Help dogs while you shop on a website dedicated to helping pets and sharing their stories
Everyone has heard of the expression ‘pay it forward,’ and knows what it means for people: performing a simple random act of kindness where the person expects nothing in return. It can be something as small as an encouraging note left for a stranger, or a huge act that saves a life. And that’s what Paw it Forward is all about, but with a furry twist. Their mission is dedicated to the pay it forward movement, but instead of focusing on people, it focuses on pets.
Paw it Forward shares stories of pets and their struggles, and has a merchandise line available on their online store. They pay it forward with 10 percent of the net profit going into supporting the causes of the dogs they work with. Their latest collection showcases Ella, the rescue dog of Catherine Ryan Hyde. Hyde is a best-selling author, who wrote the novel Pay it Forward. Yes, the same novel that inspired the movie released in 2000 staring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, and Haley Joel Osment.
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Ella is a Chinese Crested and Scottish Terrier mix with adorable large ears and a personality to match. Hyde rescued Ella, and this pooch is now the face for the Paw it Forward movement. She’s also the star of a children’s book written by her mom called Paw it Forward. The purpose of the book is to teach children the concept of paying it forward. The book comes with wristbands, where children are encouraged to give them to friends and pay it forward. Ella inspires by telling kids how she visits a nursing home, makes her cat brother feel welcome and helps a friend.
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Not only can you purchase the book, but there are Ella-themed notebooks, t-shirts, puzzles, patches and more. The book, along with the other merchandise, is a thoughtful gift with the holidays coming up. These Ella items are adorable and teach children how to be kind – it’s a two-for-one kind of deal!
Ella’s collection isn’t the only one available on the website. There is a philosopher’s collection for pet parents to wear, with shirts featuring dog-friendly quotes from Plato and Aristotle. Who wouldn’t want a shirt that says “There is Honor in Being a Dog”? You can also deck out your dog with Paw it Forward bandanas and leashes. I don’t know about you, but I feel much less guilty about spoiling myself when part of the profit goes to helping pets.
The idea is that pets can pay it forward, too. Granted, they don’t have opposable thumbs and the dexterity to work a computer, so they require people, such as Catherine Ryan Hyde, to tell their stories, but the message remains the same: kindness is simple. Who knows when keeping the karmic flow going will help you when you need it most?
You never know when someone is having a bad day and even just a smile to a stranger can change their outlook. I think Paw it Forward is an amazing company whose ideas change the world one wag at a time. I have put them on my list of places to purchase holiday gifts and am excited that a portion of the money I spend will be paying it forward.
I have put them on my list of places to purchase holiday gifts and am excited that a portion of the money I spend will be paying it forward. Visit the Paw It Forward website to browse or purchase their entire line of products.
Rachel Leavy lives in Rochester, New York with her dog, Maria, and her gecko, Nigel. She has loved animals all her life, and has owned her own dog training and walking company for five years. When she’s not playing with puppies, she can usually be found writing short stories, riding horses or out at a play.
