“You lucky dog!” Ira said (our congratulatory term of endearment) when I told him that I was awarded an all expenses paid sponsorship by Mars’ Pedigree Adoption Drive for Dogs (more on this is a moment) to attend the Blog Paws 2010 Conference starting tomorrow, April 9!
Indeed, I am a lucky dog thanks to Tom Collins at www.blogpaws.com who suggested Boulder Dog Blog for consideration by the good folks at Mars. Thank you all so much! And, as I’ll tell you in a moment, I’m not the only lucky dog. But, first, you might be wondering who or what is BlogPaws? Here’s the answer in their own words:
BlogPaws is an online resource for pet bloggers to help you be a better blogger, whatever “being a better blogger” means to YOU. So whether you are blogging for fun, to raise money or on behalf of a company or organization, BlogPaws is your go-to place.
We’re in the process of developing the site, which will cover topics like increasing traffic to your blog, strategies for content development, photography tips, SEO, networking, using social media channels and much more!
In addition to providing an online resource, we are hosting BlogPaws 2010, the first-ever pet blogger conference. There is nothing like meeting nose-to-nose and we’re very excited about bringing everyone together. Learn more here.
BlogPaws is founded by three passionate and dedicated pet lovers and bloggers – Caroline Golon of Romeothecat.com and Yvonne Divita and Tom Collins of Scratchings and Sniffings and Windsor Media Enterprises.
There are many terrific resources to help bloggers build traffic and networks, but nothing specific to the pet community – until now.
This is your resource so we’re eager to hear what content interests you. Let us know! Email us at BlogPawsTeam@BlogPaws.com.
Is that great or what? And the people at BlogPaws are the real deal. Tom blew me away last year when I first stumbled upon BlogPaws and asked “How did you get that Twitter feed on your blog?” I only half expected a reply. When Tom emailed me personally and then created a blog post to share with everyone step-by-step instructions on how to put a Twitter feed on your blog–well, I became an instant fan. More recently Tom wrote a tutorial, again due to a conversation we had had about my header image, on “How To Take Control of Your Blog Design with a Header Image”. Read Part I and Part 2. BlogPaws rocks!
Moving on to the Pedigree Adoption Drive for Dogs. It’s is all about finding forever homes for dogs. “Over 4 million dogs enter shelters every year. And each one deserves a loving home.” Los Angeles has a human population of nearly 4 million. That’s a lot of people and that’s how many dogs need homes. Visit the Pedigree adopt a dog website here. Pedigree Adoption Drive also has a huge Facebook fan page. Want to feed a dog? Just become a fan. Click on this:
Every time someone becomes a fan, Pedigree donates another bowl of food to a shelter dog. As of this moment 868,029 bowls of food have been donated.
Being sponsored by Pedigree Adoption Drive for Dogs means that when I blog from BlogPaws 2010 you’ll see the yellow and blue Pedigree “Adoption Rules. Join the Drive” badge. When I tweet (@boulderdog1) you’ll see #dogsrule (sp). That’s Pedigree’s hashtag and “(sp)” means they’re sponsoring me at BlogPaws 2010. That’s it. I’m not selling anything 🙂
And now for the other lucky dogs! Pedigree selected five bloggers to sponsor. Let me introduce the other four as best I can. We’ve only met on the telephone; I can’t wait to meet nose-to-nose:
Sharon’s blog is Cleo’s Day, and her moniker on facebook and twitter is Grouchy Puppy” — I love that! Cleo is a large breed older dog who was adopted from the San Francisco SPCA.
Two Little Cavaliers blog is the brainchild of Felissa Hadas. She’s all about rescuing dogs and “spotlighting Reputable Rescues in the US (501c3) and around the world.” By the way, the two little Cavaliers who call Felissa mom are named Davinia & Indiana.
Neil’s blog, Life with Dogs is a well-established. It’s been around since 2004 and in Neil’s words it’s “A very different documentary of the life and antics of three dogs, those who preceded them, and the occasional incoherent rantings of their dog-obsessed humans.” Greyhound adoption is Neil’s passion and his facebook page has nearly taken on a life of its own as a vehicle for finding forever homes for lucky dogs.
Ash and Niki are the founder of I Love Rescue Animals, all animals! Their mission in their own words: We are dedicated to celebrating rescued animals, supporting shelters, rescues and animal rights groups and to animal welfare worldwide. You can follow them on Twitter @RescueAnimals.
Wow! What a stellar group of lucky dogs! I’m honored to be among them.
Well, it’s time now to pack and get a good night’s sleep for a very early flight tomorrow to Columbus, Ohio because
Deborah! We are indeed lucky dogs! I feel very fortunate and grateful to have met you. I have Yvonne Divita to thank as well, for finding me through my muse Cleo, the Grouchy Puppy and putting us in touch with PedigreeUS. Here’s to better blog posts & Blog Paws 2011.
-Sharon
Hi Sharon
So glad to have met, you, Cleo’s mom. I’m glad we had some time to hang out together. I feel very fortunate to have attended Blog Paws thanks to Tom Collins and PedigreeUS. Let’s stay in touch.
Sadie’s Mom
Well, now I know “the story” on how all that came about. What a nice thing to be suggested for such a generous opportunity.
Yes, indeed it was. And, I must say the experience has reignited my enthusiasm for all things dog n’ blog.
It was nice getting to meet you at BlogPaws! Nikki & I also felt super lucky to be selected! Yvonne & Caroline really looked out for us and were instrumental in getting us to the conference. We are still very grateful to them and Pedigree for allowing us to go.