Media portrayal of pets 'threat to welfare'
The UK media reinforces bias against ‘non-furry’ animals, according to a study by zoologists in Liverpool.
Pet reptiles and amphibians were frequently demonised as scaly and slimy or “on the loose” rather than “lost” while much more emotive and sentimental language was used with dogs and cats such as “poor Milo” and “cuddly Poppy was found exhausted”.
The researchers say such “othering” could have serious ramifications for the welfare of pet species seen as less human-like or companionable than others.
Dr John Bielby, a reader in zoology at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “On a broad scale, we perceive dogs, cats and mammals like rabbits to be part of our world (or even family), but media narratives often make reptiles and others appear as strange, even dangerous creatures, and that reinforces a humans vs animals scenario rather than us all being precious species.”
Reptile 'threat'
Researchers scoured hundreds of newspaper articles – national and local – in search of articles about abandoned pets and compared language used for three groups: - dogs and cats, reptiles and amphibians and ‘small furries’, mostly hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits.
The most obvious difference was the structure. So, a guinea pig, dog or cat gets abandoned and it’s usually given a name and an individual narrative ...“adorable Daisy was cruelly left…” ... with some references to any bad treatment, its condition and backstory.
With reptiles, details of their appearance related more to their size, “a five-foot snake”, or threat level, with reference to the broader issues of pet ownership of those animals or the shock or even panic of the people finding them.
Post pandemic, and amidst of a cost of living crisis, more pets are being deserted than ever before. The RSPCA received reports of 1,972 abandoned pets in January - an increase of 34% on the same month last year.
What type of animal-lover?
Dr Bielby suggests his observations, although not a surprise, confirm that the term ‘animal lover’ can mean different things to different people and says that understanding why that is can be important for improving animal welfare and conservation.
“Does your average ‘animal lover’ love tarantulas, snakes, slugs? Generally speaking, the answer is probably not.
“I think a major point of our study is that these feelings can be reinforced by media coverage and narratives which favour certain relationships, cuddly or whatever, with animals rather than respecting each animal for its unique nature.”
He recommends developing policies to improve animal welfare that are driven by data and evidence rather than purely emotional language.
The study: “It’s not fur: newspaper article reporting of abandonment and relinquishment of pets exhibit taxonomic biases in framing and language use” appears in Royal Society Publishing.
