My Anxious Dog founder Sarah Jones has received a Highly Commended award in the Animal category of the BBC Make a Difference Awards for her work raising awareness of dogs who need space.

Sarah, who created the national #dogsinyellow awareness day and wider campaign, has spent more than a decade working to change public understanding of what it means when a dog wears yellow – with one simple message: if you see a dog in yellow, give them space.

What began with Sarah's own anxious Cocker Spaniel, Bella, has grown into a national awareness campaign supported by dog owners, trainers, pet professionals and organisations across the UK.

But behind #dogsinyellow is also an unusual marketing story.

When Sarah began developing yellow awareness products for dogs who needed space, she quickly recognised a fundamental challenge: she could create the best products possible, but they would only work if the person approaching the dog understood what yellow meant.

Rather than simply marketing the products, Sarah realised she needed to market the message behind them.

That thinking became #dogsinyellow.

What started as a way of educating the public about the meaning of yellow has grown into one of My Anxious Dog's most powerful marketing tools – creating a recognisable identity around the campaign while simultaneously raising awareness of an issue that affects dogs and their owners every day.

Sarah said: “I realised very early on that I wasn't just selling a yellow harness or lead slip. If somebody bought one from me but the person walking towards their dog didn't understand what the yellow meant, I hadn't really solved the problem.

“So the marketing had to be bigger than the product. I needed to get people who might never buy anything from My Anxious Dog to understand the message too.

“The person approaching Bella is just as important to the effectiveness of the yellow as the person who bought it. That's what makes #dogsinyellow quite different because my marketing has to reach beyond my customer.

“That completely changed the way I thought about marketing the business.”

Sarah established the first #dogsinyellow awareness day in 2021, held annually on 20 March, creating a focal point around which dog owners, pet professionals and businesses could share the message.

The distinctive yellow visuals, Bella's story, social media, educational resources, talks, podcasts and Yellow Space Zones at major dog shows have all helped build recognition of both the message and the campaign.

Following the first #dogsinyellow awareness day, Sarah conducted a survey of 1,000 owners of fearful dogs to understand the impact wearing yellow was having. The results found that 91% felt yellow had enhanced their walks, while 78% said it had made them feel more confident.

For Sarah, one of the most important measures of the campaign's success is that the message is increasingly being shared by organisations and professionals beyond My Anxious Dog's own audience.

“The really exciting part for me is when somebody talks about dogs in yellow and My Anxious Dog isn't necessarily at the centre of the conversation,” Sarah said.

“That means the message is travelling on its own – and ultimately that's what I wanted to achieve.

“Of course #dogsinyellow has become an incredibly powerful way of building awareness of My Anxious Dog, but it has done that by putting education first. The more people who understand yellow, the more useful yellow becomes for every dog and owner who needs it.”

The campaign has increasingly reached beyond the pet industry too, with organisations including the National Trust and The Crown Estate helping to communicate the message around dogs wearing yellow and the importance of giving them space.

Sarah believes there is an important lesson in the campaign for other independent businesses within the pet industry.

“Marketing doesn't always have to start with asking people to buy something,” she said. “Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is give people a reason to care about the problem you're trying to solve.”

The campaign now reaches hundreds of thousands of people through social media, educational resources, talks, events and collaborations, while #dogsinyellow has developed a community of owners who Sarah affectionately calls her “Yellow Army”.

Sarah has also developed resources specifically to help pet professionals spread the message, including the My Anxious Dog Professional Partner Pack, providing educational materials that can be used with clients and within pet businesses.

The campaign's Yellow Space Zones have brought the same principle into busy dog events, creating dedicated areas where dogs and their people can step away from the crowds and decompress.

For Sarah, however, the recent BBC recognition ultimately comes back to Bella, now 14, whose experiences inspired everything that followed.

“Bella is the reason My Anxious Dog exists,” Sarah said. “What started with me simply trying to make life a little easier for my own dog has become something much bigger than I ever imagined.

“I want people to feel confident using yellow and to feel proud that they are standing up for what their dog needs.

“But my ultimate goal has always remained the same – that one day, wherever you are, if you see a dog in yellow, you will automatically know to give them space.”

Pet professionals and businesses interested in supporting #dogsinyellow or helping spread awareness can find out more at www.myanxiousdog.co.uk