I know! A shopping trolley full of dead cats…

Rescue groups often seem to have one plan and one plan only for the way an advertising campaign might help them reach pet owners; that a ‘shock’ based campaign will suddenly have everybody acting ‘responsibly’ and the carnage will stop.

To date a total lack of any television campaigns and media attention of this shocking annual killing of our companion animals could mean the public is still unaware, as it is inconceivable to imagine that as a society we would knowingly accept this shameful situation without an outcry from the caring public.

XXX is committed to stopping the killing and thinks it’s time to tell the public the truth about the fate of unwanted but healthy animals taken to local shelters and pounds by their owners. Up to 96% of unwanted but healthy cats and kittens and up to 80% of unwanted but healthy dogs and puppies are killed in some shelters with a lower kill rate recorded in other shelters and pounds because homes cannot be found for them. But overall the resulting kill figure is a National disgrace.

Media release – Aussie shelter

When I was consulting with a group of cat rescuers about potential advertising opportunities they joyfully told me that they already had a TVC made up ready to broadcast. The central theme? A shopping trolley full of dead cats to ‘shock’ the evil pet owners into desexing.


But lets examine for a moment the motivations of a consumer, something marketers can spend years studying, but always comes back to one simple premise…

Feel good – engage.
Feel bad – disengage.

Who are you trying to reach with your message? Not the responsible pet owner because he already has his pets desexed and takes care of them just fine. No, you want to affect the bogan breeder the uneducated, repeat offender that belligerent defends his right to breed, or simply doesn’t care and drops you off a litter each year.


So how do you plan to change him? Do you genuinely think he’s going to stick around while you tell him how wrong his behaviour is? Do you think that this punishment-centric, shock campaign is going to have him seeing the error of his ways and keep him from breeding his pets?


Hardly. He’ll just think you’re a know-all. Because when you try and make someone feel bad, they aren’t charmed, they’re not attracted to your point of view and they’re definitely not affected in the way you hope they will be – they simply get defensive and tune you out.

But here’s the real problem

Remember our ‘responsible’ owner, the one who we have no beef with? He sees this campaign and absolutely is shocked. Shocked and upset that this is taking place in his community. But because you’re trying to punish the bogan breeder, there’s no good news in your message. So our responsible owner tunes you out too. Because you make him feel bad.


The next time you run the ad he doesn’t watch. When you ask for money, he don’t want to hear your message because it’s too sad. You’ll wonder why people are unsubscribing to your mailing list… and why no one seems to care.


The cost of disengaging and repulsing our responsible owners, in an effort to reach the Bogan breeders, is much, much too high. Especially when the campaign is doomed to fail to effect anyone in any real way, anyway…


Instead, we should put every single ounce of our energies into improving our standing in the community and engaging responsible owners who can help us kill less, by adopting our pets and donating to our cause.


Simply, the only way to start truly reducing the effect of the bogan breeder is by strengthening the rescue industry to the point, where we both take away his market share and have plenty of resources to deal with his bad decisions.