The organization Haute Dogs will sponsor its third annual handmade Valentine’s Day card contest for K-12 students to create lovable cards for the 120-plus dogs and 50-plus cats housed at the Long Beach Animal Care Services shelter.
“There are hundreds of dogs and cats in our city who are looking for love and affection while waiting for forever homes,” says Haute Dogs organizer Justin Rudd. “Let’s show them our love this season. We encourage classrooms, scout groups, church youth groups, and other organizations to create cards for the animals.”
Cards should be received at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, CA 90808, on or before noon on Sunday, Feb. 12. Students should place their name, grade level, teacher’s name and school name on the very back of the card. Cards will not be returned.
The student who creates the winning card will receive a pizza party for friends, classroom or group (up to 30 people). Judging will take into consideration the grade level of the student and will be based on creativity, originality, and first impression. The folded cards should not exceed 5×7 inches and should not include any particular animal’s name. Volunteers will randomly assign a card to an animal’s kennel. The goal is to get at least one card per animal that will be attached to each pet’s kennel through the week.
In addition to the regular shelter hours, the public is invited to view the cards and their creators, spend time with the animals and “fall in love” during a special Yappy Hour from noon to 1pm on Feb. 12. Punch and homemade cookies will be served to human guests by students at Westerly School, soft love songs will be playing, the shelter animals will receive special goodies, and awards will be announced for the best cards.
