the neighborhood bark initiative
DESCRIPTION
This is a brief on a Design for Good project.TRANSCRIPT
PROJECT DESCRIPTION | 3
project descriptionISSUEThe Neighborhood Bark Initiative is an awareness project designed to prevent dog bites within a target community. More than 50% of dog bite victims are age 14 and under. With the proper education on how to approach and interact with dogs, we can gradually reduce the number of incidents per day from 1000 to zero.
BACKGROUNDIn May 2012, I adopted Maximus, a stray dog who found his way onto a friend’s farm in Fort Mill, SC. Being a full-blooded German Shepherd, he inherited a bad reputation from the day he was born. His background is unknown to me, however, I could tell that he was anxious and easily frightened by strangers (humans and canines both) and loud noises.
Maximus has never bitten anyone since he became a member of my family. However, I’m always
cautious when I take him out for his daily walks because I can never be too sure about hisreactions to unfamiliar situations.
When the neighborhood children see us coming down the street, they always run up in excitement wanting to pet him. Not only are they approaching a strange dog incorrectly, but their screams and shouts scare him, causing him to react negatively by barking loudly and hiding behind my legs.
Worst case scenario, if Maximus were to attack a child, I would be at fault for being an “irresponsible pet owner,” and he would be labeled as an “aggressive dog” - two things I would not want to ever happen.
This is clearly an issue that I think about every day.
TARGET COMMUNITYOver half of the residents in my neighborhood are pet owners, and majority of them are parents of
school aged children. This makes the Stowe Creek Subdivision in South Charlotte the perfect target community for my project.
DESIGN INTERVENTION OVERVIEWThere will be several stages to The Neighborhood Bark Initiative.
AWARENESSI will design a series of posters and flyers that will focus on creating awareness around my issue (fig. 1.1). The posters will be placed inside the community club house and the flyers will be distributed to the residents by mail or by hand.
EDUCATIONMailers and brochures will be created providing parents with information on dogs, dog bite facts, and proper dog interaction. Several pieces will be targeted towards educating children on how to properly approach and interact/play with dogs.
4 | PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DEMONSTRATIONI will work with the Stowe Creek Home Owners Association to provide free dog bite prevention courses quarterly with the help of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Animal Care & Control division.
The Neighborhood Bark Initiative is a project with no deadline. It is an on-going effort that will live through generations. The success of this project will be measured by the knowledge of the neighborhood children- how well they interact with dogs, and how they approach pet owners and their dogs outdoors.
AGENCY REPORTI contacted Officer Julia Conner of the CMPD Animal Care & Control division after discovering through my research that she provides free dog bite prevention programs throughout the city of Charlotte, NC.
Officer Conner and I discussed the challenges that she faces within the program as well as her success rate. She provided me with insights that helped me mold The Neighborhood Bark Initiative into what I believe will be a successful project.
CHALLENGESThere are many challenges that I will face throughout the project.
PARENTSTelling parents that their kids need a “proper education,” no
matter what the subject, is never something they want to hear. I must approach the parents in a way where they will not feel antagonized and I must be sure to communicate that I am in no way questioning their parenting skills and/or lifestyle. What I am doing is providing further education on proper dog interaction.
CHILDRENGrabbing a child’s attention will be an incredible feat. The children that I am focusing on will be between the ages of 2-14. I will need to find a way to educate toddlers who cannot speak well, children who only want to play, and young adolescents who may find this project “boring.”
NEIGHBORSThe support of my neighbors is extremely important in the success of this project. I will need to get neighbors with and without children must come together as a community and make an effort to see this through.
HOAThe participation and support of the Stowe Creek Home Owners Association (HOA) is vital in the execution of this project. Because the HOA is comprised of neighbors with different jobs and different schedules, getting them together for a presentation and gaining approval to move forward will be the biggest challenge for me.
OTHERThere are other challenges that I already know will surface before I even begin, such as printing costs and distribution methods.
" “I BIT A 5littleBOY 5BECAUSE
HE HIT ME 5WITH
A 5STICK.”
PREVENT DOG BITES.EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN.Check your mail for more information about The Neighborhood Bark Initiative.
THE NEIGHB
OR
HO
OD BARK INIT
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" “I CHASED A5KID BECAUSE
HE TRIED TO
RUN ME OVER
WITH HIS BIKE.”
PREVENT DOG BITES.EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN.Check your mail for more information about The Neighborhood Bark Initiative.
THE NEIGHB
OR
HO
OD BARK INIT
IAT
IVE •
FIG. 1.1 B
FIG. 1.1 C (right) Posters (portraying dogs as victims of abuse and neglect) created to increase awareness of The Neighborhood Bark Initiative.
FIG. 1.1 A
SECTION | 5
" “I ATTACKEDA 5little GIRL
5BECAUSE SHE
5SCREAMED
AT 5ME.”
PREVENT DOG BITES.EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN.Check your mail for more information about The Neighborhood Bark Initiative.
THE NEIGHB
OR
HO
OD BARK INIT
IAT
IVE •
6 | INVESTIGATION
InvestigationEACH DAY,
ABOUT 1,000 U.S.
CITIZENS REQUIRE
EMERGENCY CARE
TREATMENT FOR
DOG BITE INJURIES.1
I began my investigation by researching nationwide dog bite statistics. I was surprised to find that most websites only created statistics for certain breeds of dogs (mainly American Pitbulls, German Shepherds, and Great Danes).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website provides great tips for dog bite prevention, including “If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).”2 I plan on using some of these in the design of my informational brochure. The CDC website also provides several facts that I included in my initial project proposal presentation and in my infographic design (fig. 2.1).
Eventually, my online research led me to Officer Julia Conner of the CMPD Animal Care & Control division. I met with her in early March and discussed her role in the Animal Care & Control Dog Bite Prevention program- dog education courses free to the public. Officer Conner stressed the fact that we can only do so much to fight this issue.3 Ultimately, it’s up to the children to learn from the program or it’s up to the parents to use their new-found knowledge to teach their children how they should properly interact with dogs.
Other websites that have helped in the research process are the American Humane Association website4 and DogsBite.org5.
1 “Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Stays Involving Dog Bites,” 2008, by Laurel Holmquist, M.A. and Anne Elixhauser, Ph.D., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD., November 2010.2 “CDC - Dog Bite Prevention.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 5 May 2013. <http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/dog-bites/biteprevention.html>.3 Conner, Julia. Personal Interview. Mar 2013.4 “Dog Bites.” American Humane Association: The nation’s voice for the protection of children & animals. N.p.. Web. 5 May 2013. <http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/dog-bites.html>.5 “U.S. Dog Bite Statistics - DogsBite.org.” DogsBite.org. N.p.. Web. 5 May 2013. <http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics.php>.
RESOURCES | 7
DOG BITESAPPROXIMATELY
50%OF DOG ATTACKS INVOLVEDCHILDREN UNDER 12 YEARS OLD
82%OF DOG BITES TREATED IN THEEMERGENCY ROOM INVOLVEDCHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS OLD
70%OF DOG-BITE FATALITIESOCCURRED AMONG CHILDRENUNDER 10 YEARS OLD
FACTS &FIGURES
$
$$$
$$
$$$$$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$$
THE INSURANCE INDUSTRYPAYS MORE THAN
IN DOG-BITE CLAIMS EACH YEAR
$1 ,000,000,000(ONE BILLION DOLLARS)
AN ESTIMATED
4.7 MILLIONDOG BITES OCCUR EACH YEAR
NEARLY
800,000DOG BITES REQUIRE MEDICAL CARE
SOURCE:http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/dog-bites.html
APPROXIMATELY
2 OUT OF 3 BITES OCCURRED ON OR NEAR THE VICTIM’S PROPERTY, AND MOST VICTIMS KNEW THE DOG
FIG. 2.1 Infographic designed as a mailer that will be distributed to residents of the Stowe Creek subdivision.
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FIG. 2.2 Front of the infographic mailer.
8 | DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Design developmentLOGOInitially, I designed my logo to resemble a badge because it seemed fitting for The Neighborhood Bark Initiative. I used a paw print so that children and adults can easily identify the brand, associating it with the program, the posters and mailers, and the dog bite prevention classes that will be offered in the future (fig. 3.2).
After doing further research andgaining more insights on the program, I decided to go a different route. Sketch after sketch led me to my final logo (fig. 3.1). Maximus, the main reason why I pursued this project, stands proudly in the logo design.
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FIG. 3.2 First initial logo (badge) design and other digital mock ups.
FIG. 3.1 Final logo design on a button pin.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD BARK INITIATIVETH
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THE NE
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT | 9
BROCHUREI created a brochure targeted towards elementary school children (ages 4-10 years). I knew that I wanted something that looked “fun” yet still maintained a professional feel.
Creating illustrations to grab a child’s attention was definitely a challenge I did not see going into this project. I began with doodles as well as digital sketches (fig. 3.3). The final brochures were designed to fit on an 8.5”x11” document for convenience, in case extra needed to be printed by the HOA (fig. 3.4).
FIG. 3.3 The illustration process of “Max.”
FIG. 3.4 A The outside of the brochure.
FIG. 3.4 B The inside of the brochure.
DOGSLet’s learn all about them!
THE NEIGHBORHOOD BARK INITIATIVEPRSRT STD
U.S. PO
STAGE
PAID
PERMIT no. 123
Stowe C
reek Ho
me O
wn
ers Asso
citation
1234 B
ow W
ow Lan
eC
harlo
tte, NC
28278
Brought to you by The Neighborhood Bark Initiative
MEET MAX.Max is a friendly neighborhood dog who loves to go on walks. His loves to play fetchand enjoys yummy treats. He also likes playing with little girls and boys. Here are afew things you should know if you want to play with Max and other dogs!
Max’s tail is very important to him because he wags it when he’s happy. Pulling on his tail can really hurt him so be very careful when you’re playing with him.
Max has giant ears that allow him to hear everything even whispers. Make sure you don’t scream too loud or he may not want to play.
Max uses his mouth for eating, barking, and giving kisses. You have to be very careful around this area becuase his teeth are very sharp!Remember never to stick your hands near a dog’s mouth!
Max knows many dog tricks and loves to shake hands! When he gives you his paw, try not to squeeze it too hard because you might hurt him.
RESULTS | 11
ResultsI have contacted my HOA several times within the past few months and found myself leaving message after message with an answering machine. This is an ongoing project that I plan to see through even if it means I have to go directly to the homes of the HOA Board of Directors.
There are well over 150 houses in my neighborhood and more than 100 of these houses are home to different breeds of dogs. As of right now, I have two of the “most aggressive” breeds of dogs living in my home- Maximus the German Shepherd and Maddie the Siberian Husky. Although I do not consider them dangerous or aggressive, if provoked, I believe that they can and probably will defend themselves.
Dog bite prevention takes more than a canine behavior modification class and training- It takes a community to be successful. It is my goal to see that the neighborhood children are properly educated on how to approach and interact with dogs. Eventually, I will be able to measure my results by how children approach me and my dogs during our daily walks.
I can’t say that this will be enough to measure the success or failure of The Neighborhood Bark Initiative, but it will be enough to make a change for good in my community.
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