PAWS for Charity

PAWmates Calendar for sale

2009-11-23T11:46:00.001-04:00

A great fundraiser for a wonderful large breed rescue group.
Birch Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation

WHAT is Birch Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation Services:

They specialize in assisting Giant Canine Breeds and Equines and focus on the Special Needs - (Deaf, Blind, Sick, Senior & Injured) Giant Breed Definition: Deerhound, Great Dane, Great Pyr, Wolfhound, English Mastiff, Newfoundland, and St. Bernard
Their area of assistance is across North America & their area of placement is mostly in Ontario plus Quebec. They provide a safe ‘haven’ for animals for life should they not be adopted or are deemed un-adoptable. They are a non-profit program and are an all Volunteer organization without any salaried employees

Their Mission statement:Birch Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation Services; located in Eastern Ontario, Canada on 148 acres was founded in 1996 as a personal rescue to assist those Canine and Equine animals that have been abandoned, abused, neglected and otherwise mistreated by rescuing, fostering, rehabilitating and then placing them into their new and forever loving homes. Birch Haven also tries to promote responsible pet ownership through Humane Education, Training, Socialization and Public Awareness. We are also involved in Therapy work. We are very small, private and are committed to personal rescue plus re-homing that is completely financed by monetary gifts, owner surrender plus adoption fees as we do not any receive government, provincial or corporate funding. We are financed mainly out of our own pockets.We also work very hard to assist various breeders, rescue groups, shelters, organizations and friends in placing rescues or re-homing animals that come into their hands. We only organize and facilitate in these situations.

Combining forces, Global pet foods Kanata and Urban Dog Photog Sue Bird held a photo contest for the best 12 shots for a 2010 Calendar now for sale through Global Pet Foods Kanata web site and Birch Haven Rescue's web site. In less than 24 hours, on the first day, over 500 votes were logged for the best shots.

Although Voting is now closed, you can pre-order your calendar for $15 before the unveiling of who made it as the cover models and monthly representatives. If each vote of the 500 votes was to order just one calendar as a stocking stuffer, Birch Haven rescue would receive %100 of the $7500 raised!

Paws Photos Wanted!

2009-11-17T10:39:00.002-04:00

Photo contributed by Melissa McDaniel, one of the participants in the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Announcements will be coming soon regarding submissions for the 2010 Paws For Charity Art Book. Let's kick off next year's event with some creative "paws" images! The 2009 book featured an image of dog paws at the beach, submitted by photographer Michelle Ciarlo-Hayes. I'd like to continue with the "paws" cover theme for next year's book as well.

Get creative! Send an image of cat paws or dog paws...photos or artwork. Email your image to me at: saraharley(at)ns(dot)sympatico(dot)ca

Let's have some fun to kick off the 2010 book!

Requirements: send a small image file - 300 pixels by 300 pixels, 72 dpi Let me know your name, and any blog or website you would like me to link to if your photo is used in a blog post. Photos may be used in blog posts promoting the 2010 Paws For Charity Art Book. If your image is selected for publication, you will be asked for a large file, high resolution image. You will also be asked to sign a release form. Copyright remains with you. Go!

CWAC Yearbook is ready!

2009-10-24T13:56:00.002-03:00

2009 CWAC Year...

By created by Paws Fo...

Book Preview

The CWAC Yearbook is ready for ordering!

This book is packed with information about Canines with a Cause, photos of their puppies, puppy raisers, volunteers, and trainers, and photos from people who have generously donated funds to have their pets featured as "Friends of CWAC".

Best of all...ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of these books are sent to Canines with a Cause directly from Blurb.com !

You can preview the book here.

CWAC Yearbook underway

2009-10-14T10:41:00.003-03:00

The Canines With A Cause Yearbook is underway. I've received some photos from a few contributors and I'll be putting them together with lots of great information about Canines With A Cause (CWAC) to create their first ever yearbook. I received lots of photos from Pina and her Service Dog Junior (pictured above in Acapulco!). Pina and Junior are CWAC graduates, and Pina tirelessly encourages others to donate for this cause. You can read about Junior at www.junior-sd.com .

Stay tuned for more info about the CWAC Yearbook!

Last call!

2009-09-22T11:56:00.000-03:00

Only 8 more days to submit your photos for the CWAC Friends Collection...a fundraiser for Canines With A Cause. CWAC is a registered charity in Ottawa, Canada and trains assistance dogs for people with mobility disabilites.

We are collecting dog photos to be printed in a "Friends of CWAC Yearbook". Also, at least 12 photos will be chosen for a desk top calendar.

Professional photographers and other dog businesses should consider doing what Julie Magers Soulen has done. She sent us 3 photos, all with her website on the bottom....a very inexpensive way to advertise your business!

Regular Photo Insert: $5 (667 Pixels square)
Three Regular Inserts: $12
Half Page Insert: $30
Full Page Insert: $50

Please join in, and help a great cause!

Reunion in Nova Scotia

2009-08-28T11:12:00.004-03:00

A little history about Paws For Charity....four women who owned dog businesses got together several years ago and created Paws For Charity as their way of giving back to the community. One woman (me) sold her 10 year old dog biscuit business in 2008, and moved 1000 miles away.

Since that woman (me) is "retired", she took over Paws For Charity and created the first Paws For Charity Art Book to raise funds for breast cancer. The blog this year has been mostly devoted to that project.

But two of the women continue with their businesses in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The third woman (me) misses them and all the creative energy that buzzed when they got together. Julie from Chilly Dogs and Sue, the Urban Dog Photog continue to raise money for various charities and work together on lots of projects. The postcard above was designed by Sue for Julie.

And....great news (for me!)....Julie from Chilly Dogs is visiting us in Nova Scotia with her family tomorrow! They will be staying 2 nights and I'm really looking forward to getting an update on all the news in the dog world from Ottawa.

Please comment about our Art Book

2009-08-04T11:50:00.003-03:00

"Lifelong Friends" by Dan Felstead

Were you a participant in the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book? Or...did you purchase one of our books?

Did you know that you can leave a comment on our Blurb page so that people who go to review our book can see some feedback?

Please take a moment and let us (and potential buyers!) know what you thought about our book. All you have to do is go to our Blurb page here, sign into Blurb, and leave your comment. Easy peasy.

CWAC Friends Yearbook & Calendar

2009-07-31T11:13:00.008-03:00

My second big project this year will benefit a small registered charity in Ottawa, Canada called Canines with a Cause (BN # 85755 0735 RR0001). CWAC trains assistance dogs for people with mobility disabilities. Their 2007 budget was only $20,000! It's such a great cause, and with the recession going on they really need our help to raise some funds. I'll be collecting photos to produce a "2009 Friends of CWAC Yearbook" and 2010 desk top calendar. Here are the details:

All photos will be printed in the 2009 Friends of CWAC yearbook, a professionally published book. In addition, 12-25 photos will be selected to produce a 2010 desk top calendar. All funds raised are donated to CWAC.

Important Dates:

September 30th - photos must be received by this date - please send your photos now

October 30th - yearbooks and calendars will be available for purchase

Available Photo Sizes:

Regular Photo Insert (2.2 inches square, 667 pixels): $5

Three Regular Inserts: $12

Half Page Insert: $30

Full Page Insert (5.2 inches square, 1550 pixels): $50

Your Photos: Minimum resolution is 230 dpi.

How to Submit Your Photos:

1. Name your photo: YourFullName-NameOfPhoto

2. Email your photo to: saraharley(at)sympatico(dot)ca

Include your full name and mailing address (this information will remain confidential, and will not be shared)

Payment Instructions: When your photo is received, you will be sent instructions by email to pay your entry fee. Payment is due within 24 hours of receiving payment instructions, or your photo will not be included in the yearbook, and will not be considered for the calendar. Once I receive notice from Paypal, I will acknowledge receipt of your payment. All funds are donated to CWAC.

Photos selected for calendars: will be contacted by email in early October.

ALL Photos will be printed in the Yearbook: in the order they are received. (the earlier you send your photos, the closer to the front of the book they'll be!)

Calendars and Yearbooks: will be available for purchase in mid October.

How can you help? Please help get the word out! Feel free to use the photo above and blog/facebook/twitter about this project.

Come on, join in! It's just a measly $5. A little bit from you could mean a world of freedom to someone with a mobility disability.

Fundraising Shirts

2009-07-30T08:49:00.001-03:00

Time for a reminder that there are Paws for Charity tshirts (and sweatshirts, etc) available in two different colors, to benefit two different charities. There are dozens of choices in shirt styles...tshirts, long sleeved tshirts, sweatshirts, golf shirts...and even coffee mugs and pet bowls!Our "pink spot" logo shirts benefit breast cancer charities. All proceeds from the sale of these shirts in 2009 will be donated to a registered Canadian breast cancer charity. You can find these shirts at our Cafe Press store: www.cafepress.com/pawsforcharity1

Our "black spot" Paws for Charity shirts benefit registered Canadian charity Canines with a Cause. CWAC is a charity based in Ottawa, Ontario. They train assistance dogs for people with mobility disabilities. They are a small charity in great need of funds. You can find these shirts at our Cafe Press store: www.cafepress.com/pawsforcharity

I don't keep any of the money raised...all proceeds go to benefit charity. Please buy one and support a couple of great causes!

Thank you

2009-07-22T16:53:00.006-03:00

The last of the bios for the 2009 Art Book participants was posted last week. I'd like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all 37 participants...thanks for lending the use of your photos and artwork for our first book project! Another BIG THANK YOU to everyone who purchased a book. They are still for sale (we sold another book a couple of days ago!) and will continue to be available at blurb.com. The link is on the blog's sidebar or you can click here to view and/or purchase a book.

I have sent out a brief survey to all the participants to get some feedback and maybe some new ideas for next year. I've already heard from quite a few people who are interested in submitting images for next year's book...a good sign!

I'll post details about next year's Art Book later in the year...stay tuned!

My second project for this year is underway...a fundraiser for Canines With A Cause...a Canadian charity that trains assistance dogs for people with mobility disabilities. More info coming soon!

Profile: Melissa McDaniel

2009-07-16T10:46:00.005-03:00

Melissa McDaniel
melissashouse.com
melissashouse.typepad.com

Melissa's photograph "Keller" is on page 26 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Melissa is busy travelling the US right now, photographing dogs across the country for "The Photo Book Projects". I've taken some info from her blog to tell you about Melissa, and her project:

Here's to the day when all pets have a loving and safe place to call home.

What started as the thought of "wouldn't it be nice to take some lovely pictures of rescue dogs and deaf dogs with their families" has evolved into something much greater. The more I met people involved in animal rescue, the more I realized there was a bigger story to be told. When some people found out about my idea of traveling over the next six months around the U.S. with my camera and my two dogs in my Mini Cooper Honda Element (the Cooper was just a little too small) and gathering information for two photo books about animal rescue, their response was, "...how depressing." (Not sure if they were talking about the road trip itself or the subject of animal rescue. My guess, both.) However, I don't hold that view. The stories I have heard are inspiring and while the numbers of animals euthanized each year are still great, those numbers are decreasing. There is hope. I'm setting out to raise awareness about the continuing pet overpopulation problem and learn about ways we can all be a part of the solution. I am be meeting and photographing families with their rescue dogs and deaf dogs, visiting animal shelters and sanctuaries and interviewing those involved in rescue work. I'll be sharing photographs, stories and everything I learn in the process with you here, in addition to stories from the road, including, but not limited to, "Is it possible to find a veggie burger in Texas?"

The final result will be THE PHOTO BOOK PROJECTS. Help me raise $300,000 for animal rescue groups around the country.

WHAT ARE THE PHOTO BOOK PROJECTS?
I am undertaking two photography projects.
1- a photo book of rescue dogs
2- a photo book of deaf dogs

Both books will be packed full of images of dogs and their families. The idea is to raise funds and to help raise awareness.

While these books will be full of glossy photographs, they will be so much more than coffee-table books. They will also be loaded with information and facts to help educate the public about the problems facing shelters and rescues, dispel myths about deaf dogs, the pet overpopulation problem, etc. I also see the deaf-dog photo book being an inspirational book for people overcoming obstacles in their lives, and a resource for newbies to the deaf-dog world.

WHO AM I?
I'm a business owner and professional photographer. I'm based in Philadelphia, where I live with my very spoiled 6-year-old deaf lab/border collie mix (Sadie) and 2 orange cats (Fuji & Bjork). Sadie was not only my introduction to the deaf-dog world, but also my introduction to dogs. As the vet said to me when I went in for Sadie's new puppy check-up: "A deaf, border collie puppy as your first dog...well you just JUMPED right in, didn't you!" And, I have to say I did. She was quite a handful! More on Sadie (and life with a deaf dog) later! In the meantime, if you are wondering, "WHY do people need to be educated about deaf dogs?" The quick answer is that thousands of dogs are put to sleep every year just because they are deaf. Please visit the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund for more information.

And another fun photo of Keller:

Profile: Sabrina Helas

2009-07-14T18:28:00.001-03:00

Sabrina Helas
cookiesandwaterphotography

Sabrina's photo "Kaiser" is on page 15 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Sabrina's perspective is vintage and her focus is green. Using natural light and the unique spirit of each of her subjects, Sabrina Helas mixes documentary-style photography with a genuine understanding of dogs, children and their nuances.

Sabrina is an eco-conscious entrepreneur running two boutique photography businesses—Cookies and Water Photography (cookiesandwaterphotography.com specializing in our furry dependents) and Milk and Cookies Photography (milkandcookiesphotography.com
specializing in children). After getting herself fired from corporate America in early 2005, she was able to follow her life long dream of becoming a professional photographer.

Ultimately being drawn to the genuine, she abandoned the entertainment industry, stopped moving between New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and settled in Eagle Rock where she now lives with her husband and their two pups. . Her next project, The Senior Project (title TBD), finds Sabrina expanding her portfolio yet again. In this chapter of her work, she will be capturing the wisdom and life in the faces of our beautiful wise elders.
PS. a big congrats to Sabrina....she got married a couple of weeks ago!

Profile: Blenda Tyvoll

2009-07-12T10:55:00.001-03:00

Blenda Tyvoll
blendatyvoll.com
blendastudio.blogspot.com
Etsy Shop

Blenda's artwork entitled "Beloved" is on page 11 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Blenda is an expressive artist who paints in a variety of mediums which help to convey her vibrant inner spirit. She studied art and design at Marylhurst University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. Blenda is an award winning and published artist, an active member and recent past treasurer of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, and a core group member of Open Studios of Beavercreek. She continues her artistic journey as a full time artist, exhibiting her work at Howden Art, Oregon City OR, in jury selected shows, at her studio and on her website, BlendaStudio.com.

Her paintings have been purchased by collectors worldwide, including Great Britain, France, Portugal, Australia, Canada, and throughout the United States. Blenda lives in Oregon, USA with her husband, Joe, a dog Zippy, two cats, three horses, and a 12 year old pet chicken named Gerdy. (Now that's an old chicken!).

Blenda's Artist's Statement--- " My style is defined as original, intuitive, and imaginative, creating paintings based on an emotional response to a subject. The most consistent elements in my paintings are simple shapes, harmonious color, and expressive line. I want to express to you, the viewer, a unique perspective of life by telling my story, using the language of paint and brush."

Profile: Kimberly Owen

2009-07-09T11:18:00.002-03:00

Kimberly Owen
onceuponabluecrow

Kimberly's artwork entitled "Hugs" is on page 35 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Here is a bit about Kimberly, from Kimberly:

I never went to school for art, it's just my passion. I actually went to school to become a cosmetologist. I was in that industry for about 10 years and then Iwent to work for an electronics company in the accounting department for 11 years.

I owned my own clothing retail store for about 4 years and had tons of folk art hanging on the walls, which in some crazy, winding way led me to where I am today. I closed the store and started selling my inventory on ebay and instead of buying folk art pieces I started making my own and selling those on ebay as well. I love mixed media. Love making dolls too.

Profile: Pat Nadarajah

2009-07-07T11:06:00.004-03:00

Pat Nadarajah
pawzitiveart.ca

Pat's artwork entitled "Sadie" is on page 22 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Here is some info about Pat and her art, taken from her website:

I am a Canadian self taught artist who currently draws and paints wildlife and pet portraits. I live with my husband, 2 daughters and 3 border collies. I have always had a love for animals as did my parents and sister.Growing up there was always one or two cats in the household.I began drawing when I was old enough to hold a crayon. It wasn't until 4 years ago that I decided to get serious about drawing again. Balancing a full time job, family and many activities, I found drawing relaxing.

My first choice of medium was graphite. Since I loved animals and was surrounded by a couple in my own home; I started with dogs.I would describe my style as realistic but I also strive to capture the personality of my subject. A couple of years and a few drawings later, I wanted to try a new medium.

Pastels had always intrigued me. I decided that to learn the medium I needed to take a course to help me along. Well after travelling all the way to the UK to take a course with Vic Bearcroft, renowned wildlife pastelist, I have now fallen in love with the medium. The trip was a turning point in my life and art career and along the way I can proudly call Vic, my mentor and friend.

I have had many positive artistic influences in my life. My father was a gifted writer and artist. He always encouraged me to draw and bought me some wonderful books and supplies. I have also been privileged to meet some wonderful inspiring artists in my artistic journey.

Profile: Jennifer Dotter

2009-07-05T12:51:00.000-03:00

Jennifer Dotter
inthemeantime.typepad.com

Jennifer's lovely photo of Lucy called "Longing" is on page 17 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Jennifer and her Air Force pilot husband live near Omaha, Nebraska. They share their home with Lucy and Leo, two sweet, goofy, and spoiled Labradors.

She is dreaming of the days when they can spend their days splashing in the waves and digging in the sands of the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Northwest.Jennifer and Jon just moved last week into their first home. Hey, Jennifer, are all the boxes unpacked yet?

Profile: Karen Davis

2009-07-02T13:42:00.000-03:00

Karen Davis
karendavis.me.uk
Blog

Karen is one of the UK participants in our 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book. Her artwork "Magic Cat" can be found on page 14.

Karen is an artist, illustrator, and dreamer. She studied at the Maidstone College of Art in Kent, England and has a BA Hons degree in Graphic Design/Illustration. Karen has illustrated for childrens picture books, magazine work, greetings cards, and gift wrap. Her clients have included : Bodley Head, ABC, Radio Times, TSP,WWC, Roger La Borde.

Karen is inspired by animals, nature, magic, folklore, fairytales and music. Isn't her contribution to our book a wonderful combination of her inspirations?

Profile: Melanie Hughes

2009-06-29T16:45:00.000-03:00

Melanie Hughes
nutsycoco.blogspot.com
nutsycoco.etsy.com

Melanie's photograph "Frolic And Play" is on page 13 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Here's a bit about Melanie, in her own words:

I'm an amateur photographer who was born outside of Cleveland, OH, grew up in Charlotte, NC, spent a few years in LA and is now back in Ohio in Columbus where I hope to stay for a long time! Except for a black/white photography class in college, I'm self-taught and love taking photos of nature, architecture and especially my pets (2 dogs and a cat). Macro shots of flowers are also some of my favorites. I love spending time on creative activities and when I'm not taking photos, I'm usually either sewing, making jewelry or knitting. Aside from my creative activities, I love spending time outside, enjoying the fresh air by going for walks/runs with my dogs, working on my yard or hiking at local parks.

Profile: Michelle Campbell-Zurek

2009-06-26T16:53:00.000-03:00

Michelle Campbell-Zurek
urbanjunkiesphotography.com
Etsy Shop

Michelle's photograph "Dogg the hungry kitty" is on page 4 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.A little bit about Michelle, in her own words...

After working in TV as a graphic designer and a promotions producer, I decided to pursue my love of art, primarily painting and photography. I’m originally from the east coast and I currently live in Los Angeles with my husband, our dog and our 3kitties. Along with urban areas, architecture and nature, my sweeties are some of my favorite subjects to photograph.

My main website:
urbanjunkiesphotography.com

Profile: Kecia Deveney

2009-06-24T11:22:00.000-03:00

Kecia Deveney
lemoncholys.com
lemoncholys.blogspot.com

Kecia's artwork "Blossom Playing In The Garden" is on page 28 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Here's a bit about Kecia, in her own words:

Originally from California, I am a mixed media/jewelry artist/photographer, who now resides in New Jersey. Drawing inspiration from my life experience as the mother of a severely disabled child, I have channeled that energy into learning and creating art.

I've been known to go to a flea market on the hottest days in the summer or 17 degrees in the winter to see what I can find to play with. Experimenting with "reclaimed discardia" results in many unique pieces of storytelling art. You can read more about my artistic journey on my blog at http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/ .

Profile: Gigi Leonard

2009-06-22T10:45:00.000-03:00

Gigi Leonard
gigileonard.etsy.com

Gigi's photograph "Dog Days Of Summer" is on page 30 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.Gigi is a native Midwesterner and Chicago-based self-taught photographer. She has had a latent passion for photography since she was a child, but only recently has taken the steps to express herself creatively, and to the public, through her digital imagery. Gigi regularly traverses city streets and country roads searching for the poetry that is everywhere around us, and striving to visually capture the challenge of finding hidden allure, joy and movement in our everyday lives.

When she isn’t behind the lens, Gigi curates an eclectic blend of art and design finds on her blog, roadsidescholar.com.

Profile: Julie Magers Soulen

2009-06-20T10:46:00.000-03:00

Julie Magers Soulen
Julie's Blog

Julie's photograph "Golden In Snow" is on page 38 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Since moving to Colorado more than 20 years ago, Julie has been an avid hiker, camper and skier. In the late 90s she moved to a house in the forest of the Rocky Mountain foothills where she lives off-the-grid. Her love of nature is reflected in her photography and she has traveled the length of the Rockies, from New Mexico to northern Canada, seeking to capture the endless beauty of the West.

Julie's photography was featured for over eight years on DenverPost.com in "The Colorado Journal". She has also been featured on the Daily Ray of Hope published by the Sierra Club. Her blog link is :http://juliemagerssoulen.blogspot.com/

Profile: Bonnie Schwartz

2009-06-18T08:51:00.000-03:00

Bonnie Schwartz
bonzphotography.etsy.com

Bonnie's photograph "All Cleaned Up" is on page 32 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

A few words from Bonnie:

My name is Bonnie Schwartz. I live in Asheville, NC. I have only been interested in photography for the last few years. Now I am never without my camera! I especially enjoy taking photographs of all animals (especially my dogs and cats). I also enjoy nature photography. I have started selling some of my prints and note cards on Etsy.

My work can be viewed at my Etsy shop: www.bonzphotography.etsy.com
My blog is: www.Bonzphotography.blogspot.com
You can also view my photography at: www.flickr.com/bonz_bonz

Profile: Rachel Parker

2009-06-16T10:25:00.003-03:00

Rachel Parker
RachelsStudio.com
Rachel's Blog

Rachel's painting, entitled "Applehead Lit", is on page 7 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Rachel Parker is a self taught artist who works mainly in watercolors. As the daughter of artist Gretchen Parker, she was raised going to art lessons and watching her mother paint. She has been drawing since she was old enough to hold a pencil, and began painting in 2000.

Her motivation for creating is to capture what may otherwise go unnoticed, to reveal the beauty in simple moments and objects. Making an image come alive on the paper is her inspiration. Rachel has sold her work nationally and internationally through www.rachelsstudio.com. She paints at night and during weekends and works full time as a school social worker.

Rachel does commissions. She sells most of her work online; she maintains a blog and enjoys interacting with her patrons on a daily basis. She often has contests on her site for people to have a chance at winning free prints or a painting of their pet. Visit her blog at www.rachelsstudio.blogspot.com to participate!

Profile: Cait Wade

2009-06-14T12:54:00.001-03:00

Cait Wade
M45

Cait's photograph entitled "Companion" is on page 33 of the 2009 Paws For Charity Art Book.

Cait is a freelance photographer based in Chicago who specializes in night, low-light, and macro photography. She operates a music and photography blog called M45.