TylerDog Cards - Greeting Cards for Dog Lovers!

Valentine's Cards from TylerDog Cards

August, Golden Mix above, is already featured with his first greeting card! ITEM: ALL-0088

BARTLESVILLE, OK. — TylerDog Cards has teamed with the Washington County SPCA to try and make a difference in the lives of abandoned and homeless pets. Each week, the crew from Tyler Creative load up cameras, equipment, and lights, then head out to the WCSPCA where, for the next three hours or so, they photograph anywhere from 20 to 40-plus puppies, kittens, dogs and cats, in hopes of capturing the perfect photo that says "adopt me!"

When asked why she would tackle such a huge undertaking, Sherry Stinson, owner of Tyler Creative and TylerDog Cards, said, "Honestly, it's about the animals, finding homes for these sweet creatures. Sure, it's not the most ideal conditions. Most of these little guys are terrified from being in an unknown place with tons of strange dogs and cats barking and meowing constantly, so posing for a picture probably isn't high on their 'to do' list! Nonetheless, with a little coaxing, lots of love, and a few treats, we've managed to capture their sweet personalities."

Three hours and a lot of dog and cat hair later, the Tyler Creative crew manages to capture anywhere from 300-400 images, which are then processed and chosen for the various adoption pet portals used by the WCSPCA. "It takes a team of folks to do this, not just us," Stinson continued. "The staff at the WCSPCA and all the many volunteers are what makes this happen. Everyone's contribution is vital, from the folks who queue the animals up for us to photograph to the wranglers and those organizing the data."

The pet overpopulation issue is one every city and state is dealing with, and Bartlesville is no different. "The staff told us they can get anywhere from 20-40 dogs and cats a week, which includes surrenders and strays," Stinson said. "For that reason alone, we're definitely interested in helping as no animal should be homeless. We've taken the extra step of posting all these photos on Facebook and Flickr, we're tweeting about them, and also posting to Twibes, all in hopes of driving traffic to the WCSPCA and finding these guys homes."

Laughing, she said, "It's definitely not glamorous. I reek to high heaven after handling that many animals, many of whom are a bit, um, shall we say messy? But it's all worth it. The first day I did it, I cried, because I wanted to take them all home. Yet, the day my services are no longer needed is a day I will celebrate because it means every single animal has found a forever home."

The upside to all this is select animals are being used in a new line of greeting cards by TylerDog Cards, featuring the shelter animals. Each card is created with a small story of each pet on the back, with a portion of the proceeds going to help the WCSPCA.

To adopt one of these beautiful creatures, visit the Washington County SPCA, located at 16620 State Highway 123 in Bartlesville or visit www.wcspca.org today. Volunteers are always needed, so think about helping someone who can't help themselves!