Pawsatively Inspiring

Here’s a fact about me: I love animals. So do a lot of people, and what I’ve discovered is that some of the most successful organisations/digital campaigns/charities/blogs/websites etc are animal orientated. Why is this? For me, animals are awesome because they don’t speak. Instead, they say so much with just their presence and silent personalities. They are loyal, dedicated and resilient companions – everything that humans strive to be, and of course, not forgetting humorous as well. Take http://icanhas.cheezburger.com/ for example. This website/blog has just escalated in popularity over the years, but it really is very simple why this has happened. Combine cute animal pictures and endless creativity and you get success. Its the captions that do it for me. Look at this image below:

Try and visualize it without the speech bubbles. It would just be an image of three birds and a blue sky. Not exactly groundbreaking. But add a dash of imagination, and bang! You get a whole different story. It’s funny, captivating and leaves you hungry for more. Would the same have worked for humans though? Doubt it. Animals seem to have a special effect on people, and I believe its because they offer escapism from the human world. What’s interesting is though, the creators of cheezburger are actually humanizing these animals, but what makes it work is the partnership between the humor and the image. They compliment each other. Am I getting too deep here about animal pictures?

I just love them. I spend hours looking at animal pictures, videos and blogs online to relieve the tension of everyday life. I suppose this is why I’m a big supporter of animal charities. I simply cannot stand cruelty to animals, however I do get people’s frustrations when they are bombarded with horrible images on their social media news feed. Of course its important to publicize why these charities exist, and sharing a few pictures of the cruelty out there can hit home, however I can’t help thinking that websites such as cheezburger also play their part. I’m a big lover of the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind - and ITV’s programme – ‘The Secret Life of Dogs’ was truly an inspiration. I think this kind of positive, uplifting approach works well in raising peoples awareness of how amazing animals are because they are far more likely to pay attention to that. Of course animal cruelty needs to be addressed, and I actively follow a lot of charities on Facebook and Twitter that work to put a stop to it, but what I’m highlighting here is that sometimes it works wonders to take a brighter perspective to encourage people to support animal campaigns. This is why I love sites such as Cutest Paw . It’s just so happy, and instantly puts you in a state of euphoria. Like anything, social media can have a massive influence over peoples perceptions and thoughts, and can sway them to believe in something they might not have done so before. Sites such as Cutest Paw, Pinterest, Stumbleupon, and even Facebook have the power to alter the negative stance of animal cruelty. They have the ability to transform a negative issue into a positive one by simply keeping the glass half full. Posting images and videos of positive things about animals will keep viewers engaged whilst also promoting how they are a source of happiness instead of sadness. Its a bit like Weight Watchers. If you look at their marketing, they always promote the most positive aspects about their programme e.g. being healthier, meeting new people and a change of lifestyle. There are no negative connotations such as heart disease or other ilnesses. The same applies to animal cruelty. More focus should be placed upon the happy, positive elements that animals bring such as companionship, fun, and friends for life. This is why I’m now going to share with you my favourite animal pictures that I’ve pinned, and stumbled across online recently, and hopefully they will put a massive smile on your face like they did with me!

 

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