WRITING AN EFFECTIVE BIO

Why is the bio important?
	The biography describing the dog is the first interaction that potential adopters have with each dog when they visit our website.  For this purpose, they should be positive and upbeat with a focus on how the dog can add value to their life.  The bios are used as a ‘hook’ to encourage adopters to take the next step of meeting the dog.  Once you are face-to-face, it is the responsibility of the adoption counselor and foster parents to explain all facets of the dog’s personality.

When should the bio be updated?
While a dog is in OBG’s care, it’s important to keep the bio updated during several key stages from intake to adoption (see Phase 2 of the Get Well Plan).  During every stage of the process, we should be certain to include as much information as we have on the dog, while still keeping a positive spin.  As you learn more about your dog and its behaviors, the bio should be updated to reflect that information.

What makes a good bio?
A good bio should only be 2-3 short paragraphs.  The basic rule of thumb for reading from web pages is that if the reader has to scroll down, they will lose interest and move on.  Therefore, we encourage you to keep statements factual, to the point and succinct.
Paragraph #1 – Building Rapport and Sympathy - Introduce the dog and give any background we have including whether the dog came from an animal shelter or if the dog was an owner turn-in.  This should include any history and/or give-up reason that will make potential adopters feel for the dog.  Here are some examples:

Rover’s family fell on hard times and could no longer afford to keep him.  They were heartbroken as they said their last goodbyes to him, but found some consolation in the fact that OBG is committed to finding a loving home for their little boy.

Poor Fido was confined to the basement with no attention and little care because the family lost interest in him when he was no longer a puppy.  Finally, when he was so dirty and stinky the family could no longer tolerate him, he ended up on death row at the animal shelter.   OBG came to the rescue and now he is receiving lots of playtime and TLC in his foster home while waiting for a forever home.

We don’t know what happened to Ruff before he ended up at the animal shelter, but based on his appearance, he had suffered from neglect for a very long time.

Any negative information that is available should either not be included or be worded to assist in defining an ideal home environment for the dog.  Examples include:

NOT “Spot’s favorite snacks were the children in the home” 
INSTEAD “Spot would prefer an adult only home.”

NOT “Trouble is so bad he needs an owner that knows how to work with a difficult dog” 
INSTEAD “Trouble would love a home with experienced dog owners.”

NOT “Tornado was given up because his activity level left his last family exhausted and they could not deal with him chewing their furniture” 
INSTEAD “Tornado is your typical busy puppy that would love an active home and an adopter who is willing to work with him to teach him some household manners.”

Paragraph #2 – Facts About the Dog – Include information that is important to the dog’s way of life as well as any current health issues.  

Crate trained ▪ sleeping area ▪ daytime area ▪ good with kids ▪ dog friendly ▪
potty trained ▪ cat friendly ▪ personality traits ▪

Please be sure to keep all information positive.  If the dog is not housebroken, indicate that “Morris is actively working hard on his housetraining” rather than writing that he is “not housebroken.”  Also be sure to update the bio as soon as the dog is housebroken.  If you do not know yet if the dog is housebroken, then do not mention it in the bio.
Cute, original anecdotes draw people in - like stories of dogs that bark at themselves in the mirror, get excited and bark at dogs on TV, sleep on their backs with all 4 legs up in the air or those that like to snuggle up with their kitty friends.
Medical issues should be included to the best of our knowledge at the time of the bio and include information on future care.  The information should be kept short and simple, taking care to avoid discussing details about medications, etc.  These details can be shared once the adopter contacts you.  An example is:

“Cutie-Pie appears to have a cataract in his eye and we will be having that cataract evaluated by a specialist.  Meanwhile, we are pleased to tell you that he can still see and that he is not letting this cataract slow him down one bit.”  

	Paragraph #3 – Summary & Special Requirements - Sum up the dog on an upbeat note, including any specific requirements for the adopter not previously listed such as a fenced-in yard, experienced dog owners, etc.

Do you have any other pointers?
	If you want to get creative, write the bio from the dog’s perspective.  Bios written in this manner tend to get a lot of positive attention and can allow for more creativity.  Once you’ve completed the bio, ask a friend or family member to read it and find out if it would persuade them to contact the foster family.  The end result of every bio should be something that makes people want to know more about the dog.  This will start your foster dog on the path to adoption.