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On April 22 of 2013, Canada Post will start their Adopt a Pet Campaign. It is a stamp booklet containing 10 stamps with the pictures of dogs and cats. According to a press release by Canada Post, the primary message is to inform Canadians that when looking for a pet, their first stop should be their local humane society or SPCA.
It was the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) that submitted the “Choose adoption” to Canada Post as one of the special commemorative 2013 Canada Post stamp sets. The CFHS expressed on their website how proud and honored they are because the campaign was chosen out of more than 300 topics that were sent to Canada Post. Canada Post says that the CFHS works to promote respect for and humane treatment for all animals.
Design Manager of the stamps, Danielle Trottier, stated that she wanted to ensure that this stamp design called attention to the plight of homeless pets in Canada and also the work of organizations under the CFHS. She wanted the stamp to also educate the public about shelter animals and promoting animal adoption. “Members of the Stamp Advisory Committee noticed how the design invited interaction – which is a great way to get people engaged in the topic. Detaching the stamps from the backing allows you to let the animal out of the cage or kennel – and hopefully send it to a good home.” The background sketches each animal’s dream of home explains Trottier.
The animals on the stamps are the pictures of real shelter animals and their name and story is included within the stamp booklet. Trottier adds, “We thought it was really important for this stamp to show not just a dog, but Captain or Wrinkles – allowing collectors and mailers to have a more intimate, interactive experience with the pet.”
The second message that they want people to understand is that the idea of shelter animals being badly behaved, or that they have some sort of flaw, is the reason why they were abandoned. It is known that most abandoned animals end up at a shelter or animal control because their owner obtained the animal without considering the responsibility of taking care of another living creature. Sometimes the owners do not consider the costs of veterinary care and therefore ignore the animal’s need to be spayed or neutered, which can result in unwanted litters of animals. Another very common reason why animals end up at a shelter is because their human companion died and there was no person in the family to take responsibility for the animal.
The purpose of the stamps is to encourage people to give shelter animals a second chance in their life. Most rescues make sure that animals that are adopted have been spay or neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated and seen by a vet. They consult with behavior specialists to assess the animal’s behavior and see that he is ready to move on to an adoptive family. People that adopt animals save two lives, the one of the animal that they are adopting, and the life of an animal that needs shelter and attention.
According to Barbara Cartwright, CEO, of the CFHS, “Right now, there are thousands of animals in Canada in need of a home. The new Canada Post ‘Choose adoption’ stamp promotes the importance of adopting an animal from one of the many shelters across Canada. The reward of adoption occurs when the right animal comes into your life and becomes a part of the family.”
