A Dog is For Life, Not Just For Christmas

I remember writing letters to Santa and at the top of my list it would always read, "I really would like a Labrador puppy...please!" Thankfully, my parents never cracked under pressure (yes, I'm sorry to tell you, but Santa isn't real). When I was older, I was allowed to get a cat and she became part of the family (RIP Poppy ...sob!). She was lucky, as many pets in Britain get neglected and find themselves by February or March in homes like Battersea Dogs and Cats home. My headline is a phrase that is still used by animal welfare campaigns coming up to Christmas. The South African equivalent of the RSPCA, SPCA really puts this message across cleverly.




What I have noticed in recent years is the increase of animal welfare campaigns that have television advertisements. They either want you to spend a certain amount each week/month to help their cause or sponsor an animal. Here is an example from The Dog's Trust. It shows how the money could help these dogs.




PR obviously is an important factor for charities and organisations. It can help to put their word/vision across to the public. It is pretty successful, as there is a plethora of animal welfare organisations and many of them have been obviously helped by PR practitioners.

The organisations that have stood out for me were:

WWF Their logo is world famous and easily recognisable. You can sponsor an endangered species of your choice and get a cute cuddly toy of the endangered species. This would be an excellent ethical present! Their website is a delight to look at too. It gives the public a chance to see what is going on in their area and opportunities for people to help WWF.

RSPCA is a great organisation that does a lot of good for animals in Britain. Their website not only tells you about the organisation, but also how you can help. They are very into networking and suggest you share the page on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. They also give advice for pet owners. This video amused me, it is about animal obesity which was depicted in this cute cartoon.



Even though we think of ourselves as a nation of animal lovers, there are so many reports of animal neglect and cruelty. I have found out that most of these news reports actually came from PR campaigners. This is a tactic to make people aware that there are some sick people out there, who think dog fighting or attacking a cat with fireworks is fun.

I found Charlotte Speedy's slideshow on how important PR is to help animal organisations get the most out of exposure. It also justifies the importance of two-way communication, as the public can do so many things to help. Such as, volunteering at an animal home, sponsorship, sharing facebook pages and fundraising. I feel that this type of campaigning is so much more successful than the shock tactics, which PETA used with their no fur campaign. The organisations that I've been talking about get the public involved, instead of making people feel stunned and ashamed.

The Importance of PR (Animal Welfare) - Charlotte Speedy, Dogs Trust

View more presentations from Dogs Trust.

Which do you think works the best?