Working with people and emotionally charged situations is challenging. As a designer you have to first get your foot in the door and find an organization that is willing to work with you. For the project Media for Advocacy I knew that I wanted to focus on the people working for a non-profit organization.
Before beginning this project I investigated many non-profit organizations in Los Angeles county to try and get a feel for what was out there and who I may want to work with. I feared that I would get lost in the shuffle working with a large organization with many employees. I also wanted the focus of my thesis to be on the actions of the employees and volunteers within an organization and try to avoid getting sidetracked by the people who they served. I decided on contacting a small, local volunteer-based non-profit dog rescue. My thinking was that the focus of their advocacy was animals who can't speak which would help me maintain my focus on the volunteers and assisting them. I decided my approach was going to be capturing their process through video, still images, and sound. By embedding myself within the organization I was able to gain a better understanding of the present social and human condition of the non-profit and the people with whom they interact. I was able to become well versed in the aspects of their workflow and community that they served.
Over time, the group became used to being documented and became less aware and concerned with my presence. Some of the first experiences documenting them they would speak to the camera and explain the situations to me as they were happening. As we became more familiar with each other the volunteers started being less guarded and were more willing to allow me into situations that were more emotionally charged and not always positive. This helped me to be able to gather more meaningful content and also provide them with a more realistic representation of their practice to reflect on.
Below are examples of the video documentation that was given to the rescue group to review and reflect on.
Walking Scooby Scooby was rescued from the desert and survived a coyote attack. Many dogs are dumped by their owners this way and left to fend for themselves. Most die from dehydration or animal attacks. After reviewing this documentation one volunteer's viewed the media reflection as inspirational. "To have the opportunity to see the work we do from the outside looking in, for the very first time, is emotionally overwhelming. It makes me proud of the team I represent and reminds me that when a group comes together in compassion and an unrelenting commitment to improve the lives of homeless animals, that we can accomplish the impossible."
Saving Dash
I was encouraged because the volunteers of the rescue group asked me to document this specific situation. A family had a dog they couldn't keep for financial reasons and contacted the rescue to help them find a new home for him. This documentation also proved to be a reflection of encouragement for the volunteers. "We do this work every single day without having the time to sit back and really absorb the impact. We’re too busy trying to save the next life or clean up the next mess made by an irresponsible pet owner. And so to have the opportunity to see the work we do from the outside looking in, for the very first time, is emotionally overwhelming."
Compton Court I attended a preliminary hearing for animal abuse at Compton Superior Court. The dog had been surrendered and was emaciated due to neglect. The owner was facing felony charges.
PetCo Fundraising
Fundraising is a ongoing endeavor for any non profit and the volunteers spend their weekends at places like PetCo to collect donations from customers.
Pamona Shelter The volunteers walk the county shelters in search of dogs for their rescue. I spent the day among dogs with kennel cough, pneumonia and psychological issues from being in a shelter for weeks.
