Utopia

1. Utopia Imagine... Crete without any stray dogs and all dogs are with responsible dog owners... ...there would NEVER be a stray dog problem

2. Addressing Root-Cause “We believe that the problem of stray dogs is caused by dog owners ... irresponsible dog owners.”

3. 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.

4. Responsible Dog Ownership • Love & care • Food & Water • Visiting vet • Walking on lead • Clean up • Neuter • Microchip

5. Subsidised neutering • With participating vets • CAWG and customer share the cost • - Male at €65 • - Bitch at €125 • Free microchip

6. 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.”

7. Marketing – subsidised neutering • Neutering dogs helps to reduce unwanted puppies and stray dogs • Subsidised neutering incentivises dog owners • Development of SNP & RPO campaign

8. Marketing – subsidised neutering • Target driven • Audience specific • Multi media • Emotive • Call to action

9. The audience • Two segments: • Pet dog owners • Hunters • Each group requires specific approach, campaign and message

10. The Message • Neutering • the responsibility is only yours, the cost we share

11. The Campaign – pet dog owners • TV advertising • Shop posters • Billboards • RPO Information booklet • Print advertising • Events • Merchandise • Price promotion

12. TV advert • High impact • Consistent message • Repetition • Strong call to action

13. 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.

14. Posters • Emotive and captive imagery to attract attention • Consistent look for recognition • Thought-provoking headlines • Consistent message • Strong and clear call to action

15. Posters

16. 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

17. Billboard/booklet/Give aways

18. 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 NOW €125 €95

19. Print & free publicity 18-30 Magazine Patris Newspaper

20. Hunters – posters & print • Message - A neutered dog is a better hunting dog • 100% paid for • Shop posters & hunting publications

21. 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...

22. Does marketing work?

23. Public Attitude Survey 2011 • Setting research objectives • Develop research method • Questionnaire design • Volunteer recruitment • Surveying • Data processing • Analysis • Conclusions

24. 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.

25. 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

26. 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

27. Where did you get your dog?

28. Why do you have a dog?

29. Is your dog neutered? • 83% of dog owners have not neutered their dog • 78% do not have microchip Why neuter? Why not neuter?

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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 shelters • Question – does this address the root-cause of the problem?

33. Subsidised neutering Agree Disagree • “I support subsidised neutering because it reduces the costs and people are more likely to neuter their dogs.” 77% 23% 66% • “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.” 34%

34. 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 What irritates you most?

35. Subsidised neutering Agree Disagree • “I support subsidised neutering because it reduces the costs and people are more likely to neuter their dogs.” 77%/74% 23%/ 26% 66%/59% • “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.” 34%/41%

36. 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

37. 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.