by Marene Gustin
Is your dog famous in your own mind? Now your fur baby can be famous nationally, pictured in a book with photographs by famed photog Andrew Grant.
And while it will cost you, it will be money well spent.
Grant produced his first Rover book four years ago to highlight the plight of homeless dogs. You may have seen the hardcover art book of rescue dogs on Ellen back in 2009 when she introduced it as her new favorite book. Grant went on to produce two more books and is now working on his fourth and final book, Rover to the Rescue.
“I’m a rather impulsive person to begin with, but after I learned about the staggering number of cats and dogs that are euthanized each and every year, I began production of the first Rover book weeks later,” writes Grant on the website (rovertotherescue.com). “I did so without having done any research on book publishing or looking at other dog books. I just knew this was something I should do, as I knew a book like that could bring attention to the crisis.”
Besides raising awareness of the problem, the books also raise money for rescue groups, more than $300,000 to date. And this year one of the chosen charities is Houston’s own Corridor Rescue, a group that began five years ago when Deborah Hoffman begged for help from friends to aid the hundreds of abandoned dogs dumped along I-59 and Little York Road.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Corridor and for the city of Houston,” says Corridor’s Anna Barbosa. “Right now, we are recruiting all dogs with star quality to represent Houston in this book.
“The dog can be either a rescue or a purebred, it doesn’t matter. All they ask is that a $5,000 donation be made to Corridor Rescue and your baby gets a beautiful two-page spread in the book.”
Grant will be in Houston for the photo shoot in early March in The Heights so now is the time to contact Corridor Rescue about getting your pup published. E-mail them at [email protected] or call Barbosa at 713/269-1710. The donation is tax deductible, and the money will aid hundreds of abandoned pets. And, yes, it’s a tad pricey, but think of all the good that donation will do, and just maybe your fur baby will wind up on Ellen. At the very least, thousands of people will see your beloved pet.
“In addition to raising money for rescues, Andrew Grant also sends several books to various Children’s Hospitals throughout the country to help the children who are missing their pets because of their hospital stays,” adds Barbosa. “Just flipping through the pages brings joy and comfort to these little ones.”
Check out some of Grant’s wonderful photos from his previous books at rovertotherescue.com. And even if you can’t quite rustle up the book donation, do buy a copy of the book when it comes out next Christmas and make a donation to Corridor Rescue (corridorrescue.org).
The life you save could be your new best friend for life.
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