From
Victim to Victor – North Carolina Puppy Mill Survivors Celebrated in New Mobile
App for Kids
A new mobile app being developed by
Startled Cat, Inc. will use illustrations of puppy mill survivors to educate
kids about humane pet care
Meet
Ricky Bobby, a tiny 6lb. bundle of dachshund energy. One of the first things
you'll notice about him is his soft brown eyes. The second will undoubtedly be
the miniature cart he uses to support his hind legs as he zips along behind his
person, Megan Bliss. Ricky's back legs are paralyzed, the result of a hardened
disc left untreated for years in the
puppy mill from which he was rescued, but his remarkable recovery and joie de
vivre have become symbols for what can be accomplished when people come
together to right a wrong.
"Ricky's
story was first brought to my attention by Kim Alboum of the Humane
Society," says Jena Ball, the writer and illustrator leading the
CritterKin creative team. He was one of the dogs the HSUS and SPCA of Wake
County, NC rescued in their latest puppy mill bust. She knew I was looking for
a special needs dog to include in the CritterKin pack of puppies, and sent me
videos of him as he was learning to use his cart. I knew I wanted to illustrate
him as soon as I saw the sweet trusting expression on his face.”
Ball
and the Startled Cat team are not only illustrating Ricky, but plan to create
lessons based on his narrative for the CritterKin app as well. "Ricky's
story is inspiring, but it's also a great opportunity to teach kids an
invaluable lesson about empathy and humane behavior," says Martin Keltz,
the Emmy award winning producer of The Magic School Bus and former President
and co-founder of Scholastic Productions. "If we imagine Ricky as a child
with a learning disability or physical challenge, it's not hard to see how he
could be ostracized or even bullied. By including Ricky in CritterKin, and
giving kids a chance to learn about and play with him, we will be teaching compassion
and respect for differences. "
Basically, CritterKin will be an app that educates kids (and indirectly their
parents) about responsible pet care. It uses fun, interactive games and
activities to make learning fun, and includes a parent guide that encourages
the whole family to get involved. We believe that education is the key to
changing the lives of shelter animals everywhere, so our goals are to:
responsibility
fighting
The
CritterKin app teaches the basics of pet care through fun, interactive games,
puzzles and stories. Kids log into the app to do daily chores and take their
dogs to the CritterKin Dog Park for class. At the park, they learn about how to
care for their dog, but other important lessons about things like canine body
language, flea and tick prevention, and why dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate.
“My
hope is that CritterKin can bring the kinds of lessons I teach about in my
classes at the SPCA of Wake County to a broader audience,” says Vanessa Budnick,
the Humane Educator collaborating on the CritterKin curriculum with Startled
Cat. “We believe that the key to ending puppy mills and getting dogs adopted
into forever homes is education. What better way to educate kids than a fun,
interactive and affordable app?”
To
learn how you can get copies of the Ricky Bobby print and support CritterKin’s Kickstarter campaign visit
http://www.critterkin.com/kickstarter.html or call Jena Ball at 919-535-8472.
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