Problem:
In March 2018 animal activists convinced Michael Gove, the UK Secretary of State for the environment, to announce a ban pet on containment fences which use electronic collars. They claimed that they “tortured” pets and the department wanted to impose the ban after a rapid consultation. Pet owners were devastated as these devices were proving the only way to stop their pets running out of gardens into roads
Action:
Abzed organised a fast-paced counter-campaign. In a series of five newspaper articles we revealed that Andrew Lloyd-Webber – the composer of the musical “Cats” – was using them on his pets. So too was one of Mr Gove’s cabinet colleagues. That resulted in this witty headline in The Times: “Gove faces cabinet cat-fight over pet shock collars”. We also coordinated ministerial meetings and got 500 pet owners to submit responses to a Government consultation.
Result:
In April 2018, Just 47 days after announcing the ban, Michael Gove climbed down in a statement in the House of Commons. We locked in the win with a series of newspaper headlines. Pet owners are delighted – and so are the suppliers of containment fences.