Hilary Stephenson OBE, for Lib Dem Director of Campaigns, explains how campaigning with you pet dog or supporting residents who are dog owners can help you win in your community.
Insurance, banking, motoring, that gobby dachshund pontificating on life insurance. Is there is no end to the use of gratuitous dogs in advertising? Why are they there? Why are there a burgeoning number of doggy programmes and Youtube videos? None of this would be the case if it did not work! Did you know that 28% of UK adults own a dog?
I am known for always asking new candidates when doing biographies – ‘Do you have a pet? What is it? What is its name and breed? Does it have any special quirks – endearing or annoying? Do you have a photo with it?’ Any pet makes you seem more real, not just a ‘career politician’.
In this time of mistrust, if you own a dog, it makes you seem more ‘human’. Your chosen breed will often lead people, rightly or wrongly, to draw some conclusions about the kind of person you are. So if your dog happens to be a rescue or is a really popular breed, or the breed has a particularly tough or caring (as appropriate) image, it can also affect people’s view of you. So, mention it in your online biography and have an occasional photo of you with your dog on your leaflets.
Some examples of how pet dogs can make candidates look relatable.
If you dog walk regularly and interact with other dog owners you can become part of a community with a common non-political interest. People will talk to you more on other things and, if you don’t hide your light under a bushel and are known to be a councillor, they will raise issues and keep you in touch. Even if you are not elected, but you are a Lib Dem campaigner, they will help you to keep in touch with local issues for action, leaflet and online content.
Whether or not you have a dog, if you support dog charities like the Dogs Trust this also helps especially if you can show your support is active and sustained. Whatever you do, don’t just look like you are jumping on a bandwagon – you need to ‘walk the (dog) walk’!!
If you are a community campaigner at any level there are things dog owners will appreciate. Cllr Ed Fordham and his husky Sparky are well known in Chesterfield and have come up with a number of suggestions, including the following:
- Supporting and praising the East Midlands Fire Dog
- Laying an annual purple wreath at remembrance services to commemorate animals who have served in conflict zones
- Working with the community to see if they can create a dedicated and well advertised area where owners can exercise their dogs off the lead.
- Producing a guide to local dog friendly shops and businesses and encouraging corner shops to stock poo bags.
- Getting a site where residents can put a small commemorative plaque for their former pet and maybe creating with a local supplier an acceptably sized template for a small brass plaque.
- Getting the council to provide sprays to enable community groups (or you) to mark ‘Bag it Bin it’ reminders on pavements and other suitable sites.
Most of the time we only mention dogs in leaflets and websites when we are talking about poo or anti-social behaviour. We do need to do this, but should always acknowledge ‘the vast majority of responsible dog owners’ – so be careful not to offend owners or other residents. But do campaign for poo bins and encourage use of bags and leads where appropriate. You could mention contact details for local suppliers if you wanted.
Finally, if you still doubt the positive effect of dogs, look at the enormous amount of attention Steve Darling MP’s assistance dog Jenny has attracted since Steve’s election to Parliament last year.
PS Some of this can work if you have a cat, a guinea pig, a rabbit .. though not so good with a goldfish, which was all the late great Lord Andrew Stunell could offer me!