Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Dyche.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had my own management consulting firm for 20+ years. We helped big companies like Microsoft and Verizon with their analytics and data strategies. Like many business owners, I was working 18 hour days and weekends. I remember promising myself that if I ever sold my company, I’d take time to give back.
In 2011 we were acquired by a software firm, and I made good on my promise by going to high-kill animal shelters and taking videos of dogs who needed homes. Many of these dogs were “red-listed,” which means they were scheduled for euthanasia. I would edit the videos and post them on social media, and in turn, my friends would share them with their friends.
It was grueling work: heartbreaking when they didn’t make it, and rewarding when they did. I kept data about every dog we videoed, and started seeing trends in why some dogs made it out of the shelter and why others didn’t. The data also corroborated our suspicion that videotaping shelter dogs in play yards or interacting with people and other dogs upped their chances of being seen and shared. We began consulting our data to optimize how we featured shelter dogs, which of the dog’s qualities we’d highlight, and the rescues and adopters we’d target.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We called ourselves, “Outta the Cage” for two reasons: because getting dogs out of their shelter kennels before videoing them made a big difference in their adoption rate. And because the ultimate goal was to get them “outta” the shelter cage and into loving homes.
It can be emotionally draining. While we have a 93 percent success rate (yes, the data tells us this!) getting dogs out of shelters, But the remaining 7 percent stays with you.
I’ve gotten what’s known as “compassion fatigue,” and so have our volunteers. It’s tough when you’ve spent an hour playing with an animal who hasn’t left its kennel in a month and seeing her blossom before your eyes. If you’ve had a dog, you know what it looks like when they smile and it’s fulfilling to see that happen to a dog who’s lost hope.
And then you put that animal back in her kennel, optimistic now that you’ve seen her experience joy. And a few days or weeks later the shelter puts her to sleep. Sometimes it’s because the dog has gotten too depressed and has developed behavior issues. Other times it’s because the shelter needs to free up space. Yes. really. No matter what the reason, it’s devastating news. It feels like losing a friend. You don’t get used to it.
Please tell us about Outta the Cage.
We don’t consider ourselves a “rescue” in the traditional sense. We call ourselves a “shelter animal advocacy.” Our video dogs get lots of shares and will often go viral. We find that it’s not the people we know who adopt the dogs, it’s the people THEY know. We’re really proud of the network we’ve built.
We partner with shelters and rescues to make sure the dogs we video have the best chance of getting seen. We’ll match up potential adopters with shelter volunteers or rescue organizations who can help with the “jailbreak” and get the dog out.
But from time to time a shelter manager will whisper in our ear that the dog is “next in line” (or some other code for “about to be put to sleep”). In those instances, we will often mobilize and get the dog out ourselves, then continue to network him for a rescue, foster, or adopter. Most of the dogs we’ve rescued are seniors or have medical issues and are considered “unadoptable.” But we eventually find them homes. There’s always someone for an at-risk dog. We’ve had some wonderful people step up for dogs that would have otherwise never made it.
With my background in high-tech, I’m also interested in how to apply technology to modernize shelters and get more shelter animals seen. I wrote an ebook called, “Shelter Reform in the Digital Age,” that talks about how digitization can save more lives. A lot of shelter managers and rescues are interested in the ebook’s return on investment discussion. I really do believe data can drive disruptive change in the animal shelter system.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I”m not sure I would have done anything differently. We had to learn some hard lessons. When any group of humans get together for a common purpose–whether it be eradicating hunger, distributing malaria nets, or curing cancer–there’s bound to be philosophical disagreement and politics.
But you find your tribe. We’re proud of our work, the partnerships we’ve built, and the friends we’ve made. Outta the Cage is more than a non-profit–we’re a web of individuals all contributing our skills to a common outcome.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2934 1/2 N. Beverly Glen Circle PMB 428
Los Angeles, CA 90077 - Website: http://outtathecage.org
- Phone: (818) 388-5412
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Outta the Cage
- Facebook: facebook.com/outtathecage
- Twitter: @GetEmOTC
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
