Instructions for Petitioning

You can do this!

You are encouraged to try various ways of asking people to sign and find out what works best for you. That said, you can start with these recommendations.

When asking people to sign the petition, previous experiences have shown that keeping the request as short and straightforward as possible is best. “Hi there, could you sign our petition to help animals?” or “Hi there… just a quick signature to help animals?”

It is best to keep it short because when someone sees you, they don’t know what you are doing or what you are asking for. They might think you are asking for money or asking them to talk about something that will take a significant amount of time. By letting them know you're just asking for a quick signature, they will understand that you are not asking for much.

Some people will sign without further discussion, and others will want to know more about the legislation, providing an opportunity to explain the proposed legislation in greater detail. It is best to keep the explanation brief.

As petitioners will be carrying two petitions, it might be advantageous to begin the interaction by asking people to sign one petition. After they sign the first petition, ask them if they would be willing to sign one more. It is recommended to:

1. Start with the fur petition. After that, one is signed…

2. Then ask if they would sign one more (the slaughterhouse petition).

It is recommended to begin with the fur petition because it is simpler, easier to explain, and more likely to be accepted by people.

Read the next two sections for more tips about communicating with the public. Also, read the "About the Campaigns" section for some good talking points.