Cooper, a once homeless puppy, is featured in “Cooper, A Rescue Dog’s Tale” coloring and activity book. His book educates that shelter pets are not there because they are a problem, but sadly, homeless because of their family’s circumstances.
The proceeds from his engaging book
go to animal welfare organizations, and it is his publisher’s number one book!
www.HelpingPets.com
“Cooper’s happy life with his new pet parents, Karen and Bill, proves that the worst moments of your life,” said Gina Dial, VP of Sales and Marketing for John Paul Pet, “can evolve into the greatest. He’s an amazing dog! It
would have been a shame if he had remained homeless or euthanized in an overcrowded shelter.”
Today, four-year-old Cooper has a mission as the ICON for the
JohnPaulPetPals.com program. His efforts help pets find homes, creating more good with his life than some humans.
“We're always looking for engaging
strategies to educate the pet community while promoting health, wellness and responsible pet ownership,” said John Capra, co-founder of John Paul Pet.
It is a miracle how the pet pals program was created. Gina’s beloved Aussie had passed and her Labrador was so lonely that she asked her Facebook friends for leads for another Aussie.
When Cooper’s was posted, she said, “Yes” to him, but he had to be medically treated before she could
have him. In the meantime, someone gave her a deaf Aussie, Riley, who kept her busy learning sign language and training him into civility like a young Helen Keller.
A few days later, Cooper was ready but Gina was immersed in training Riley. So her neighbor’s, Karen and Bill, adopted him into their loving home.
“The last time I visited Cooper,” said Gina, “I took him a supply of John Paul Pet products. As I was leaving, he walked me to the
gate and looked up at me as if to say, ‘Thank you.’
As silly as it sounds, in turn, I felt I needed to also thank this special dog for all he had done for other dogs.”
After seeing what the power of social media could do to assist needy pets, Gina was inspired to create the John Paul Pet PALS program to help Passionate Animal Lovers leverage their social media networks on Facebook to re-home pets.
Anyone, including
rescues and shelters, can post photos of lost, found and adoptable dogs. To encourage postings, PALS started a fun fundraising to "JOIN and SHARE" pictures of lost, found or adoptable pets and they will donate $1 each to the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF,
www.morrisanimalfoundation.org), which is the largest nonprofit foundation
dedicated to funding research studies to protect, treat and cure animals.
This holiday season Cooper takes to social media to help benefit the MAF. Cooper appears on the John Paul Pet Holiday Box set, and if you share a photo of Cooper celebrating the Holidays with your family using #HolidayCooper, John Paul Pet will donate $1 to Morris Animal Foundation. You can find the Holiday Box sets at all JCPenney stores this holiday season.
“Cooper
‘colors’ our world with joy,” said his dad, Bill. “Rescue pets pop into our lives serendipitously, and age is never a consideration. Cooper was added into our rescued furry pack of five dogs and two cats. One of our dogs uses Cooper as his sleeping pillow and Cooper loves it!
Cooper was like the Tasmanian Devil when we first adopted him. On our arrivals home, he’d jump up barking, at our face level, simply because he couldn’t contain his love and
joy.
Cooper is our ever ‘present’ shadow, never more than two feet from either Karen or me. Neither of us have been to the bathroom by ourselves since we adopted him!
He always holds eye contact with us, looking for assurance that we love him as much as he loves us. It is a powerful reward knowing someone adores you this much.
A couple times, Cooper has ‘checked’ out our recycle bin and comes out with his nose
stuck inside a peanut butter jar. Then he proudly prances around with the jar covering his nose. He is a natural born entertainer and his shenanigans are hysterical!
He once ‘checked’ out our bathroom’s trash can and came out wearing its lid, like a goofy plastic necklace. When we say ‘come here’, he gently gives us whatever he has. Cooper is a big goof with a warm, loving, wonderful heart and soul.
When either Karen or I are gone, the
other one sees Cooper sitting halfway down our 100 foot driveway, staring at the gate, waiting. He loves his dog brother and sisters, but he is happiest lying at our feet, sitting on the couch next to us, or walking at our sides.
It is an honor to be his parents and we are grateful to Gina for rescuing him and the Pet Pal pages for bringing so much ‘color’ into our lives.”
