top of page
Michelle Fondacaro
The Ask
Many people adopted pets during the pandemic. Post-pandemic, their lives are busy and their wallets are expensive. How can we help dogs stay in homes?
The Problem
People are returning to the office post-pandemic, and pet care is expensive. People are financially unable to care for both their families and their pets.
The Insight
Pet owners do not want to surrender their pets, man's best friend, to shelters, where they are potentially facing euthanasia after only 72 hours. If families felt supported in their pet care, they would be more likely to keep their pet.
The Strategy
72 hours is just the right amount of time to help a family keep their best friend in the home.
While the Covid-19 pandemic was a difficult time for many, ASPCA sees a silver lining. Polling found that almost half of Americans welcomed a new family member, a dog or cat, between March and December 2020.
As back-to-office mandates are reinstated, people are seeking pet care, which becomes costly. Inflation is surging, and they are paying more for pet care, food, and various other expenses.
"More than 75% of pet owners say inflation is making pet ownership more expensive and 26% are struggling to afford the four-legged members of their family."
Lending Tree via Newswire
"The same economic trends that affect people always affect animals," referring to high inflation and the nation's housing crisis that has led to a rise in eviction rates and homelessness. "Housing insecurity is one of the top reasons people are surrendering their animals."
Stephanie Filer, Executive Director of Shelter Animals Count
At the end of the day, they are unable to shoulder the financial burden of caring for both their canine- and feline-family and their human families.
The Insight
Families do not want to surrender their pets, as they know the potential face in shelters. Minimum holding periods before euthanasia are, on average, 72 hours.
"Families in poverty who love their pets... face mental and emotional devastation from the unimaginable financial ruin."
Michael Blackwell, Former Deputy Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA
People aren't returning their pets to shelters because they got bored, or because they simply gave up. They are being forced by dire financial needs.
What if the financial burden was removed from the equation?
The Strategy
72 hours isn't a lot of time for a dog in the pound, but it is just the right amount of time to help a family keep their best four-legged friend in their home.
The Creative Campaign
Before The Clock Strikes Zero
The solution is to partner with the ASPCA and local animal shelters to launch the campaign: Before The Clock Strikes Zero.
Before The Clock Strikes Zero emphasizes that 72 hours can be the difference between life and death for a pet at risk of being surrendered.
The campaign will begin with the launch of the Before The Clock Strikes Zero website. The website will highlight dogs who are at risk of being surrendered or were recently surrendered to local shelters.
The website will be accompanied by a social media stunt featuring Doug the Pug to garner further attention, spanning both Instagram and TikTok.
The stunt will begin with a mysterious 72-hour countdown on Doug the Pug's Instagram story, and will be accompanied by Instagram Reels and TikTok posts hinting at, and eventually linking, the Before The Clock Strikes Zero website.
Results and Impact
Competing against both students and young professionals, Before The Clock Strikes Zero for ASPCA won Young Shits' July-August 2023 brief. Judge, Keerthikeyan Dakshinamurthy, called out that our insight hit hard on the simple honest truth!
Team: Paris Cipollone
My Role: Strategist
bottom of page