The Free Guide From BarkLogue
By Herb Locke, Founder of BarkLogue
The One Rule
Describe who the animal is, not what they look like.
The photo shows what they look like. Your job is to show what the photo cannot. Personality, habits, quirks, the small details that make this animal an individual and not just a listing.
Before You Write: The 5 Questions
Find the person who knows this animal best and ask them these.
- What is the first thing this animal does when you walk in?
- Do they have any habits or rituals that are uniquely theirs?
- What do they do that always makes you smile?
- How do they ask for attention?
- What kind of person do you think they are waiting for?
Write down exactly what they say. Their words are almost always better than anything you will come up with at a desk.
The 3-Part Formula
Part 1: One specific opening detail
Start with one thing only this animal does. One concrete, observable behavior that no other animal in your shelter would have in their profile.
Bad: “Meet Pepper, a 6-year-old Border Collie mix looking for her forever home.”
Good: “Pepper collects pine cones and lines them up in a neat row beside her water bowl every single day. Nobody taught her this. Nobody knows why. She just does it.”
That detail stops the scroll.
Part 2: Who they are in two to three sentences
Use the answers from your 5 questions. Show behaviors rather than adjectives.
Bad: “Pepper is a sweet and loving dog who just needs a chance.”
Good: “She chases shadows across the grass and stops suddenly each time to look back and check if you are watching. When she senses you are tired, she presses her whole side against your leg and stays there.”
Part 3: An honest invitation
End with one or two sentences that name the right person for this animal.
If you have a garden and the patience to earn a Border Collie’s trust, Pepper has been saving that for you.
The Before and After
Before:
“Pepper. Female. Border Collie mix. 6 years. Shy. Needs patient owner.”
23 families. Zero adoptions.
After:
“Pepper collects pine cones and lines them up beside her water bowl every day. She chases shadows across the grass and looks back each time to see if you are watching. When she senses you are tired, she presses her whole side against your leg and stays there.
She has been here for seven months. She is ready. She just needs someone to sit still long enough to find out who she is.
If you have a garden and a quiet life, Pepper has been waiting for exactly you.”
The next family drove two hours after reading it. They said the pine cone detail did it.
The Quick Checklist
Before publishing any profile, check these.
- Does the first sentence describe something specific only this animal does?
- Have you replaced loving, gentle, and sweet with actual behaviors?
- Does the ending name the right person rather than beg for any person?
- Could this profile describe any other animal in your shelter?
If the answer to the last question is yes, rewrite it.
The Template
[Animal name] has a habit.
[One specific thing they do, a ritual or quirk that is uniquely theirs.]
[Two to three sentences describing their personality using specific behaviors.]
[One to two honest sentences about what they need.]
[One invitation sentence naming the right person for them.]
The details are already there. Your staff see them every single day.
All this guide asks is that someone writes them down.
Created by BarkLogue. Helping shelters tell the stories that find animals homes. barklogue.com
