We’ve got this licked: Insurer barks back at complaint about TV ad

A viewer was so alarmed when a dog licked its owner's face in a pet insurer's TV ad that she complained to the advertising regulator.

Ansje du Plessis told the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) there was “the possibility of the transfer of diseases and sickness, and even death, as the result of receiving a lick to the face by a dog”.

Children might see the Dotsure Pet Insurance ad and think it was safe to let their dogs lick their faces, she said.

Dotsure told the watchdog Du Plessis' complaint was an example of her personal dislike, claiming its ad did not depict any actual risk.

“The unscripted moment showed natural behaviour by the dog, which is not uncommon to dogs and their owners and likely occurs daily in pet households across the country,” it said.

The ARB directorate said advertisements should generally not depict “dangerous practices or situations which show a disregard for safety”.

In this case, however, Du Plessis had not submitted any evidence that it was harmful to have an animal licking your face.

“Having performed an extensive internet search on the topic, it would appear that while there is always the possibility of the transfer of germs and parasites when a dog licks a human being’s face, the possibility of such a transfer posing a serious health risk is very slim,” said the directorate.

“In fact, in many cases, it is argued that day-to-day contact with household pets helps to build immunity and reduce allergies.

“The directorate believes that the levels of interaction and proximity with a household pet are to be decided by each pet-owning household, and are not for either advertisers or the directorate to dictate.”

The complaint was dismissed.

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