Turns out our pups can teach us a lesson in being our fellow man’s best friend.
An ad from dog food company Pedigree calls attention to race relations by illustrating an interaction between two pet owners. In this short video, “The Walk,” a man, who is white and in somewhat of a surly mood, is seen leaving his home to walk his dog. While outside, he happens upon a neighbor, who is younger and black, also walking his dog. The two make stern eye contact and take stock of each other. But as their dogs buddy up without hesitation, an easy smile spreads across both men's faces and they have an amicable exchange before parting ways. It could be said the dogs are a metaphor for how we might be better off seeing one another -- in an unconditionally loving way.
“Dogs know no prejudice,” Larry Allgaier, Global Brand Strategic Lead for Pedigree, said in a press release. “The main characters may appear very different, but by the end, they realize their similarities -– and the good in one another -– through their dogs."
According to a recent study from the scientific publication Plos One, dog owners are more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than non-pet owners. “[These interactions] create opportunities for the kind of real interpersonal interactions that can lead to deep, human friendships,” said lead study author, associate professor Lisa Wood.
Watch "The Walk" above.
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