Storytelling

Challenge:

My personal challenge is to promote the adoption of older or senior dogs in my community. Older
dogs tend to spend more time in shelters, as puppies and young dogs are more commonly adopted.
My goal is to change people's perception of adopting senior dogs and encourage families to provide
them with a home.

Selection:

I selected the storytelling tool to address this challenge, because as mentioned at the conference,
storytelling is a powerful way to communicate a message and connect with people's emotions.
Storytelling is a means to highlight the qualities and beauty of older dogs, also to sensitize people
about this little talked about situation. Through this tool I will be able to convey a logical message
that in turn has a strong emotional connection and a greater purpose, to find homes for these dogs.
As mentioned in the lecture, as humans we respond to stories, they can help us develop a deeper
empathy in the present, which is what I intend with this initiative.

Implementation:

The first step was to collect stories of little old dogs that have been adopted and have improved the
lives of their owners, bringing them joy, loyalty and above all companionship. Then, I created
marketing materials, including videos, brochures and social media posts, which present these stories
in a touching way. Also, I participated in adoption events, where we let people meet the dogs up for
adoption and hear their stories.

Information:

Storytelling has had a great impact on people's perception of older dogs. There are stories that have
touched their hearts and shown them that these dogs deserve a second chance and a family to take
them in. Stories create a stronger emotional connection than facts and statistics alone, people are
more willing to consider adopting senior dogs after hearing their stories.

Focus:

Going forward, I will continue to use storytelling as a key tool in my challenge to promote senior dog
adoption. However, I will also look into ways to collaborate with animal rescue organizations and
shelters. In addition, I will consider using different types of stories, such as those involving dogs with
disabilities who have been adopted and how they have transformed their lives. Storytelling will
continue to be my main focus, as it is effective in raising awareness and changing attitudes in a good
way towards this cause.