The NSPCA launched a very controversial Ad campaign recently , in which they were advertising "pitbull fights". Now, of course the fight itself was fake and the advertising agency they used to pull off this little charade was in on the whole thing. And people took to social media in hordes and were completely outraged at the whole thing, which is to be expected from caring, compassionate people who get outraged at the idea of dogs chewing each other up for human entertainment. However, in true South African style, some people got a little too upset and went to the offices of the advertising agency with cricket bats, threatening bodily harm on the employees. Naturally the NSPCA then issued a statement letting everyone know that it was and Ad campaign to make people aware of the reality of dog fighting in South Africa.
Now I understand that it is upsetting for many people. I, myself nearly did a back flip in my armchair. However when I looked into it a bit more and checked out the website I discovered something hinky, reported it to the proper authorities and let them handle the legalities. Other people got way out of hand and then upon discovering that it was a hoax, lost their minds even more. The organisation was accused of many things, least of all being fraudulent and giving South Africa a bad name. I must admit, I am not the biggest fan of the NSPCA. I believe a lot of their policies are counterproductive. I feel their rate of euthanasia is excessive ad that the veterinary surgeons and other staff working for them are grossly incompetent. Even their campaigns can sometimes be excessively baiting. However, this advertisement was absolutely genius.
It got people to look up from their lives and get mad. It got people to react to something horrible. It forced people away from their desks and computers and made them do something about the problem, albeit violence and not the best solution. At the end of the day, it makes people stop and think about the problem.
If you know someone who is involved in the practice of dog fighting, even if it is a friend or family member, please report it to your local authorities. Just because we, as humans, like to inflict violence on each other, doesn't mean animals have the same affinity.
I'm Just Sayin
