put in a two page spread for us and on top of that offered a free ad for anyone who sponcored a pig. They offered free advertising for that company in the following publication. Not one business in Maple Ridge took them up on that offer.
Been on Shaw Tv a few times, Global and Nationinal as well from back when we first started to the flood here in 2007. We were just on Shaw this summer again. If not from the work and support from the cat and dog rescue community we would be still swabbing the mud. We put on open houses and garage sales twice a year which don't even bring us in 400.00 if we are lucky over two day events. Donation tins get ripped off all the time.
Winter is really hard here and perhaps facing this is what has got me so down. I didn't sell the acreage and hope brought rebuilding so the work would be easeir for me is not likley to happen now. I face what i went threw last year with more animals and no committed help during the week.

dirtyduck said...

hi! that is piggy...we have a million names for her, little scooper, snotty girl, princess butt. i had a question about her though. i know pigs can get pushy but she sometimes goes a little to far. we use a spray bottle to make sure she stops. sometimes if she gets food she wasnt supposed to get she goes a little crazy. i think that prevention is the best fix for this. i am just thinking about when she is big enough to easily get things of the coffee table. do you think i can succesfully teach her not to?

dirtyduck said...

and that is one cute pig! there will be a time in my future when i can help out organizations more, right now i can only say the words thank you.