Thanks to Covid 19, the UK is in lockdown. People are confined to their homes, and some are starting to go a little stir crazy. But one group has stepped up in these trying times, bringing equal parts comfort and joy to those stuck inside: rescue animals. These heroic dogs and cats may not know why their humans are home all the time, but they love them for it. And they’re helping people all over the country, in ways both big (getting their owners outside for walks) and small (offering cuddles if their owners are anxious).
Everyone is sharing images and videos on their social media about their dog or their cat. And it’s making people who don’t have a pet want one. The Kennel Club have claimed searches via their 'find a puppy tool' are up 84% YOY. Whilst Google searches for "puppies for sale" have double compared to this time last year. Since all of the rescue centres are closed, they could decide to turn to breeders or shady online dealers. So we need to make sure that rescue animals stay top of mind.
Our job was twofold: we needed to celebrate the amazing, funny, sweet, incredible dogs and cats that are making our time in quarantine more bearable. And we needed to remind people that if they really do want to get a pet, they should wait until lockdown is over and get a rescue.
The aim of the campaign is to transform the way society views rescues, address the misconceptions and bust the myths associated with breed and age, and shift perceptions to reframe the category and stem declining rehoming numbers. With only 25% of dog and cat owners going on to rehome a rescue pet despite 63% of people saying they are likely to rehome from a rescue, the ‘Rescue Is Our Favourite Breed’ campaign continues to challenge the barriers to adoption.
The film “Rescues to the Rescues” was created entirely with user generated content from all over the UK. All of the animals featured are rescues, and were found through a variety of social media platforms.