A Manchester-based appeal has been launched to spread awareness and education of rescue and normal dogs’ special needs and requirements.
SpaceDogs, an appeal started by Judi Rudd, is going to be signified by a yellow ribbon, designed to be worn by dogs and/or the owner, which will be available for purchase from participating dog retailers, vets and charities, as well as the website.
The campaign has been set up on a budget by Judi and friends because, having taken on a rescue dog herself, the Manchester-based altruist understands the difficulties when people approach dogs. She explained: “I would like to educate the non-dog-owning world, to facilitate a better understanding of dogs and their needs, especially some rescue dogs.”
The charity’s plan is to educate people on what causes some dogs to become nervous and what needs to be done to help resolve this, which will be made clearer through the website.
The SpaceDogs founder wants to start the process at the core, educating in schools. She added: “I would like to educate children on how to approach a dog. Even the calmest dog can be spooked by a child dashing to say hello and that calm – but now spooked – dog can easily frighten a child.”
The ribbon’s use will raise awareness of the appeal and have practical uses – helping to identify dogs which are more prone to become agitated, so other owners can keep a wide berth.
“The yellow ribbon can be used to signify to people that you and your dog would like a bit of extra space when passing. This may be because your dog is nervous after a bad experience with children, dogs or people,” said Judi.
Charities that help get the SpaceDogs campaign off the ground can expect to share in its success, with Judi’s plans of redistributing funds back into dog charities, initially to all those who helped make the dog awareness campaign reach its goals.
More information can be found through the website.
