How To: Organize an Awareness Campaign About Animal Cruelty

Chances are there are tons of people out there who don't know much about animal cruelty or how many animals it affects. Make some catchy flyers so they can be in the know and learn how they can make a difference too.

1. Double check. Before you get started, make sure you’re allowed to post your signs around school or on telephone poles and community bulletin boards. If your town won’t allow you to post randomly around the neighborhood, see if you can pass out flyers at your town hall, public library, a local business or at school.
2. Do your research. Gather some data for the signs and figure out how you want to present it. DoSomething.org has some great info on animal cruelty including facts and background, as well as a list of ways to take action against animal cruelty.
3. Investigate. Find out about some cause-relevant stuff in your area. Check out Do Something's project page to find out what young people are doing to fight animal cruelty in your town. And don't be afraid to call your local animal rights organization to ask about the statistics on animal cruelty in your area. Include this info on your posters, and don't forget to find out how people can report animal cruelty in your area.
4. Get the details. See if you can get a quote from an expert. Try to interview a vet or someone who has adopted an animal that was once abused. Real stories are powerful!
5. Use images. Sometimes pictures make stronger statements than words and are as much a part of the message as the chosen words, so don’t be afraid to use them. If that woman who adopted the battered animal is willing to show his or her face, let her!
6. Round up some friends. Ask friends and family to help you design and complete the posters or flyers. They can also help you put them up when you’re done.
7. Variety is key. Keep in mind, that in order to make this campaign effective, you have to vary your strategy. So think about making a few different kinds of signs.
   • Small flyers to pass out to people.
   • Big, colorful posters to put on telephone polls: you want these to stand out because people will be driving and/or walking by them so you want to grab their attention.
   • Informative flyers to post on cork boards or town message boards.
8. Be bold. Think of strange places you can put up posters and see if you can get permission to post them there, because it’s an effective tactic to grab attention. Try out the doors in bathroom stalls of restaurants, cafes, and/or even in restrooms of your local bus or train station. How about your local pet shop, vet office or pet grooming business?
9. Post and repost. While going out one day and posting is great, keep in mind that weather may damage posters so you’ll want to go out periodically and repost your signs. You also won’t catch everyone in one day so schedule a few days to go out and distribute fliers.
10. Go the extra mile. You can also recruit speakers to talk at your school, church, or community center about your cause. Visit your local animal shelter or hospital to see if you can speak to someone about cases of animal cruelty he/she has witnessed, or stop by your local police station and ask for resources. They’re usually more than willing to help support a positive cause.

And don't forget to let Do Something know the amazing things you've done! You can also show off what you've done on our projects page.