The best way to make friends with a dog?

Let them sniff the back of your hand.

Dogs don’t need their teeth cleaned?

Wrong - they absolutely do.

These are just two out of 17 doggie lessons created in partnership with Hong-Kong based Designmints, who are the dog lovers and illustrators behind the Doggie Kingdom cartoons. The 17 images will be shared online as well as used in Animals Asia’s education programme - initially in schools in Hong Kong and then later in mainland China.

 Animal Welfare Education Manager Karina O’Carroll explained:

“What they have created is outstanding. What we were able to add is not just expertise in terms of how dogs should be treated - we also insisted on the inclusion of mixed breed dogs to the designs. Every dog has the ability to become our helper, best friend and loyal companion, regardless of breed. 

“In addition, there’s a long history of cartoon animals being dressed as humans with eye-raising accessories, but we felt that, in this context, the dogs should be as nature intended.  As one of the messages says - ‘Do not alter a dog’s natural beauty’. We hope this message in particular hits home in Hong Kong, as dogs are frequently seen to be accessorised with unnatural and unnecessary items such as booties and clothing.”\

 The images, shared here in English, will also be made available in Chinese. 

Animals Asia Cat and Dog Welfare Programme works in Hong Kong and China, working with local authorities and through local outreach.  Animals Asia also campaigns against the consumption of dogs and cats. Through Dr Dog and Professor Paws animal-assisted therapy and education programmes, Animals Asia also promotes beneficial interactions with registered companion animals.

Karina added:

“A lot of the lessons here might seem obvious to some but the truth is there are a lot of dogs that spend much of their lives in cages or are rarely, if ever, exercised, amongst other mistakes and oversights by their carers. Taking this message to schools means children can come home and educate their parents. We want the younger generations to grow up taking a lead in animal care and promoting animal welfare.”

You can see the full set here. 

 

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