I think one useful area to hit on when speaking to people is Labour's animal welfare manifesto:
https://labour.org.uk/issues/animal-welfare-manifesto/I say this because it's a different talking point to the usual stuff on the NHS, Brexit etc which can become noise after a while, and I think people can be slightly detached from those issues in a way that they're less likely to be as animal lovers. Think of how much traction Labour gained with the fox hunting conversation in 2017 for example.
The Domestic Pets section in particular is brilliant:
Improve accessibility to vets for those on low incomes and/or living in remote areas, working with organisations like the PDSA to explore how access to affordable vet care can be expanded. Work with animal welfare charities to encourage take-up of subsidised neutering.
How many people can relate to having to put a pet down because treatment was unaffordable? Having a policy like this which is so widely relatable and sparks an emotional reaction is really useful.
Refusal of landlords to allow pets is a common reason for cats and dogs being given up to animal shelters. We would consult with tenants and both social and private landlords so that tenants can keep pets as a default unless there is evidence that the animal is causing a nuisance, or its welfare is compromised.
This is excellent too. It's bad enough that people are stuck in rented accommodation due to the high cost of buying a house, and then the majority of the time it's impossible to rent and be allowed pets, which are beneficial for mental health. Again, this will appeal to almost everyone renting property, from students to older people and families, who want a dog or a cat but aren't allowed one because the landlord doesn't want to pay the cleaning bill and replace the carpets at the end of the tenancy. Rescue cats and dogs would have millions of potential new homes to go to. That is again something that's easy to get a positive emotional reaction to.
Work with care home providers and advocate groups to explore the potential for elderly, disabled and homeless people who move into care homes, sheltered accommodation or hostels to be able to keep their pets and work with relevant agencies to provide ‘safe houses’ for pets of people escaping domestic violence
Another useful and important one due to the voter age range it appeals to as far as the elderly care homes. These are all going to be particularly useful in the context of Christmas I think too.
