Hoof & Paw Benevolent Society members Minge Wiseman of Blythewood, left, and Kathy Faulk, right, of Fairfield County, discuss with Blythewood philanthropist Joyce Hill the Society’s newest fundraiser project, a coffee table book titled Friends of Hoof & Paw that puts the spotlight on pets in the community. Hill is underwriting the cost of the book and members of Hoof & Paw are selling pages to pet owners in the community who would like to showcase the animals in their lives. | Barbara Ball
BLYTHEWOOD – The Hoof & Paw Benevolent Society, with members in Blythewood and Fairfield County, is launching its newest and most ambitious fundraiser to date – a high-end coffee table book, titled Friends of Hoof & Paw, which will put community animals in the spotlight.
The cost of printing the book is being underwritten by Joyce Hill, a longtime Blythewood resident and philanthropist and owner of Farewell Farm. Profits from the book will come from the purchase of pages by those who want to showcase their pets.
“The photos will feature the pets or the pets and their owners and will be taken by professional photographers that Hoof & Paw will provide,” Minge Wiseman said. “The book will showcase the animals that touch our lives.
Page costs range from $200 to $1,000 and are tax deductible. Multiple-page packages are also available. The page purchase includes a copy of the book at no extra charge. Additional photos can be purchased from the photographer.
“Another coffee table book like this has been published by a Texas animal advocacy group and it is an absolute treasure, just beautiful,” Wiseman said, thumbing through the glossy pages of the book. “We’ve already received a number of commitments for pages. Every photo page, whether color or black & white will be very nice – something the pet owner will be proud of and cherish.”
Wiseman said pet owners can submit their own photos if they are of good reproduction quality, and photos can also be submitted in remembrance of pets who have passed on.
“And we are having a special contest to determine whose pet will grace the cover of the book,” Wiseman said. “We are requesting cover submissions. We want to see your horse, dog, cat, bird, cow, etc., in all his/her glory. The image chosen will then be reproduced into a painting by a professional artist and will be on the cover of this year’s book. And the best part is that the owner gets to keep the painting, free!” Wiseman said.
To purchase a page or to submit a photo for consideration for the cover, simply go to www.hoofandpawsc.org and click on the link under the events tab. The cost to submit a photo for the cover is $25 per submission. May 1, 2018 is the deadline to submit photos for the cover contest.
Proceeds from the page sales help promote The Hoof & Paw Benevolent Society’s vision – to protect, comfort and improve the lives of abused, homeless and abandoned animals and to increase awareness and support adoptions of shelter-bound animals. The organization also encourages spay and neuter and provides education to the general public for the humane treatment of all animals. The Society also provides spay and neuter funding to the Fairfield Animal Shelter and Pets, Inc. in Columbia.
