HERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT AN 'IN YOUR FACE' CAMPAIGN CAN DO IF DONE CORRECTLY.  THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAID THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THESE PETS BEING KILLED UNTIL THIS SERIES OF EVENTS.  SOMETIMES YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO MAKE THEM SEE WITH THEIR OWN EYES.  This is not ‘scare tactics’, exaggerated figures or limited affects type journalism, but simple facts that do have an impact on each and every citizen.

Dog Euthanization to be Shown  LIVE on Television

by Ellen Murray

This should be a mandatory topic for all communities to feature at least once a year.
Video footage of a dog being euthanized at the Guilford County Animal Shelter (GCAS) in Durham, North Carolina will be shown on Saturday during a public access television program produced by the county sheriff. The same footage was featured on a major network news program several years ago and the effects were immediately noticeable. It is a powerful tool to make those who ‘think’ they understand what goes on with the overpopulation, actually face the truth – to make them wake up quickly.
B.J. Barnes said he intends to show the footage in order to let people know what happens to the thousands of area animals that are not adopted.
The sheriff's weekly program, which is broadcast by WGHP on channel 8, begins at 7 PM.
WGHP also airs a weekly segment featuring one of the animals available for adoption at the GCAS.
The sheriff said that after he showed the footage on local network primetime program five years ago, the initial reaction was outrage as people lined up at the county facility to adopt the dogs and cats and show their distain for what they assumed was a callous and uncaring sheriff, they learned quickly that these had been going on long before his arrival and that he only showed this to ‘shock’ the residents into a reality check.  It must have worked as well here in North Carolina as this ‘In Your Face’ style campaign has also worked in various other communities over the past 10 years. Within 6 months of the first showing in 1996, ads for litters in the papers were greatly reduced, adoptions increased and the number of people surrendering animals went down substantially.

© 2002 Animal News Center, Inc.


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