Introduction: This article outlines a dog owner–focused social marketing pilot program implemented
in 2017, which aimed to reduce koala and domestic dog interactions in one local city council in
Australia. Literature: Dog attacks and predation are the third most common cause of death in koalas
after habitat loss and vehicle strikes. Programs aiming to reduce wildlife and domestic pet interactions
frequently neglect human dimensions, and social sciences have been called upon to complement
conservation efforts. Methods: Developed in consultation with dog training experts and the local
regional council Leave It was based on input from 41 dog owners. Leave It was a 4-week training
program priced at AUD$150 that was delivered by local dog trainers who had previously received
specialized koala aversion training. Findings: Co-design results indicated that the social marketing
pilot program needed to emphasize training, be positive, and be dog and not koala-focused. A fun,
positive dog-focused event, supported by dog retailers, entertainers, and food service providers, was
held in June 2017 to launch the Leave It program. Outcome evaluations for Leave It indicated a statistically significant increase in wildlife aversion–related behaviors (stay, come back every time/some of
the time, and stay quiet on command). Process evaluation indicated that people enjoyed the do-focused event and the opportunity to seek training and obedience advice. Conclusions: Co-designing
the program with dog owners in the local council area engaged community members, making them
contributors rather than program participants. The program had a dog focus rather than wildlife focus
as recommended by dog owners.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:87081 |
| Date | 13 September 2023 |
| Creators | David, Patricia, Rundle-Thiele, Sharyn, Pang, Bo, Knox, Kathy, Parkinson, Joy, Hussenöder, Felix |
| Publisher | Sage Publications |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 1539-4093 |
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