Educating The Public

By William Given

It seems as though whenever those of us in the sport of purebred dogs and the dog fancy in general find that things are not going our way (with pending anti-dog legislation mostly) we rally to the battle cry, “We need to educate the public!” But, what exactly is the message we wish to convey to the public? Where should we go to find the public we are seeking to educate? And, what is our plan for reaching them?

I have been in the sport for many years but I have heard little in the way of, “a plan”. Only a small portion of all breeders and fanciers, as well as all-breed and specialty clubs are seriously taking advantage of the different avenues already available for delivering a positive and effective message to the greater public.

All-breed and specialty clubs hold dog shows, and often com- plain that the local newspaper and television station gives little or absolutely no coverage of their event. Obedience clubs, Agility and Field Trial clubs also hold events, and all too often receive even less attention. What could we possibly surmise is the reason behind the lack of interest by both the print and television media? The fact of the matter is that very few clubs take the time to send informa- tion to media outlets concerning club activities and their shows.

For more than three decades I have heard the lamentations of fellow dog show enthusiasts that the only show that receives any attention is the Westminster Kennel Club show. Apparently, it has never occurred to other clubs that the single greatest reason for the excellent coverage that Westminster receives is due the effort the club puts into keeping the media informed. The Westminster Kennel Club sends periodic press releases to newspapers, dog magazines and television stations in New York and across the nation.

When the judges for the show are chosen, a press release is sent. When invitations are sent and the premium list is published, a press release is sent. A month before the show, a press release is sent so that anyone and everyone who wants to write about the show has complete and up-to-date information available to them.

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Posted by Alex on Jun 20 2016. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.