BLog 18 - World We Imagine Part 3

World We Imagine Part 3 - Musicians for Mutts

A huge problem that exists in our current world that is often overlooked is animal welfare, and the enforcement of animal welfare policies. This is a problem that can be tackled, but to paint a picture I want to share some heartbreaking statistics. 

• According to the World Animal Foundation, there are an estimated 10 million animals abused to death in the U.S. per year (Laybourne 2024).

•  There is also the argument of increased shelter euthanasia increasing to 30.9% from 2022-2023 leaving more than 400,000 animals being euthanized annually after being placed into shelters according to the Shelter Animals Count National Database (Sleight and McGinley 2024). 

• Not to mention, 110 million animals are killed in U.S. laboratories every year (Sleight and McGinley 2024). Another statistic worth pointing out is that nearly 85% of people that were arrested for animal abuse were reported to be previous offenders with past arrests and felonies on their records (Sleight and McGinley 2024).
  
  

So who is looking out for the animals? There is always a discussion on the wellbeing of humans but almost never a discussion on the welfare of our Earth’s animals. These living things don’t have a voice to defend themselves so it is our job to do better for them. 

My idea of making the world a better place starts with making it better for those who can not do so for themselves. I choose to dedicate my spare time to volunteering with dogs, whether that be walking, fostering, or even rescuing dogs off the sides of the street. However, it was not until I rescued my first dog that I realized the true impact that my actions as an individual can make on the life of another. One day as I was walking to class, I was stopped dead in my tracks by the fluffiest yet dirtiest dog I had ever seen. She seemed friendly but scared as she scurried right past me. I knew at that moment that she was a stray and that I was finally in a capacity to do something to help her. I probably spent a couple of hours tracking her down trying to get her to safety but she was so reluctant. Finally, after hours of tracking her with other students and a police officer, we were able to get a hold of her. I ended up taking her as a foster. I got her fed and cleaned up. She looked like she had been neglected for months. Eventually, I was able to get her into the vet that determined that she was a byproduct of an abusive breeding situation, meaning she was bred since she was able until she wasn’t able anymore and then dumped on the side of the streets when she was no longer useful. Sadly, this happens very often. Despite the neglect and abuse she experienced, she was one of the sweetest dogs I had ever met. This is the case with most strays, contrary to the stigma that exists around them. We then got her groomed and provided her with love till she found her forever home not even two weeks later. I am still in contact with the couple that adopted this sweet girl and has since given her a new life full of love, warmth, and joy. But I think about that day all the time and what her life would have looked like had I not stopped to save her.

Due to this experience, and what I know about the overcrowding of shelters in Los Angeles, I have decided to create an initiative that aims to boost adoptions rates and get dogs off the streets and out of shelters.

Proposal to Anima Mundi Development Partners

Organization - Musicians for Mutts

Founder - Alyssa Holland

About Musicians for Mutts

Musicians for Mutts is a program designed to connect emerging artists with foster organizations and local animal shelters. The goal is to create a mutually beneficial partnership by leveraging social media platforms to promote both causes.

Mission 

This initiative aims to increase dog adoption rates while simultaneously helping artists grow their audience, fostering a collaborative model of philanthropy.

Why I Am Passionate About Musicians for Mutts

Fostering and adoption are all about connection, connection to the dogs, connection to other people, and connections through media and marketing. With shelters overflowing and strays at an all time high, I wondered if there was a way to streamline the adoption placement process. I have seen first hand how social media can be a tool to connect people to resources. I have also seen social media personalities go out of their way to promote dogs in shelters in order to encourage adoption.

What Makes Musicians for Mutts Unique

What makes Musicians for Mutts unique is that it has not been done before, only tested on a smaller scale. So what would happen if we took the positive individual experiences we have seen thus far and amplified it to a larger scale? Social media does wonders for finding dogs new homes. What if there was a program where musicians could sign up to be placed with shelter dogs each week or on a rotating schedule. They would connect with dogs at their local shelters and spend say a week spending some time with them and/or just promoting each dog to their accounts. 

Why Anima Mundi Development Partners Should Support

With a following, musicians are able to bring in an audience from all over who may be interested in the available dog. This use of social media presence could help dogs all across the country find their forever homes faster by bringing more awareness to them. From a musicians standpoint, this could be equally as beneficial for their career for a few reasons revolving brand and outreach. Developing an artist’s brand is extremely important, and in doing so it's key to demonstrate an artist’s interests outside of music. Artist’s brands can be associated with many other things and hobbies. Not only would it be great for an artist’s image for them to be associated with a form of philanthropy, but their persistent action would help fans associate that artist with something else to differentiate themselves. Ideally that artist would genuinely care about the program; however, this is just an example of a pro from a business perspective. In addition, many foster organizations and rescue communities have very large followings and are very well-connected to communities. Therefore, by connecting an artist to those communities, this program would be a great way for the artist to develop a fanbase outside their preexisting one. Essentially both parties would benefit from a mutual exchange of connections and I could showcase my developed music industry brain in specific avenues on artist relations, brand development, and marketing. All in all, this project would embody my passion for animal philanthropy, seamlessly blending my music industry expertise from USC with my evolving skills in social media marketing, making me the perfect candidate to implement this initiative. That is why Anima Mundi Development Partners should support my organization.