Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, is targeting 1.8 million households in England and Wales with a new hard-hitting door drop leaflet which is encouraging dog owners on means tested benefit to get their pets neutered.

The ‘Save your dog’s life for just £25’ leaflet features a shocking image of a chalked outline of a dead dog in the middle of a road.

The leaflet, designed by 141, a leading integrated agency, is being distributed by door drops and inserts in local newspapers to target households across the North West & North East of England and Wales. It encourages these households to get their dogs neutered through Dogs Trust for just £25, it can cost up to £120 or more.

People who take advantage of this offer and have their dogs neutered for £25 will be entered into a prize draw to win £1,000, which will be announced on 30 May 2004.

Kerry Glover, Head of Campaigns, Dogs Trust, comments: "The stray dog problem is especially bad in the North East & North West of England and in Wales. The aim of this leaflet is to bring home the fact that straying is a massive problem, and can result in your dog’s injury or even death. Neutering is a good way to stop both male and female dogs from wandering and looking for a mate."

141 Group Account Director, Graeme Robertson, says: "We decided to be a lot more hard-hitting in this campaign as the public often respond to the ‘shock factor’. The visuals of this leaflet say it all – your dog could die if you don’t get him neutered. The leaflet’s design is a very simple, yet effective, way of getting this message across."