In 2008, when Mimi Ausland of Bend, Oregon was only 11 years old, she decided to create a couple of websites to help feed shelter animals. Her hard work resulted in an amazing outpouring of support and many meals for hungry lost, stray and abandoned pets. Now Mimi Ausland has expanded her efforts to include help for animal victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.
Ausland’s ‘Freekibble’ and ‘Freekibblecats’ websites let visitors learn about animals while they earn pieces of kibble for playing an animal trivia game. The kibble earned is donated to animals in shelters. The food is provided by official Kibble sponsor Halo, a maker of wholesome, natural, quality food for pets. A recent dedicated one-day Freekibble promotion netted 2.9 million pieces of kibble for Japanese animal relief.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Teen Animal Activism
- The rise of young animal activists could create a new market for products and services catering to animal welfare.
- Online Games for Social Causes
- Online games that support social causes could be a new way to engage younger audience in a sustainable way.
- Social Media for Fundraising
- The use of social media to fundraise for charitable causes is on the rise, creating opportunities for companies that work with these platforms.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Pet Food Industry
- Companies that provide healthy and natural pet food like Halo could tap into the growing demand for socially responsible products.
- Nonprofit Sector
- Nonprofit organizations that focus on animal welfare could leverage the rising interest in animal activism among young people to generate more support.
- Tech Industry
- Technology companies could build platforms that support online games for social causes, which is a growing trend among young people.
