Serving your community and promoting your practice (Proceedings)

Most veterinarians desire to do well while doing good. I have found that community outreach programs that simultaneously promote my practice help our team fulfill that desire. To this end, we strive to stay engaged with our community's needs and attempt to be proactive wherever there is opportunity to lead. The following are some of the programs we have successfully used over the past fifteen years.

Host an open house

Each year since I started my practice in 1993, we have hosted an Open House and Pet Health Fair. The event has grown so that now we consistently have 250 to 300 visitors during the busiest three hours you can imagine! Each year we have a theme (senior care, nutrition and supplements, laser surgery, video endoscopy, etc) anchored by a 20-minute lecture from me on the theme. We provide guided hospital tours, pet and owner games, face-painting, prizes (lots!), free food for two- and four-legged attendees and local animal rescue groups. We've had Elvis impersonators, professional wrestlers (two!), gorillas (well, at least a gorilla suited person), lots of alligators, snakes and spiders, a dog that painted and many and various service dogs. The key is to make it consistent. Each year our community expects and looks forward to the big party. Our clients often bring friends (and future clients) and family to "show off" their veterinary hospital. We pay our staff for their time and train everyone on their expected tasks during open house. We have a written script for the guided tours and orchestrate almost every minute and movement of our team. By consistently hosting an open house, you 1) get better at it 2) your community comes to expect it 3) you force yourself to improve your facility and 4) you can promote pet care issues both internally and externally.

Christmas pet pictures

I started my practice on August 30, 1993. That December, I hosted my first Open House and Pet Pictures with Santa Paws. Since then, our annual charity fund raising event "Pictures with Santa Paws" has grown tremendously. We created at 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1998 (Prayer for Animals Foundation) to formally collect and distribute funds to those in need. We now use these monies to aid families or organizations in need. The event now lasts two hours and is complete with "Santa Paws" (me dressed in a Santa suit), lots of goodies and a festive atmosphere. Our staff donates their time and talent and we ask for a donation of $5 for the picture. We use a digital camera now (for years we used a Polaroid) and print the 4x6" pictures on a small color printer. It takes about five to ten minutes for the client to receive their pet's photos. We typically have 50 to 80 pets attend. That's a lot of work for Santa Paws! This is a simple way to promote the generosity of your clinic during the holiday season.

Community Christmas tree lighting and food and toy drives

In 1995 was bummed that our small town didn't have a holiday event. I started talking to other business owners and created our first annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting event in 1996. Our team sang some wacky pet-themed carols that first year along with traditional caroling and we lit up a modest tree in the center of our town. We collected canned goods, food and toys for area needy families. Since then, the event is now a hallmark of our area's holiday season and our hospital is known as the leading force behind the event and food and toy drive. If you see a need in your community or just need an excuse to gather people, fill it! Even if it doesn't directly involve pets, it involves the other half of our profession – people – and your hospital will be seen as contributing beyond your business interests (and that's a great thing).

Each holiday season we also coordinate a food drive and collections for needed equipment or upgrades for our county animal shelter. We advertise in the newspaper and on various electronic bulletin boards. We take truck loads of goods to the shelter and have always been welcomed with enthusiastic media coverage. Consistency in these events also goes a long way toward ensuring god media responses.

Halloween party

We've held a few Pet Halloween parties over the year. The reason that we haven't held them more consistently is because Open House is held the first Saturday in November and Pictures with Santa Paws and the Christmas Tree Lighting are the first weekend in December. We've experienced "volunteer fatigue" when we've asked our staff to do four events in quick succession in the past. If you have the time and your hospital schedule isn't too crowded, I strongly encourage you to have a Halloween party for pets. We have too few opportunities to party with our pets and this is a simple an inexpensive way to share your love of pets with your community. I've dressed up as a "mad veterinarian" and a "hobo vet" and our staff has really gotten creative! We decorate our hospital as a haunted vet hospital and have different exam rooms decorated as scary (but only a little) rooms. We offer special treats (litter box cookies, eye-ball rolls, etc.) and prizes for outlandish costumes.

Spay day

Our hospital is constantly inundated with requests for low-cost spays and neuters. To serve our community without compromising our schedule or profitability, several years ago we began hosting a Spay Day. During one day, we offer low-cost spay and neuter services. This program went through a local animal shelter and identified needy families. This program has grown into a county-wide effort today with many area veterinary hospitals participating. By offering a Spay Day, we are able to explain to clients requesting low-cost services that we do this on a specific date each year. If they are unable to wait and take advantage of this program, we at least are viewed as being somewhat helpful and addressing low-income families.

I have found Spay Day to be the most effective means of dealing with the requests of numerous animal rescue groups and shelters. While we can't give every organization everything they'd like, we are viewed as being proactive and sympathetic. I encourage you to be proactive on these issues and not piece-meal your efforts into a largely inefficient, ineffective and ultimately unprofitable venture.

Local emergency medical services teams

One of our most highly publicized outreach programs occurred two years ago when we purchased pet rescue breathing masks for the surrounding local EMS teams. Our doctors then went and gave a two-hour pet CP, emergency care and rescue training program for all EMS personnel. Television, newspapers and radio all picked up the story. I encourage you to talk with your local EMS teams and see what their needs are and how you can help.

Natural disasters and personal tragedies

My clinic has seen over nine hurricanes in my fifteen-year tenure. During almost every storm, there have been needs in our community. Whenever storms, fires, floods or worse strike, be prepared to lend a hand. The lives you'll touch will generate extreme goodwill and positive coverage. Our Prayer for Animals non-profit organization has raised funds for victims of hurricanes, fires, floods and tornadoes over the years. Your community revels in the fact that their local veterinary hospital is trying to make a difference.

Getting the word out about your event

Whatever you do for your community, be sure to get media coverage. Two to three weeks prior to the event, put together a press release detailing the event and providing contact information. A short 300-word summary is generally sufficient. If you have pictures of previous events, send them with the press release to let the editor or writer better understand the story angle and suggestions for media coverage. Target local television, newspapers, radio stations, cable-television bulletin boards and large community newsletters. Compile a database of email a d fax contacts so you can quickly distribute your press releases.

After the event, send another press release and digital photos. Give the number of attendees or value of contributions, any heart-warming stories that resulted from the event and contact information. If you worked with a third party such as a local rescue group, ask permission to send press releases on their behalf. Most small organizations don't know how to adequately promote an event and will welcome your assistance and expertise.

If you don't get coverage, contact your local media outlets and ask them why. Many times you'll find that your press release arrived too late or on the wrong desk. Over the years we've learned who has an interest in pet-related stories and tend to send our stories to those individuals first.

Daily outreach efforts to promote your practice

Want to wow your clients during simple everyday activities using inexpensive materials? Today's savvy clients expect, and deserve, your best. What can you do beyond meeting or exceeding these expectations? These easy-to-create exciting client surprises may be the prescription to reignite client enthusiasm and increase positive word-of-mouth referrals in your busy practice. Simple, effective and profitable – three of my favorite words.

Try these time-honored ideas from Seaside Animal Care:

For pets boarding with you

• Camp Seaside Letter

• My Big Stay

• Holiday Surprises – don't focus only on the big holidays; celebrate "Work like a Dog" Day and more!

• "We Promise" Cards that detail your clinic's boarding policies and what "you promise to provide" pets that are boarded

• Mother's Day and Father's Day – send home flowers, golf balls, seed packets, etc. with a "pawsonalized" note from their pet

• Christmas – order special pet cookies and treats – give one to each boarding pet and send a special goodie home along with personalized cards to the pet parents from their pets; Christmas card from pet – "pawsonalized"

• Halloween – prepare Dog and Cat Treat bags to send home with pet; Litterbox cookies for your reception area refreshments and other fun and scary treats for people

For surgery and dental patients

• Dental and Surgery reports with digital photos

• My Big Day surgical discharge instructions

• Tooth Fairy Note and Tooth – send a note from the "tooth fairy" regarding any extracted teeth along with the extracted (or lost) tooth

• Dr. Ward's Defense Training Certificate for dogs and cats involved in fights

For new clients

• "Thank You" cards for new clients – signed by all staff members

• Specialty cookies with personalized cards from your hospital

• Picture frames for pet's picture – dog and cat specialty frames

• Chocolates – with your logo and business card – available from many online merchants

• Seaside SuperStar letter

• Website pet picture – on your hospital website

• New client information / brochures / informational packets – hospital brochures updated at least annually – IMPORTANT

• Hospital Magnets

• "Pets Inside" window stickers to alert emergency services personnel

For puppies and kittens

• Sweet 16 Program – Socialization Program

• Graduation Certificates – given at end of initial vaccination series

• Pet Identification Cards

Special events

• Pictures with Santa Paws during Christmas

• Christmas Food Drive for Needy Pets

• Halloween Parties

• Dog Jogs – one mile run/walk charity event

• Open House

• Pet Health Fair – we combine with our annual Open House

• Needy Pets Fundraiser

• Pet Gala Fundraiser

• Pet Fashion Show

• Client Appreciation Dinner / Party – Top 10, 100 or 250

Bandanas

• Make them seasonally coordinated – flowery in spring, pumpkins in fall, Christmas-themed, patriotic during July, etc.

• Use sporting seasons for bandanas – football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR, etc.

• Make them FUN!

• Use pinking shears to cut out

• Cut three sizes – small (cats, 0-20 lbs), medium (20-50 lbs) and large (50+ lbs)

Make sure to have fun each day in some way with your staff and clients. Get creative; don't be afraid to be too corny or silly! People love celebrating with their pet loved ones – encourage the goofiness! By offering these surprises, you will enhance the bond between client and your hospital and generate goodwill and positive word-of-mouth. Good luck and remember – the sillier it seems – the better it usually is!