We’ve all heard the old saying that ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’. And if you’re like me, these adverts are guaranteed to tug on the old heart strings. But with rising numbers of dogs being placed in shelters, local charities are facing somewhat of an up-hill battle to rehome these animals.
This has become particularly apparent in Malta, a global hub for all things betting and gaming. So should the igaming sector be doing more to support local animal charities?
In part one of a new ‘dog-useries’, DoubleUp Group’s Head of Brand Marketing Mathew Taylor gives an overview of the work that Doggo Casino has been doing to support local shelters across Malta.
As the name suggests, DoubleUp Group subsidiary Doggo Casino prides itself on combining its love of igaming with its philanthropic efforts in supporting local dog charities, raising awareness of shelters and rehoming initiatives.
He begins by walking us through the adoption process.“To be honest, when you go out and you see dog shelters like this, I don’t think I really have it in me to see that there’s animals that need homing but then go ahead and buy from a breeder,” he said.
“For me, the adoption process was quite good; the person that was handling me was very thorough. They wanted to make sure that I wanted a dog for the right reasons. [They wanted to identify] what my needs were.
“Additionally, what I found is that after I started work, my boss ended up adopting his dog from the same shelter. We both kept their original names too which was a tad unusual. His dog is called Pandora, which I think is really sweet, and mine is called Sadie. Our hearts are definitely in it. This is [a cause that] we’re obviously very passionate about.”
So I come back to my question at the start of this article. What has dog adoption got to do with the igaming sector? Fear not. Taylor explains all.
He soon turned towards the work that the igaming sector can do to support such charities, pointing out that there is always more that can be done to support CSR initiatives. This is particularly important on a local level.
In the case of Doggo Casino, the Association for Abandoned Animals is the initiative of choice. However, as Taylor suggested, there are plenty of other charities that igaming companies can support.
He said: “I think that in the igaming sector, we’re not always doing as much as we could possibly do. I think that there are some CSR initiatives, especially on a local level. I do know that there are some providers and operators who do get involved with dogs which is great. But I do think that generally, more can be done in this area.
“As an area that is well outside of our remit as a business, it is something that has definitely become a key area of focus for us. I would recommend that this really is an area where we can make a difference.”