What we were asked to do
Dogs Trust and the RSPCA partnered to produce the new Responsible Dog Ownership Guide, bringing together their expertise to provide practical guidance for dog owners and those involved in promoting responsible dog ownership.
We were asked to bring the guide to life in a short film for an event bringing together policymakers from central government, local authorities and other sectors involved in responsible dog ownership.
The challenge was to move beyond explaining what the Guide is and show why it matters. Using real stories, we needed to demonstrate how a shared approach to responsible dog ownership can make a practical difference to dogs, their owners and the communities they live in. Ultimately, the film needed to make the case for the Guide in a way that felt human, relevant and real, leaving the audience confident that this is a framework that can work in practice.
What we did
We filmed across two locations, starting at Dogs Trust in Canterbury, where we met Richard and Carlo, a Cane Corso who had been at the Dogs Trust with several behaviour issues. We interviewed Laura, a behaviour expert who worked with and trained Carlo during his time there, giving us a first hand insight into his journey and the impact of the right support. We then filmed at a second location, where we met Beth and her rescue dog Paddy, capturing another perspective on responsible dog ownership in practice.
The case studies gave us the opportunity to show, rather than simply tell, how the Guide can work in the real world. Alongside the interviews, we captured a mix of interactions, observational moments and detailed cutaway footage across both shoots. This gave us a rich bank of real-life material to demonstrate the expertise of Dogs Trust and the RSPCA, and show the difference a practical, shared approach can make to real people, real dogs and the communities around them.
