Ad description

A TV ad for the Brooke Hospital for Animals, featured scenes of struggling donkeys carrying heavy loads and on-screen text stated "An urgent appeal to help save a donkey … Thousands of working donkeys die every day Text SAVE to [phone number]."

Issue

A viewer challenged whether the claim "Thousands of working donkeys die every day" could be substantiated.

Response

The Brooke Hospital for Animals t/a The Brooke said that figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) for 2012, which they provided, showed there were an estimated 44 million donkeys globally and 15 million of these were in less developed countries. They said that many countries did not count donkeys in their livestock census, and so these figures were likely to be an underestimate. They said that 95% of donkeys worldwide were working animals, and that the small number of pet donkeys was concentrated in Europe and North America. They said the average life expectancy of a working donkey was 11 or 12 years and that extrapolating from this figure at least 3,400 donkeys would die each day on average (using only the 15 million figure for donkeys in less developed countries). They provided information to support the estimated life span of working donkeys.

Clearcast said they had taken into account a lengthy document detailing the work of the charity, which they provided. They understood that it would not be possible to give an exact figure for the number of working donkeys dying each day. However, they considered the figures provided by the advertiser regarding the number of donkeys worldwide and the known hardships faced by the animals meant the claim was reasonable and unlikely to exaggerate the situation faced by working donkeys.

Assessment

Not upheld

The evidence demonstrated that there were an estimated 44 million donkeys worldwide, and 15 million in less developed countries. The ASA understood that the vast majority of donkeys were working animals and that evidence suggested their average span was 11 or 12 years, which was considerably less than the life span they might expect when kept for example as pets in good conditions. We considered it was reasonable to extrapolate from that data that thousands of working donkeys died every day and therefore concluded that the claim had been substantiated.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules  3.1 3.1 Advertisements must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.  (Misleading advertising) and  3.9 3.9 Broadcasters must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that the audience is likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.  (Substantiation), but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action necessary.

BCAP Code

3.1     3.9    


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