Three simple actions that will change people’s perceptions of rescue dogs

Image from gaping void

Followers of this blog will know that I’ve been working with an organisation to improve their adoptions.

One of the biggest changes they’ve had to make, is in the language they use when they promote their pets. Before, their language was negative and designed to highlight the flaws in the pet, in an effort to ‘protect’ them from unsuitable homes. The result has been a long-term conversation with the public, focused around the idea that all the pets coming through this shelter have ‘something wrong with them’.

I’m pleased to report that after months of coaching (fight the fear!), the adverts coming from this organisation are now much more positive. Not glowing mind you, but certainly more focused on encouraging the right kind of owner, rather than driving the wrong kind of owner away. I was happy with how we were progressing.

But yesterday, disaster. The results of a large community survey were in and the findings had everyone shaken. Turns out many in the community think there is something wrong with shelter dogs.

[well duh emoticon here]

Now, this won’t come as news to you, but OMG it did to them! Everyone began to flapping about looking for a solution to this ‘new’ problem. They now had the answer to their low adoptions; they must bring in programs immediately to remedy it!

So they proposed that every dog moving through the organisation participate in a basic, certifiable dog training class before adoption; taking around 1-2 weeks and requiring an army of trained volunteers. Great right?

Well, no not exactly.

Certainly training programs (especially off-leash exercise & dog 2 dog socialisation programs) are vital for dogs in a shelter environment. But it turns out when I asked shelter staff, there wasn’t a mentionable problem with the behaviour of the dogs. Dogs aren’t being returned because of unwanted behaviours. Even those dogs deemed hyper-twatty while in care, when released from a 3×2 kennel and join a family, find inner peace. Then there’s the guys who are lovely in the shelter/absolute gorgeous when they get home.

Turns out the dogs aren’t the problem. It’s the public’s perception of the dogs that’s the problem.

So while a boost to internal dog training programs may see a small but measurable improvement in dog behaviour, how far does it really go to remedy the years they’ve spent marketing their pets as abused, special needs and ‘not for the faint hearted’ (one of their favourite adoption advert catchphrases).

They argue that a training program is a hook for the media; ‘every one of our dogs come with a training course certificate’, but again, aren’t we just reinforcing to people that these dogs have ‘problems’?

Thinks the public: “a training program? why do the dogs need a training program? is there something wrong with them? I think I’d rather a ‘clean slate’ thanks very much; I’ll get a puppy”

So how do they change people’s perceptions of what a ‘rescue dog’ is?

1. Recognise that the people working in the shelter aren’t marketing copywriters.

Just as you wouldn’t get the engineer that built the car to write the copy for the brochure, neither should your animal staff be writing adoption adverts. This is no reflection on their abilities, it’s just that if your core business is rehoming pets, then the role of animal promotion should be allocated to a marketing professional and the strategy given as much emphasis as your fundraising copy or organisational newsletter.

2. Get your pets ‘out there’

If the problem is that people think all your pets are abused and faulty, locking them away from the public only reinforces the idea that they are dangerous. This organisation has many huge events throughout the year and available pets aren’t invited – the risk to the public, they say, is too great.

When people adopt a dog, the first thing they do is take it to the beach, or the off-lead dog park, or for a walk to the shops, because that’s what people with dogs do. If our dogs can’t do these things while they’re in the hands of trained professionals, what is that telling the public about their behaviour?

By contrast (and I’ve seen this at in-store events) a bunch of healthy, happy, social dogs enjoying a few hours out meeting people sends an incredibly powerful message to the public. “Hey! Look at this guy! A rescue? Really? But he’s so NICE!”

3. Recruit your adopters

The strongest advocates for animal adoptions are people who’ve adopted. Happy family case studies are hugely powerful tools for changing people’s perceptions about rescue dogs.

However, having these case studies sitting in your email inbox, or posted in the wall of your office isn’t bringing about change. Get them on your website, get them in your media interviews, get people sharing their stories online (see how easy it is to gather hundreds of ‘happily ever after’ stories here on the PetRescue facebook page). Get people to make YouTube videos about their pets and post them. Invite adopters to come to your events with their pets and give their pets ‘I’m an adoptee’ jackets to wear. Anything to empower them to show off their great new animal and let them break down these stereotypes on our behalf.

….

It’s the strangest thing; these three things which seem so obvious as someone working ‘on the outside’ are completely beyond what this group can cope with doing right now. Everyone is still looking to fix ‘the animals’ rather than change themselves. But it’s a process and I have belief they will get there.

I see now that being a ‘change agent’ is less about having revolutionary ideas (these aren’t my ideas, they’re just some really good ideas) and more about not allowing yourself to become indoctrinated into the stagnant thinking that often plagues these organisations. I encourage anyone who wants change to get inside and fix what’s broken. It absolutely can be done.