D’ya know what saves the lives of our shelter dogs? New homes with new families.
So how does this imagery grab you?
Healthy, happy family pets, yeah? When we’re out there competing with pet shops and Fluffy Puppies Online, we definitely want to portray our rescue dogs just like this. Highly desirable to your run of the mill, off the street adopter.
So the next time a family – mum, dad two kids and a cat – are considering where they should get their next dog, this is the photo we want them to have in their minds…
Yes definitely, that’s the one.
*puts head in hands and sobs*
We’re disgusted some countries eat dog.
They’re disgusted we kill one hundred and twenty five thousand of them a year, for no reason at all.
Order a hot dog in some restaurants around the world and don’t be surprised if that’s exactly what you get. Mongrel or puppy, everything’s on offer for the canine inclined gourmand. It’s enough to turn anyone’s stomach. But consider the statistics of involuntary euthanasia forced apon stray dogs in Australia and it’s obvious there’s a massive problem in our own backyard too. 2,403 dogs are slaughtered every week. It’s certainly not a palatable number. Which is why the Animal Welfare League, we’re intent on reducing these needless deaths by providing the loving care that’s urgently needed. Every person can help. If you become a foster carer you’ll immediately take the pressure of our shelters. Adoption is also an option, giving a pet a second chance at happiness. Finally, anything you can donate is greatly appreciated, every cent makes a difference (unreadable). Please (unreadable) together we can make sure our dogs dig holes in our gardens, rather than put them in holes in the ground.
AWL NSW Advert – this month’s Dolly Magazine
It’s taking public shaming to a whole new, and inconceivably unhelpful levels.
Where are the top two photo’s from? (second one is a Chinese fur trade).
They are not Australian. If you want horrific Australian pictures of Animal abuse they are easily got from many of the puppy farms here.
Unfortunately having a dog in Australia seems to be like having a car or telephone. Its something most people seem to think they ‘need’.
@Alan – I think you’ve missed the point of this post – that is, using descriptions of cruelty from overseas, to promote animal adoption in Australia is bizarre. And unhelpful.
And ‘most’ people don’t have a dog. There are about 3.4 million dogs in Australia, a country of 22 million people.
That’s about one household who has a dog, for every two households who choose not to.
If we want to increase adoptions, we need to be encouraging people who are wanting to bring a pet into their lives, to get their pets from rescue. Not drawing illogical links to (puppy farming?) dog eating because we get personal kicks off torture porn.
Shel, I really want to agree with you, and the research seems to suggest that in the long run positive campaigns are more effective than the shock/horror ones.
But on the other hand, I know that on our Facebook page, none of our happy stories and cheerful promotions of available animals have ever got as much attention as the occasional sad story (and we very rarely post sad stories).
So in terms of getting attention misery really attracts the crowds, whether that attention then equates to increased adoptions might be a question. But any time a dog or cat has a dramatic, tragic, high profile back story you’ll see people lining up to adopt them, where you might struggle to get attention for a nice, healthy, normal animal.
People seem to love being outraged.
So I agree with you really, but I think there is something else going on as well which some of these campaigns are tapping into. Of course, the big shelters prefer these sorts of stories because they’re generally more interested in donations than adoptions, which is another issue altogether.
PS The new format looks great.