During the pandemic, puppy adoptions soared – along with accidental puppy poisonings. The ASPCA saw a dramatic increase in calls to Animal Poison Control. Turns out, as people spent more time at home cooking and gardening, they unknowingly created more hazards for dogs.

The ASPCA wanted to raise awareness of the skyrocketing dog poisonings, teach dog owners to recognize early signs of poisoning, and ultimately prevent accidental poisonings. And it wasn't just adults who were at fault. Kids were sharing snacks likes grapes and raisins, which can be fatal.

But nobody wants to hear a lecture. And with the U.S. overrun by negativity ¬– from the pandemic to political upheaval to mass shootings – the message needed a dose of lightheartedness to stand out from the sea of sad news.

Based on the universal truth that, given the chance, dogs will eat anything, the campaign uses a pack of quirky pups to point out the dangers that lurk inside and outside the home.

An animated song on YouTube shows cartoon dogs eating obviously dangerous things along with some not-so-obvious threats. The whimsical video points to DogsEatEverything.com, a website that combines illustration with technology to give parents and kids information about top toxins, their side effects, and what poison symptoms to look for.

The mobile site features a chatbot and innovative poison scanner that can tell how toxic something is and can immediately call Animal Poison Control in an emergency. Built as a progressive web app, the site's icon can be added to a mobile device and operated with or without WIFI for use on-the-go.

The target audience was dog owners of all ages, people visiting dog shelters or dog rescues in New York, and people taking their dogs to veterinarians. We also wanted to reach people who use smart phones and enjoy using technology in their daily lives. We focused primarily on New York in order to reach a large amount of people with a very limited budget.

The holidays are an especially dangerous time for four-legged friends to get into foods that can be harmful or even fatal. Therefore, the campaign needed to reach dog owners in time for the holidays when accidental poison is at its highest. The campaign was launched in the middle of November, a week before Thanksgiving when many families prepare and eat foods that are highly dangerous to dogs (e.g., garlic, onions, macadamia nuts, bread dough, chocolate, alcohol, etc.). By reaching people before the holidays, we could make sure families have the education they need to make better choices around their four-legged furry friends.

While the campaign is still in its infancy, the response has been extremely positive. Not only was there a 400% increase in website traffic within the first month of the campaign, but 20% of visitors returned to the site for repeat viewing, indicating a positive user experience. Other metrics show a low bounce rate (53%) and strong average time on site (2:05), indicating visitors were engaging with the content. Since the launch, the ASPCA has reported a decrease in the number of calls concerning insecticides and gardening products, and the number of campaign sponsors continues to grow organically.