Why do dogs and donkeys get all the money?

I want to start by saying that I have nothing against dogs, or donkeys or indeed any animal. Neither do I think anyone should feel bad about giving to an animal charity, if that is what they want to do with their money. But given the number of issues affecting people: homelessness, poverty, illness, I do wonder why dogs and donkeys receive quite so many donations.

Any list of the top wealthiest charities includes RSPCA, RSPB, PDSA, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and the Donkey Sanctuary. According to Cathy Pharoah of the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy, animal charities come second for women leaving legacies in both USA and the UK. (Worship comes first).

So why do we donate so much money to these causes? Here are my suggestions:

1. They are cute – compelling pictures have a huge currency in gaining our attention in the competitive world of fundraising.
2. They and their needs are not as complex as us humans – it feels tangible to treat a donkey well and nurse it back to health. Tackling someone’s offending behaviour that is in part due to their difficult start in life is far more difficult and more complex.
3. It is very clear that animals get no government support – so there is no confusion over whether someone else should already be paying.
4. They are blameless – when it comes to charity the notion of the ‘deserving and undeserving’ of help still runs deep. If a dog is ill-treated it is not the fault of the dog. If I need help to recover from a drug addiction well, some may feel my predicament was self-inflicted.
5. People can be frustrating to live with and difficult to love. Many people will have closer bonds to their pets than their families – unconditional affection goes a long way.

What could be done to shift more funds towards people rather than pets? One suggestion at an event this week was to stop tax relief on donations to animal charities. However, as you can imagine, the idea of the government interfering with where people give their money did not go down well.

So if we can’t stop people supporting animal charities (and why should we) how might we persuade them to support other causes? One direct approach has come from Harrison’s Fund, which uses the slogan “I wish my son was a dog” to raise funds for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy (link below). It also ran a dual campaign with a photo of Harrison and a dog – guess which one got twice as many clicks?

Over time, legacies and donations may shift to other causes like poverty and justice. But in the meantime fundraisers may want to think of ways to harness the power of cute and furry. Just this month I visited a domestic abuse refuge that has guinea pigs for cuddling and a charity working with young people that had two therapy dogs. Though not there to attract funding, you can see the PR possibilities.

Harrison’s Fund:http://harrisonsfund.com/news-article.php/I-Wish-my-Son-was-a-Dog-8/

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