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Jessica Moore

IN-5IN1-ENGL

Thomas Parker

6/28/2018

ASPCA

The ASPCA, which stand for American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,

advertisement was created to help stop animal cruelty, and help save the lives of poor animals

who are not provided with the homes they should have. The ASPCA company was founded in

America in 1866 to try to help stop animal cruelty. The advertisement asks people around

America to send donations for these animals who are in danger, hurt and abandoned. According

to their website, the ASPCA is a society who saves hurt, abused, and neglected animals and

brings them back to their safe location in New York City. The target audience for the

advertisement is people who love animals and who want to these animals in a safe environment

and would be willing to actively participate in their rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming. In the

advertisement above you can see that they use puppies who look sad, dirty, and want some

attention. Also, the puppies are locked in a fence and appear to want out. The reaction the

ASPCA is trying get is to make people feel concerned and hurt for the puppies enough to make
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them want to donate. The ASPCA’s founding purpose was to save animals from cruel

environments, create a volunteer organization, and become a money generating organization that

uses those funds on their intended goals of saving animals from inhumane conditions.

The ASPCA uses pathos in the advertisement above to make you feel extreme concern

for the safety of the animals shown. Their hope is that the readers level of concern will generate

more revenue through donations or hands on help through volunteerism. While reading and

looking over the advertisement, viewers get a sense of pain and hurt for these animals. They try

to touch your heart and get you find enough sadness for the animals that you will donate to them.

When you look at this ad you can see it is short and sweet, “Help the ASPCA Put a Stop to

Animal Cruelty.” The way you can do that is by donating, which is also shown in the ad. The

advertisement is also showing grief in the puppies faces while they are trying to climb out of the

fence. The ad uses puppies who look unhappy and possibly abandoned are living in an

environment that is not suited for any animals and implies that these specific puppies need

rescuing.

The Symbolism the ASPCA uses in the advertisement is the fences, gates, and other

means of enclosures to invoke a sense of restriction and gloom. They use images of dogs on

chains which is another symbol of restriction and restraint portrayed in a negative way. The

company also makes the fence evident and in clear focus to make the reader/viewer feel that

these puppies are left outside at all times. Also, the fence can make the reader feel that the

puppies are left completely unattended and possibly unfed and provided adequate shelter from

the weather. By doing this the company is hoping to make the viewer want to help these poor

innocence animals by donating or volunteering.

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Logos is being used to show how the ASPCA has contributed to animals and can do a lot

more if you just help by donating. Here, the company ad shows they have rescued 47,000 plus

animals in 2017 alone. As wells as 4,756 successful adoptions in the same time frame. It also

shows that they donated 12 million dollars to animal welfare groups and spayed/neutered 89,768

animals. I noticed that the ad does not show how much money they earned for the same time

period. In the Facts Activist article, I found that for example, “In 2013, the ASPCA only gave

$4.9 million to support animal shelters, a mere 4% of its $129 million budget.” (Facts Activist

Facts). So, while the ASPCA ad shows them doing extra ordinary works for abused animals,

some may question where all of the money is going. Logos is very important to show to viewers

because its showing off real numbers that can persuade viewers to help them more.

Lastly, Ethos is being shown in the advertisement to credit the ASPCA and to help make

the cause about animal cruelty known. Because the company makes the wretchedness of the
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puppies and other animals known, most viewers aren’t going to really look into where all of the

funds are allocated because they feel like the animals are being rescued. Building the sadness

that is shown in the animals faces or environment keeps the viewers focused on the misery of the

animals shown on the site, creates concern, and a sense of duty to animal lovers to make a

contribution.

In conclusion, the ASPCA’s advertisement was created in a way to bring attention to the

way some animals live in inhumane conditions and how you can help. They want to get people

to fear for the safety of the animals in need so they will donate to them and thus create more

revenue to help save more animals. They use their past heritage and accomplishments to show

how much they do with the money society donates to them. This type of advertisement makes

you feel distressed and creates a sense of urgency for these animals and to build confidence in

the ASPCA to do what they can to help any animal in these conditions. The company

advertisement also points out how they have been in operations since 1866 to try to stop animal

cruelty from even back then. They are trying to highlight their accomplishments to convince the

reader that they will be good stewards of all of the funds donated to their organization. They

also make it known in the ad just how long it took them to receive everything they have. By

doing all of this, ASPCA is trying to show you what you can do by donating. Also, they are

reaching out to their viewers to highlight their past and how they want to improve the lives of all

animals in need without specifically stating how each dollar is spent.

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Work Cited

“About Us.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/about-us.

“American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) |

Funding Sources, Staff Profiles, and Political Agenda | Activist

FactsActivist Facts.” Activist Facts,

www.activistfacts.com/organizations/american-society-for-the-

prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals-aspca/.