How to respond to social media posts about BSL, breed stereotypes, or dog attacks
Our “mistakes advocates make” series has sparked some great conversations! However, some have pointed out while we explain what NOT to do, it would be useful to have some positive instruction on what TO DO.
You asked, we delivered! Here are our top 5 tips on how to respond to social media posts about BSL, breed stereotypes, or dog attacks.
But before we start, a reminder that it is okay to NOT respond. It almost never makes you feel better to get sucked into a Facebook debate with unpleasant strangers. Sadly, there are a lot of trolls and pro-BSL folks out there, and they spend a lot of time in social media threads.
Advocacy happens in conversations, not in comment threads. Instead of being the 56th comment under a CTV news article, why not use your own platform? Make up an informative and constructive post, and share on your own page or in some of your favourite groups.
Okay, so you’ve considered all that and still want to respond to the post! Here are our tips.
1. If the post is about an attack or injury, be compassionate. We cannot stress this enough. These are real human beings where lives have been changed forever: in some cases, lost forever. Acknowledge this loss and the fear and frustration the family must be feeling. Imagine how they feel reading through the comment threads, and be sensitive.
2. Agree that serious aggression is a big deal. If a dog attack sent someone to the hospital, this is a public health concern that should not be minimized. As much as we care about dogs, we need to be on the same page that the lives of humans come first.
3. Inform people about the proven risk factors for dog bites (e.g., lack of supervision, victim was vulnerable or a stranger, dog was not spayed/neutered, dog was not a family dog, owner mismanagement, abuse or neglect). Research shows that there are factors that can predict whether a dog will attack. Breed is not one of those factors, so BSL is a flawed premise.
4. Explain Dangerous Dog Legislation. A lot of people assume that because we oppose BSL, we oppose any dog legislation. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We support legislation that targets behaviour and holds owners accountable. We support penalties, fines, and interventions for owners who don’t properly manage or contain their dogs, and swift enforcement as soon as concerning behaviour is seen. We also support stronger legislation at the federal/provincial levels addressing cruelty, irresponsible breeding, and unethical rescue organizations.
5. Outline other interventions that have shown promise in promoting safety and animal welfare. This includes spay/neuter subsidies, outreach programs promoting training and vet care, bite prevention education for children and other high-risk populations, public education on safe dog interactions, promoting a culture where people report concerning behaviour, licensing campaigns, open intake shelters, and increased liability for breeders, rescues, and owners when their actions result in unsafe dogs in our community.
There is much more information and background to all of this on our website! Check out our sections on “BSL” and “So you want to be an Advocate” in particular. Please take a read and let us know if you have any questions. We want constructive conversations to start here.