WEST SENECA, N.Y. — Now that Christmas is on the way some parents are looking to gift their youngster with a pet this year. Looking for that perfect pet is always ideal, but what about the ones that aren't as appealing?
They're not the most attractive and may not be in the best of shape, but every pet deserves a loving home. Especially animals that are often looked over.
"Perhaps it's an animal that just had surgery and maybe that animal is not looking their best. Maybe it's an animal that had to have some shaving done at a spa day, and maybe that animal isn't looking his best," says Erie County's SPCA chief communication officer, Gina Luttuca.
It's similar to Eeyroe and his colossal teeth at the City of Buffalo's Animal Shelter. But special social media posts could help land Eeyore a "furever home." It's a trend the Erie County SPCA is following.
"If different trends are going around, not just our region but all over the country, we jump on those immediately," Luttuca says.
Trends like this cat posing for a make-believe Time Magazine or partaking in the Taylor Swift challenge.
"Sometimes it's just those pictures alone that bring people in to adopt those specific animals, all of a sudden, all of those aesthetic qualities that might be considered a hindrance goes out the window," Luttuca says.
She continued: "There is a science out there about photographing shelter animals. What works and what doesn't? One benefit here at the SPCA is having the luxury of a website that's updated in real time."
But Luttuca says sometimes appearance isn't what keeps dogs from being adopted. Sometimes it's their behavior.