About Marie Rochelle Macaspac

Hi there! I’m Marie Rochelle Macaspac and I started the website AnimalRescueMarketing.com as a resource for animal rescue advocates, providing tips and information on fundraising, communication, and marketing for the animal welfare community. I also own Switchblade Creative Studios, a design and marketing agency that specializes in work with nonprofit organizations and socially responsible businesses. Animal Rescue Marketing caters to animal welfare organizations and advocates to offer the best strategies in our mission to save animals.

I started my life as an animal advocate when I was eight years old. I signed up to join PETA and ASPCA. I started serving the animal rescue community in San Francisco as a volunteer in 2006. I also became vegetarian and eventually vegan - 100% for the animals.

From 2008-2020, I held the role of Chief Marketing Mutt for Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.  I am proud to be instrumental in bringing widespread attention to the senior canine cause. I prefer to say that my “main” contribution to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue is as a foster and hospice mom. I have enjoyed fostering well over 200 dogs , and being a forever mom for hospice dogs whose end is near.

From 2008 until 2023, I have provided marketing support in various capacities for San Francisco’s municipal shelter, San Francisco Animal Care & Control. From being part of their social media team to marketing the annual event, Pet Pride Day, I have had the privilege to be instrumental in their work as a core member of the SFACC team.

Since 2015, I have been a Marketing and Fundraising consultant for Toni’s Kitty Rescue. I enjoyed being a foster mom and offering my marketing and fundraising help for many years before. Their cause is very dear to my heart.

Since 2017, I have been a a marketing and fundraising adviser for Ratical Rodent Rescue (formerly North Star Rescue). I helped re-brand the organization and build a new website, as well as execute several appeals and fundraising campaigns, one that most recently helped them purchase a new vehicle.

From 2018 until 2021, I was the Chief Marketing Officer for The Sloth Institute, located in Costa Rica. I fulfilled a dream to be an integral part of an organization in a country that I love! And I have learned so much about sloths and how important animals are in the entire ecosystem of our planet.

From April 2020 until February 2022, I held the role at Wonder Farm Animal Hospice and Sanctuary and Wonder Dog Rescue as their Fundraising and Marketing Officer. They offered a unique combination of rescuing hospice/older dogs and farm animals.

Since November 2020, I have led fundraising efforts for Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary and Education Center. Goats have been a magical part of my life since I was a child. And today, I am happy to be a part of an organization that rescues goats, along with sheep, pigs, horses, chicken, turkeys and ducks! I am also honored to be able to advocate veganism and compassionate living along side founder Deborah Blum, known for her plant-based catering, advocacy and as Operating Partner for Wildseed in San Francisco.

In 2023, I began consulting for Ruthless Kindness, a nonprofit with a unique and much-needed mission to support victims of domestic violence who have animal companions. Many people who live in abusive situations stay in their situations because of their pets. They can’t bring their pets with them to safe houses or shelters. Ruthless Kindness steps in to assist them with foster care or boarding and medical attention for their pets. They also offer free veterinary care through mobile clinic outreach.

A few of my accomplishments:

• I re-vamped the The Sloth Institute’s website and online fundraising vehicles, which increased its fundraising capabilities. It ended up being a crucial factor that sustained the organization during the pandemic when tourism was shut down and fundraising efforts could only be done online.

• With my developer colleague, we designed and developed a new, custom website for Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary. It increased capabilities for fundraising and elevated its professional presence. We integrated a top of the line application for receiving donations online and it allowed the organization to launch campaigns and elevate its EOY fundraising campaign.

• I have managed the End of Year fundraising campaigns for several organizations, including Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary, Wonder Dog Rescue, Toni’s Kitty Rescue, and The Sloth Institute, and Ruthless Kindness. In 2020 and 2021, despite the pandemic every organization surpassed its EOY fundraising goals! I executed direct mail, email and social media, as well as direct donor relations.

• For about 10 years, I was an integral part of the team that planned the annual fundraising gala for Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. I helped their annual event grow in attendance and awareness. The event has won several years of “Best of” awards in Bay Guardian and Bay Woof.

• In 2022, I managed the event planning and execution for Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary’s first large fundraising gala, Blues, Brews & BBQ. In 2021 ad 2022, I also elevated the fundraising aspects of the organization’s dinner fundraisers. In 2023, I helped rebrand its annual gala to Goatchella, and created the event’s branding, web presence, and promotional materials. I formulated the event’s committees that oversaw various aspects of the event and I secured press coverage for the event.

• In 2014, I created the visual presentation and co-presented a Maddie's Institute webcast with Muttville's founder Sherri Franklin on "Secrets to Pet Foster Program Success".

• In 2014, I worked with Grey Muzzle Foundation and writer Vicki Holt for the article, "Muttville's Danny Boy: Bringing Bark-It List Joy to Hospice Dogs", published as part of their Grey Matters blog series.

• In 2014, I was a co-presenter in the 9th Annual Business of Saving Lives conference hosted by Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation.

• In June 2014, I received a Silver Award from Visual Media Alliance for my design of "Viva Los Mutts", the theme for Muttville's 2013 annual fundraiser.

• In May 2014, Muttville received First Place in the category of Brand Identity in the Maddie's Fund Marketing Awards.

• In 2013, I was co-producer of “UNADOPTABLE”, a 7-minute documentary about the plight of senior dogs and the rescue work by Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.

• Several ARM and Muttville blog stories have been re-published as articles on the websites Dogster.com and Catster.com.

My sidekick, Ocean Blue:
"In 2011, after 4 years as a foster mom,  I adopted my 40th foster dog, a 9-year-old Border collie/Aussie mix. I named her Ocean Blue.  She was a stray street dog in Modesto, CA, found emaciated and bald, and likely had been living on the streets for a year or more before being rescued by Muttville. “Oshi” was a Muttville volunteer and the model for ARM's positive message ads in support of rescue and the senior dog cause. In 2016, she passed away (or as I prefer to say, she joined the moon and the stars.) She inspires me to keep going and to become an even better animal rescue advocate and hospice mom.