Fangs bared over fake pitbull fighting ad

28 June 2016 - 09:08 By SHAUN SMILLIE

By the time the driver was placed in a headlock and threatened with a baseball bat, the SPCA realised it had achieved its goal. It also learnt that the citizens of Johannesburg are passionate about animals and will defend their furry friends with baseball bats, swearing and a headlock or two.Its guerrilla advertising campaign was meant to span three days; instead it lasted less than an hour before the project was pulled.The council wanted an angry reaction, but this was a little too much, conceded Michelle Falgate, who is in charge of marketing and fundraising at the organisation.Yesterday there was an uproar along William Nicol Drive when an A-frame trailer was spotted advertising a "Fight Night" between two pitbull terriers - Nitro and Thor.The public reacted fast. Someone traced the trailer's plates. Then two men approached the driver with a baseball bat.Luckily, said Falgate, the driver was able to hand over one of her cards and explain it was all a bluff.The council later had to apologise for the stunt, but said it had achieved its goal - to highlight illegal dog fighting."Mission accomplished," said Wendy Willson, the council's senior inspector and manager of the special investigations unit."Dog fighting is a drastic problem that needs a drastic solution," she said.Dog fighting was becoming increasingly better organised, she said."We need people to open their eyes to this and realise it is happening all over the place. People also need to know how to report this," said Falgate.There are different tiers of dog fighting, said Willson, from impromptu fights to organised tournaments that bring in big money through betting.The innovative awareness campaign, which was created by Grey Advertising, was a year in the planning.While it created a stir, the phones at the council were ringing off the hook, with many calls containing tip -offs of dog fights, Willson said...

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