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Mark Bertolami

Instructor: Kelly Slivka

English 250, NP

07 February 2016

Our Oath to Animals

Imagine a world where animals cease to exist. It would be a world filled with

dullness, despair, and would be significantly less enjoyable. Regardless of the abundant, tiny

invertebrates or our loyal, slobbery companion, animals have an extraordinary influence on our

environment, health, and emotional stability. Without these furry, loving animals, the world may

represent the barren deserts found on Mars. The American Veterinary Medical Association was

founded in 1863; it was the first standardized nonprofit organization dedicated to helping

veterinarians in private practice, industry, and the government (American Veterinary). With

the rapidly growing number of veterinarians in the world, the AVMA organized the American

Veterinary Medical Foundation as a way to further veterinary medicine through the use of

donations from the public. The AVMF uses donation money to provide programs such as

supporting veterinarians in veterinary medicine, research grants, and volunteer programs to help

aspiring veterinarians. The logo below is an eye candy visual created by the AVMF to ensure that

their efforts are enhanced and sustained over time. The AVMFs logo incorporates easily

recognizable animal silhouettes, bold lettering, and a simple color scheme that ultimately grabs

the immediate attention of an

animal loving viewer, thus

increasing the chances of donation

money to the organizations.

2015 AVMFs Promotional Logo
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The world of veterinary medicine ranges from exotic, industry, dairy, and private practice

subfields. The creator of this image directly envisions the personal interests of many animal

lovers. A pet owner may subconsciously name the dog or cat in the silhouettes as Sally or

Chewy, identifying the silhouettes as their own precious animal. Also, the local dairy farmer or

a fan of horseracing can imagine the cow or horse as their own, creating a personal attachment to

the inanimate animal. Through the use of attributing feelings toward the various animal

silhouettes, the designer guarantees an emotional response within the viewer. This emotional

response leads the viewer to investigate the company. Ultimately having a sense of responsibility,

the viewer may feel gracious by contributing donation money to the organization.

The context of this visual and the use of bold lettering further plunders the viewer into a

hole filled with guilt and responsibility. The phrase Count on me! evokes the idea that the

various animals found in the world are yearning for the viewers generosity; these animals are

ultimately helpless to the increasing deforestation of habitats. According to Dickinson, nearly

17% of the total land area that encompasses the Amazonian rain forest have been destroyed over

the last fifty years. With the increasing extinction rate and a greater demand for environmental

protection, the designer clearly illustrates the importance of maintaining the protection of various

animals through the use of a single phrase. The viewer, using logic, analyzes the message behind

the phrase by understanding the major impact of harming the environment, which is a direct

result of anthropogenic factors. With an increase in animal suffering and extinction, the logo

reminds us of animal suffering by our exposure to social media, news stations, and mutual

communication among people. Furthermore, the use of bold lettering presented in the logo

makes the text stand out embracing the importance of the context behind the phrase.
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Purposely designing the logo with a white background enhances the effects of the logo.

The simple color layout allows the viewer to properly analyze the visual. By only using three

colors, the design is fluid and easily interpreted by the brain. The color blue is usually associated

with sadness, thus increasing the emotional appeal of helping the various animals depicted in the

image.

A world devoid of animals is a world filled with lifelessness and sadness. This logo

created by an AVMF designer relays a powerful message of trusting the nonprofit organization

through the use of cultural recognition. Going to the local veterinarian or a sponsored anti-

cruelty event brings awareness to the importance of furthering veterinary medicine. Nearly 60

billion dollars was spent on the healthcare of domestic animal in 2015, thus highlighting the

importance behind donations where individuals are willing to provide the best health for their

pets (Castillo). This fact highlights the desire of individuals to provide the best health for their

pets. Overall, the use of powerful symbols embedded in the text, bold lettering, and contextual

importance of word choice allows the viewer to have a sense of responsibility toward the

organization, allowing for the future of veterinary medicine to prosper.

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Works Cited

Castillo, Michelle. American Will Spend More Than $60 Billion on Their Pets This Year.

nbcnews.org, 12 July 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/americans-will-

spend-more-60-billion-their-pets-year-n390181/.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation

Dickinson, Nigel. Overview. Worldwildlife.org, World Wildlife Fund,

http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation/. Accessed 06 Feb. 2017.

Our Programs. AVMF.org. American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 1999-2017, AVMF.org/.

Who We Are. AVMF.org. American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 1999-2017, AVMF.org/.