Utopia

Imagine...

Crete without any stray dogs andall dogs are with responsible dog owners...

...there would NEVER be a stray dog problem

Addressing Root-Cause

“We believe that the problem of stray dogs is caused by dog owners ... irresponsible dog owners.”

Key Aim

In order to reduce animal suffering and the number of unwanted dogs on the street, we must change people’s attitudes and behaviours and make them responsible dog owners.

Responsible Dog Ownership

• Love & care• Food & Water• Visiting vet• Walking on lead• Clean up• Neuter• Microchip

Subsidised neutering

• With participating vets• CAWG and customer share the cost

- Male at €65- Bitch at €125

• Free microchip

Marketing – why?

“For the costs of helping one stray, you can print 10,000 leaflets to change people’s attitudes and behaviours and avoid many 100’s of strays in the future.”

Marketing – subsidised neutering

• Neutering dogs helps to reduce unwanted puppies and stray dogs

• Subsidised neutering incentivises dog owners

• Development of SNP & RPO campaign

Marketing – subsidised neutering

• Target driven• Audience specific• Multi media• Emotive• Call to action

The audience

• Two segments:• Pet dog owners• Hunters

• Each group requires specific approach, campaign and message

The Message

Neuteringthe responsibility is only yours, the cost we share

The Campaign – pet dog owners

• TV advertising• Shop posters• Billboards• RPO Information

booklet

• Print advertising• Events• Merchandise• Price promotion

TV advert

• High impact• Consistent message• Repetition• Strong call to action

Posters

She does not know what world she will bring her children into. If she did then she would not do it.

Have you ever wished you were never born? Some think it every day.

If this moment does not have a future, it is because you didn't neuter your dog in the past.

Posters

• Emotive and captive imagery to attract attention

• Consistent look for recognition• Thought-provoking headlines• Consistent message• Strong and clear call to action

Posters

Billboard/booklet/Give aways

• Billboards at key central ‘walking dog routes (port and park)

• Information booklet about all aspects of RPO

• Free ‘give-aways’ with website & SNP number

Billboard/booklet/Give aways

Price promotion

• Male remain at €65, but costs for bitch lowered from €125 to €95

• In light of economic crisis and financial pressures

• In order to keep stimulating demand

€125 €95NOW

Print & free publicity

18-30 MagazinePatris Newspaper

Hunters – posters & print

• Message - A neutered dog is a better hunting dog

• 100% paid for• Shop posters &

hunting publications

Does marketing work?

• Increase in number of dogs neutered• Dogs are neutered at an earlier age• Proportion of bitches neutered

increase• Change in attitudes? Market

Research...

Does marketing work?

Dogs Neutered

23

141107

143

200

0

50

100

150

200

250

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Year

No

. o

f D

og

s

Dogs Neutered

Sex of Dogs Neutered

16

104

70

110

162

7

37 37 33 38

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

YearN

o.

of

Do

gs

Females

Males

Public Attitude Survey 2011

• Setting research objectives

• Develop research method

• Questionnaire design

• Volunteer recruitment

• Surveying

• Data processing

• Analysis

• Conclusions

What we are trying to achieve?

• Establishing base data against which change over time can be measured.

• Obtaining an idea on attitudes and behaviours regarding responsible dog ownership.

How we did it?

• Over a period of one week in November 2011

• Handing out questionnaires in centre of Heraklion (cafe/bars)

• Different questionnaires for dog and non-dog owners

• Volunteers collecting the questionnaires when completed

• Manual data processing

• Analysis using Excel

2011 Results

Profile Dog Owners (74 responses)

• Mainly female, between 18-44 out of centre, household of 4 people with children over 12 and mostly (58%) have one dog

Profile Non-dog owners (129 responses)

• Male and female, between 18-44, household of 4 people with children over 12

Where did you get your dog?

Found on the street

Bought in pet shop/vet

From shelter

Friends/family/neighbours

Other

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

33%

25%

2%

35%

5%

Why do you have a dog?

Companionship for me

my children wanted dog

Makes me exercise

Dog guards the house

Educational (to teach children responsibility)

All my friends have dogs

Image (like celebrities)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

85%

9%

1%

28%

3%

0%

0%

Is your dog neutered?

• 83% of dog owners have not neutered their dog

• 78% do not have microchip

Didn’t want puppies

Easier to control (behaviour, calmer)

Health benefit

Vet’s advice

Other

0% 5%10%

15%20%

25%30%

35%40%

45%

42%

33%

42%

33%

25%Why neuter?

Too expensive

Neutering is unnatural

Neutering is unhealthy

Never thought about neutering/didn’t know

No time

Vet advised “don’t neuter”

Other

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

10%

40%

20%

8%

0%

12%

13%

Why not neuter?

Other RPO indicators

• 94% of dog owners visit the vet at least once per year

• Dogs are either kept in the house (49%) or in the garden /balcony not tied up (45%)

• 72% take dog for walks of which 71% at least once per day

• 59% leave dog unattended for 8 hours or more

Less than 4 hours

About 8 hours

More than 12 hours

More than 18 hours

24hours

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

41%

47%

5%

4%

3%

Other RPO indicators

• Half of dog owners always walk the dog on a lead• One in 5 dog owners do not clean up after the dog

(80% does :)• 29% of dog owners walk their dogs less than 1 every

day

Views on stray dogs• 28% believe it is normal to have stray dogs on the

street (31% of non-dog owners)• Abandonment of puppies and pets are considered the

main causes of strays = irresponsible dog owner• 77% believe that the problem can be solved by putting

strays in sheltersQuestion – does this address the root-cause of the problem?

Subsidised neutering

“I don’t like subsidised neutering because I believe if people decide to have a dog they should be responsible enough to be able to pay all necessary veterinary bills, including the full price of neutering.”

“I support subsidised neutering because it reduces the costs and people are more likely to neuter their dogs.”

Agree Disagree

77% 23%

34% 66%

Results non-dog owners• 65% believe that stray dog

problem can be solved by finding them homes

• 43% believe that people are not behaving more responsibly compared to 5 years ago

• Not cleaning up after the dog is biggest irritation with dog owners

Noise/barking

Not cleaning up

Free-roaming/uncontrolled

Other, specify.......

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

16%

68%

34%

4%

What irritates you most?

Subsidised neutering

“I don’t like subsidised neutering because I believe if people decide to have a dog they should be responsible enough to be able to pay all necessary veterinary bills, including the full price of neutering.”

“I support subsidised neutering because it reduces the costs and people are more likely to neuter their dogs.”

Agree Disagree

77%/ 74% 23%/ 26%

34%/ 41% 66%/ 59%

What makes a responsible dog owner?

Top 3

1st Giving the dog love & attention

2nd Visiting the vet regularly

3rd Make sure they have enough water & food

Bottom 3

9th Ensure dog has microchip

10th Neuter the dog

11th Walking the dog on a lead

So finally...

In order to solve the problem of strays in the long term we must continue to develop responsible dog ownership through effective marketing and communications;

We must also continue to measure change over time in order to understand if what we do works;

We can not do it alone – all stakeholders should re-think their focus and apply resources that truly address the root-cause of strays.