RSPCA ‘Home for Life’ ad dodges ASA censure
A television campaign promoting the RSPCA as a ‘home for life’ has escaped censure from the Advertising Standards Authority – despite one in five animals in the scheme being put down.
The campaign was intended to raise awareness of the RSPCA’s rehousing scheme for pets whose owners had died and employed imagery of a cat pawing fruitlessly at a window to hammer home its message.
Complainants, including liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, contended that this was misleading as no mention was made of the fact that some animals were being put down.
In its adjudication the ASA agreed that the RSPCA had made clear it could only rehouse animals where its resources could permit by use of phrases such as ‘we’ll try our very best’.
The RSPCA released figures showing that 10 of the 58 animals taken on under the Home for Life service in 2011had to be put down.