Does your dog let out a yelp every time Fox News flashes across your screen? Has your pup been known to start chasing their tail at the sound of Senator Ted Cruz’s voice? Does your pupper bark back at anti-choice disinformation?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you might have a pro-choice pup on your hands. Your certified good boy might be trying to tell you something — that they’re one of the 7 in 10 Americans (or pups) that supports reproductive freedom. Now that you’ve established that you have a pro-choice pup, you might be wondering what comes next. Here’s some advice on how to talk to them.
Teach your doggo to bark back at anti-choice disinformation.
We all know that disinformation is insidious. It’s a tactic that the anti-choice movement uses to distract from the fact that its policies are deeply unpopular. Next time your doggo barks back, encourage them to debunk the disinformation with facts, instead of repeating the false claims.
Make sure your pupper knows it’s in the majority.
Did you know that the vast majority of Americans support the legal right to abortion? You might not have, but your pupper probably did. That’s why they’re so proud to be part of the pup majority, just like the 7 in 10 certifiably good bois who also support reproductive freedom.
Explain the connection between anti-choice extremism and white supremacy.
There’s a clear link between white supremacists and anti-choice extremists — two groups that cling to dangerous ideology in order to hang onto their dwindling power and control in a changing world. That connection might not have been clear to you, but your pup probably sees it clearly. And now that you both know, you can fight back against both kinds of extremism.
Now that you’ve established your pro-choice pup’s credentials and brought them up to speed on the current state of the fight for reproductive freedom, you’re ready to unleash your well-informed pupper into the world — or at least the dog park. They can bark back at disinformation, yelp in appreciation of clinic escorts, and provide some much-needed joy during a difficult time.
