If you’re sick of seeing Hollywood celebrities with sad faces begging for donations to the ASPCA's commercials while depressing music plays in the background, you’re not alone. Many people are taking to social media to express their frustration with the frequent, emotional commercials that try to shame viewers into donating. Using celebrities and sad music makes viewers feel like they’re being manipulated, while the animals are exploited. While standard commercials typically run 15-30 seconds, ASPCA commercials run a whopping 2-3 minutes, which is done to build an emotional connection and effectively solicit donations for animal welfare. Just how much of the money collected actually goes to the welfare of those animals is questionable. The ASPCA claims that 74¢ of each dollar goes to the care of the animals, but some analyses show less direct animal aid. For example, in 2023, roughly $6-$7 of each $100 collected went to animal care, while the rest went to advertising, promotion and fundraising. That leaves viewers wondering why the ASPCA doesn’t just take the money it spends on television advertisements and put it toward animal care. Surely, there’s something else people like Sarah McLachlan, Edie Falco and Eric McCormack can be doing with their time.
