Yellow Ribbon Project success

The Yellow Dog Project was started by Tara Palardy, a dog trainer in Canada, who got the idea from a group in Sweden. Her goal was to educate the public on identifying dogs that needed space. By starting a Facebook page and branding the project, The Yellow Dog Project was able to achieve over 12, 000 participants.

We at Caring Hands Animal Hospital, thought this project was a wonderful movement to help promote. There are many people who are not aware of how to appropriately approach a pet. The yellow ribbon is a signal to others, that is able to be seen quickly and easily. The trouble that many adopters of the Yellow Dog Project find is that there are still so many people that don’t know about what they yellow ribbon means. That is why we want to help spread awareness.

What is a “Yellow Dog?”

A “yellow dog” is any dog that is fearful with strangers, in pain from recent surgery, a rescued pet who has not had sufficient training or socialization yet, as well as many other reasons. A “yellow dog” is not necessarily aggressive, they just need some space. Every dog is different, and we appreciate all of our patients for their individuality.

At the end of the day, it is still extremely important to work on training with your dog. The Yellow Dog Project is not an excuse to bypass training, but allows dogs and their owners the time and space to do it well. Training is never a quick fix. It is a continual process that is important for responsible pet ownership, as well for the bond between the owner and their pet.

We have ribbons available in the lobby of each of our clinics for our clients. These are great for them to pick up after their pet has had surgery, so that others know that he/she is sensitive right now and should not be approached.

Having the yellow ribbons in the lobby also creates an opportunity to educate kids in the household (and neighborhood) about what the yellow ribbon means, and what they should do if they see a pet wearing one. When children are taught about how to approach a pet safely, the risk of them getting hurt by a pet can be decreased dramatically.