By Brian Stanley
For the Bugle
Any canines who are regulars at the Hammel Woods Dog Park might want to strike a pose.
The Forest Preserve District of Will County is seeking dogs to appear in a 2020 calendar that will be sold to benefit the Will County Humane Society.
The humane society, the oldest no-kill shelter in the county, finds new homes for hundreds of dogs each year.
Dogs using the other five dog parks in Will County are also eligible to model for the calendar.
“Our partnership with the Forest Preserve District is a great way for neighbors to help one another out by spreading awareness of both missions,” said Will County Humane Society shelter manager Malorie Ernst. “Both organizations have a genuine impact on our community and take pride in the work they do to better our community and the animals in it.”
“The calendar is a win-win project for both us and the Will County Humane Society,” said Ralph Schultz, chief operating officer for the Forest Preserve District. “Our public loves its dogs and our dog parks, and we’re happy to offer a way to highlight the pets of our dog park patrons while also helping to support a Will County organization that does such good within the community. We hope visitors to our dog parks will not only submit their dogs’ photos for a chance to be included in this special initiative, but that they’ll also generously support the Humane Society by purchasing a calendar or two.”
Dogs who are candidates to appear in the calendar must have a valid permit for the dog parks, which requires them to be current on rabies vaccinations.
Dogs must be socialized to humans and other dogs and be able to follow some basic commands during the photo shoot.
Information for submitting photos of eligible dogs is available at bit.ly/dogappform
Submissions are due by July 7. Judges will select the dogs that will appear based on their photogenic nature and will seek a variety of breeds, ages and personalities.
Calendars can be preordered through Oct. 20 at willcountydogs.org and will arrive in late November. $10 of the $15 cost will benefit the Humane Society.
“We run solely on the generous donations and devotion from our community,” Ernst said. “Our facility does not receive funding from the government. This means every item and every dollar donated is imperative to our functionality. Every act of kindness helps the homeless animals in our care.”