Mistakes in Advocacy - But my dog
Thank you for staying with us through our “Mistakes Advocates Make” series. If you haven’t already, please review the posts from the past five days (they will also be shared on our website).
We have one final topic to cover! We call it the “but MY dog” comment. It’s when people are responding to discussions of BSL or breed stereotypes by sharing photos of their own dogs instead of addressing the big picture. The photos often include a comment like “but MY dog wouldn’t hurt a fly” or (sarcastically) “oh yes so vicious”.
Don’t get us wrong. Your personal dog can be an “ambassadog” and spark conversations. Many people say their minds were changed about breed stereotypes after meeting a really nice dog. A great social media account may successfully show that a “pit bull” type dog is actually just a dog that likes to run and chew toys and do dog things.
There is definitely a time and place to show that dogs are individuals and don’t conform to stereotypes. But that time and place is NOT under a news article reporting someone’s injury or death, and probably not under a discussion about BSL. It won’t change minds. It will simply make us look insensitive and self-absorbed.
If someone reads an article about a dog that injured or killed someone, do you expect them to be reassured by a stranger’s picture of a similar looking dog holding a stuffie or sleeping with a kitten? If you are truly looking to change minds, recognize that people are reading terrible things and coming from a place of fear. Banning your stuffie-loving dog seems like a small price to pay if they think a breed ban can save even one life.
As for the (sarcastic) “oh yes so vicious” caption, we’ve written before about how these can backfire. People respond better to positive messages like “I am an individual and I am a good dog” versus “I am not a bad dog” or “I am SO vicious…yeah right”.
That positive messaging can be a great addition to your personal social media accounts showing off your dog’s good behaviour – include that stuffie-toting and kitten-snuggling until your heart's content!
For the dog attack and BSL posts, we encourage you to acknowledge that you are talking to people who are in a state of fear. Instead of using sarcasm or making it about your personal dog, it might be more effective to reassure them that advocates DO care about community safety but BSL is not the way to get there. For more information and talking points you can use in these conversations, visit our website!