Hands down, there is no sweeter reward, then discovering the extraordinary and mission-minded ways our community is using Spark. So, when we stumbled on a user story that featured an abandoned dog, a citywide search, and a Spark Post fueled rescue, we were excited to share it with you. Read on to hear the incredible story, and learn how Spark can help you to accelerate your next mission!
This past February, a truly one of a kind app store review landed on our radar; a note from Valentine (Vali), an animal advocate and Spark user hailing from Bucharest, Romania. Vali brims with compassion for his community’s lost and forgotten pets; case in point, his beloved cat Betty, a stray he found and adopted just last year. So it comes as no surprise, that when Vali discovered a dog heartlessly dumped in the park across from his home, he stepped in to help. Tedy (as he came to be known), was found cowering in the center of a city park, where he stayed unmoving for over a week after being abandoned. When Tedy’s owner suddenly passed away, the new tenants of her building callously decided to leave him in the park.
Tedy was fearful, rejecting food and water, and crying through the night for his owner. The situation was dire, but thanks to the support of two fellow animal advocates, Alina and Mona, Vali was determined to find a home for Tedy. As Alina and Vali approached the park to bring Tedy to safety, they discovered that animal control authorities had already been called and were currently in pursuit of the scared dog. Fearing that Tedy would be captured and euthanized, a dispute ensued between Alina and the animal control officers. During the chaos, Tedy managed to escape and avoid capture. Though of course relieved that he was safe from animal control, this created a new challenge for the team, how to find Tedy. A massive search began, with volunteers pouring across the city by foot and car, but sadly to no avail.
Vali knew that to succeed in his mission, he needed a solid strategy both on the ground and on social media. A regular user of the Adobe Spark Post App, Vali set out to create posters and social posts to get the word out to his local community. Starting with a template, Vali created a poster in just a few clicks, exported his project, and printed flyers to hang around the city. He also shared on Facebook, quickly garnering over 1,000 shares. Within a few days, the calls started to pour in. “It was a really good idea to use Spark because I was able to create in a very short time. From the first use, I was impressed because it’s just really user-friendly and intuitive. You can do a lot of cool things with it, and you don’t need any special skills or tech knowledge.”
Thanks to a steady trail of messages coming from the community, and reports of Tedy in the nearby area, they knew he was close. In a scene straight out of the movies, one morning on the way to the subway, Valentine found himself face to face with Tedy. “I didn’t know what to do. I knew that Tedy was really scared, but I was happy knowing he was about to return to his spot.”
Thankfully Alina was able to catch him just a few short days later. With love and nurturing, Tedy has transformed from fearful and anxious to calm and happy. He now lives in a private shelter run by Mona (The Shelter of Saved Souls), where he enjoys plenty of attention and delicious home-cooked meals. Tedy is still waiting for his forever home, but Vali is eased knowing that his four-legged friend is safe and in good hands. Tedy’s success story has only further propelled Vali to do more for animals in his community. He just recently created another poster for a dog in need and doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. He shares: “Even though we are busy, you can help with just one share, creating a poster, or creating a volunteer form. Even though it seems like a small thing, it can bring great results.”
Inspired by Vali’s story and ready to start on your own mission? Here are a few of ideas on how to Spark-up your next act of giving back and #sparkforgood!
Create a social media campaign that packs a powerful punch with Spark Post:
Use Spark Page to highlight a cause you care about: Bandit’s Story
Use Spark Video to bring your story to life: