Photo Studio Dives Into Social Networking For The Sake Of Pets

CAPITAN, NEW MEXICO -- Studio O launched the Dashing and Divine Doggies Contest on a local level on May 22, 2009, and the contest is quickly expanding to multi-state levels. Pet owners submit photos of their dogs, identify the charity their dog is sponsoring, and use their social networking skills to encourage friends and family nationwide to vote for their dog. According to Helene Kobelnyk, founder of the contest, "Non-profit organizations are usually the first to suffer in economic hard times, especially those centered on pets. Half of my own dogs are rescues. All of us need to pitch in and make sure that the humane societies and shelters can continue saving abandoned and abused pets. We owe it to our dogs,  these extraordinary creatures who chose to live in partnership with us. This contest is a way of sharing the burden of financial support." 

Dashing and Divine Doggies makes full use of social sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and a variety of blogsites. Slide shows of entered dogs are posted on YouTube and other media sites. "I hope that pet owners take the next few months during this contest to really focus on their dogs by taking photos and sharing stories about their pups on a blog. Photographs and stories about those you love, including your pets, are important and will get you through the days when they're not around anymore. I know this from my own experience," said Kobelnyk. 

Kobelnyk searched for a project to honor her mother, who died this past October. "My mom grew up and lived during a time of such obliteration. Individuals and families were simply eradicated by Hitler or Stalin. It's important to me to have her memory live on because she lived her life with such courage and integrity," said Kobelnyk. Sharing her mother's passion for photography and pets, Kobelnyk, a professional photographer and canine behavior specialist, combined the two into the Dashing and Divine Doggies Contest. The entry fee includes a complementary photo session or digital imaging workshop at Studio O. For non-local participants, Kobelnyk provides a complementary enlargement of a submitted pet photograph. 

The Dashing and Divine Doggies Contest offers owners a chance to showcase their dogs online, reconnect not only with their dogs but with friends and family, and raise money for their favorite charity. Detailed information about entering the contest can be found at www.dashinganddivinedoggies.net. Pet charities can get more information about participation at www.dashinganddivinedoggies.com.