Ipswich City Council has employed the services of a Youtube cat sensation in an effort to get dog owners to do the right thing.
Didga is the world’s most talented cat with a 2017 Guinness World Record to her name for The Most Tricks by a Cat in a Minute. Her most successful video has had more than 16 million views on YouTube and a whooping 83 million views on Facebook.
Didga is a skateboard riding cat from Coolangatta. She made the trip to Ipswich to film her part in Ipswich City Council’s new social media campaign, Leash, Tag and Carry Bag.
Robert Dollwet is Didga’s Animal Behavourist and Trainer.
“She seemed to be really enjoying herself until the lawnmower guy came along.”
Lucky she had just wrapped her scenes and she settled into an extra large bowl of food.
Didga has joined a growing group of animals worldwide who’ve been able to make their owners wealthier, and just a little bit famous.
But Didga isn’t the only star of the show. There are a number of dogs who’ve been brought in to share the message.
The cute videos star Roger and his not-so-responsible dog owner.
The tag line being “Roger is a Shih Tzu, but really humans, it’s up to you.”
Specialist dog trainer Tracey Murray from Craig A Murray Dog Training, supplied the stars for the shoot.
“We had to make sure they were well socialised dogs and had a healthy food or play drive.
“The dogs only need to be shown something a couple of times to be trained. The day after the shoot wrapped, ‘Roger’ was found standing on his owner’s dining table looking for more birthday cake.’
The three videos each feature a key message – to leash, tag and carry a bag for your dog.
The campaign aims to educate dog owners on their responsibilities and also consider the impact of irresponsible dog ownership on others.
Health, Security and Community Safety Committee Chairperson Cr Sheila Ireland wants to remind dog owners of their responsibilities, so “all of the community can enjoy our beautiful City”.
“This campaign features dogs chatting about their daily lives, reminding us all to leash, tag and carry bag,” she said.
Cr Ireland said the message will be delivered to residents as a social media campaign that uses entertaining videos to get the key message across to Ipswich’s dog owners.
Leash – Dog must be on a leash when out in public.
Tag – Dog must be registered with Ipswich City Council.
Carry Bag – Owners must remove dog waste in public.
This is Didga’s most successful video to date with over 16 million views on YouTube and 6 Million on Facebook. You can follow her here and her mates here.
There are three cute Leash, Tag and Carry Bag videos that will be released on the Ipswich City Council website, Facebook and YouTube over November and December.
The Campaign explained
Leash is about keeping your dog on a leash at all times.
Dogs off leash can rush into someone else, harass another dog or even end up on a busy road. Keeping your dog on a leash makes it easier for you to manage your dog and keep it safe.
Tag is about registering your dog.
A registration tag tells everyone your dog is owned and loved and would be missed if it went missing. If someone finds your dog they can call Council 24 hours a day to report the tag number. This ensures your dog has every chance possible to be reunited with you.
Carry bag is about picking up after your dog.
No one likes walking in dog poo. Use a carry bag and clean up after your dog to keep our City clean.
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