Содержание
Is your human feeling unusually anxious or irritable? He or she may need some exercise. He or she may need to go walkies. This was the idea behind a novel campaign by the Lost Dogs Home in Melbourne, Australia. And it worked.
The Campaign
A lot of animal rescue campaigns play “the pity card.” They appeal to people’s protective instincts by showing animals as objects of pity needing to be rescued. The Lost Dogs Home wanted to do things differently. They took a lighthearted approach, and combined it with the idea of “who rescued who”? The result was the Human Walking Campaign. Instead of humans taking pity on sad shelter animals, the animals are the heroes, improving the lives of poor, abused office workers.
“Dogs are a widely known stress reliever and companion,” Kate Hoelter, general manager of fundraising and communications at The Lost Dogs Home, said on the Lost Dogs Home website.
And what better way to combat the stress of office life than by going for walkies with a furry friend?
It’s Hard to be Human
A lot of humans have difficult lives. They sit in tiny boxes, ignored, with only a screen and a computer mouse for entertainment. They never get out into the fresh air. And they rarely get the chance to socialize. As a result, the stress keeps a lot of them on edge and irritable.
“We don’t always realize as office workers how many hours we spend cooped up inside rarely getting out,” says the Lost Dogs Home website. “So what better way to spend a lunch break than with a friend who will no doubt take the stress out of your day?”
Every human needs to get out of their cage once in a while, stretch their legs, and socialize.
And it worked. During the first campaign, more than 5,000 office workers were rescued, and every single dog in the video below found a home. The first campaign was so successful that the Lost Dogs Home has done it several times more.
About the Lost Dogs Home
The Lost Dogs Home is a shelter and advocacy organization in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to operating as an animal shelter, the Lost Dogs Home has a full-service vet clinic. The clinic provides routine care, spay and neuter services, vaccinations, and more.
And it’s not just dogs, either. The Lost Dogs Home also shelters cats and works to find them forever homes. Not only that, but there are no adoption fees for animals over seven years of age. Because everyone should have the chance to enjoy a friend who’s old enough to behave himself.
Would You Like to Go for Walkies With a Furry Buddy?
You don’t have to move to Australia to do it! A lot of shelters and organizations have volunteers who walk and play with the animals. This helps the animals to be happy and relaxed, which means that people are more likely to adopt them. Also, it helps the dogs to stay healthy and fit.
If you’d like to walk shelter dogs, check with your local animal shelters and rescues. Who knows? You might find a friend to take you walkies, too!
Featured Image is CC BY-SA 2.0, by Munlochy, via Geograph.
