Defending animal protection online: meeting with Régis, activist from the Refuge's Ark

Testimonies | 3 minutes

If you are a passionate advocate for animal rights, you must have come across the Twitter account l’Arche des refuges. For over a year, this account, which now has 4,000 followers, has been fighting to advance the cause of animals. Meet Régis, the creator of this Twitter account and author of a petition on MesOpinions that has gathered over 45,000 signatures and led to victory.

Can you tell us how you came up with the idea to launch a petition?

I have always worked for animal rights, I volunteered with an association for several years and then I decided to act differently, using my interest in digital tools to serve this cause. That’s how I decided to launch this account initially. My goal was to help associations gain more visibility through social media.

I am convinced that a petition has real power in terms of visibility, it is a very effective communication tool, especially regarding animal welfare. Even if it doesn’t succeed, it will help raise awareness about the issue at hand.

Regarding the petition I launched, it was about a cat named Teddy, who was lost by Air France during a connection, while she was traveling in her cage in the hold to Los Angeles. One of my followers shared the information about this family who found themselves without their cat, not even knowing which country she was in.

I was touched by their distress and then I had the idea to launch a petition, particularly to try to make things move at Air France, which had not really addressed the issue. I contacted the mother of the cat's owner to help her make things happen by launching a petition.

Why did you choose the MesOpinions platform to do this?

I knew about MesOpinions because I regularly see petitions circulating about animals on Twitter. I often share the causes present on your platform and it is for me the first credible petition site for animal rights.

How did the MesOpinions team support you in your fight?

I was contacted very quickly after putting my petition online. A person in charge of supporting authors, specialized in animal rights, became my main contact. She advised me to rephrase the title to make it more impactful, which I did.

I would also like to point out that the site is very well designed, it is very easy for anyone to launch their petition.

How did the petition you created help you to be heard?

The petition helped attract media attention to the problem and made Air France react, which not only responded to me but also allocated resources to find the cat. Companies are increasingly attentive to their image and reputation. Naturally, when they see people mobilising, when there is a dynamic created around their brand, it makes them react. It paid off because the cat Teddy was eventually found and returned to her owners.

Without all the signatures, I am not sure that Air France would have taken the issue seriously and the end of the story might have been less happy.

What would you advise someone who is hesitant to launch their petition?

To go for it, because it can really make a difference! If the person is hesitant or doesn’t know how to proceed, they can look at other existing petitions to see what to do in terms of format, for example. One should not be afraid to ask for help if the writing stage is daunting.

I also advise not to write a text that is too long, as people do not read when it is too lengthy. Better: a concise and impactful text that clearly explains the cause. Finally, the choice of image is also important, as it is like the cover of a book, it is what people see first. So it is essential to choose an image that is sufficiently striking for people to immediately understand the subject of the petition.

Where are you today in your fights?

I am very happy with the great victory for the cat Teddy.

On my side, I continue my commitment to animal rights, I have become a spokesperson for the cause and I do not intend to stop there. The protection of animals and, more broadly, the preservation of the environment are crucial issues that urgently need to be addressed. Without animals, we are nothing; they are essential to our survival. I have many projects on this topic that I will keep you updated on.

Thank you to Régis for his trust and commitment to animal welfare. If you too have a cause to champion, don’t wait any longer and get started! Beyond the petition that will allow you to present your arguments and support your cause, you have the power to call on the relevant parties and ask a company or a political leader to mobilise around this issue. Remember: it is the sum of your individual commitments that will help evolve our society. To assist you, you can check out our article providing 5 tips for launching your petition.