The Peaks: “Rover” Casting Call for Telluride Dogs

17 Jan The Peaks: “Rover” Casting Call for Telluride Dogs

Twinkee, photographed by Andrew Grant for “Rover”

Major event in support of Second Chance Humane Society takes place at The Peaks Wednesday, January 22, 3 – 6 p.m. Dogs, please bring your people!

The backstory:

The science is becoming abundantly clear. The statistics, however, remain chilling.

In October, the national media published a story about a professor of neuro-economics who had performed M.R.I. scans of dogs’ brains and discovered a “striking similarity between dogs and humans in both the structure and function of a key brain region: the caudate nucleus.”

In humans, the caudate plays a key role in the anticipation of things we enjoy, such as food, love, and money. And many of the same things that activate the human caudate, clearly associated with positive emotions, also activate the dog caudate. Neuroscientists call this a functional homology – and it may be an indication of canine emotions.

For many of you who live with dogs, that’s a giant “duh”: of course dogs have emotions, but the the study brought it all home:

“The ability to experience positive emotions, like love and attachment, would mean that dogs have a level of sentience comparable to that of a human child. And this ability suggests a rethinking of how we treat dogs.”

Rethinking how we treat dogs (and furry beings in general) …

Fact is every year millions of would-be pets enter rescues and shelters in the U.S., where, according to National Council on Pet Population study and the Humane Society of the United States, over 56 percent of dogs and pups are euthanized. An estimated four million cats and dogs are euthanized every year. That is about  one death every eight seconds.

Ramsey for “Rover”

“Rover,” the book and the brand with a mission:

Only weeks after learning the horrific numbers, Andrew Grant, a dog lover since boyhood, impulsively shifted gears, turning his back on a lucrative career as an acclaimed commercial photographer to produce the very first “Rover” book, a labor of love involving thousands of hours of intense work to showcase over 500 up close and personal images of canines of all colors, shapes, and sizes.

(In 2009, that first “Rover” became a giant hit after Ellen DeGeneres announced she had given the book to Oprah for Christmas.)

The point of it all? Bring awareness to and raise money for pet rescues all over the country.

And here’s where you come in.

The fourth “Rover” is due for publication in Fall 2014 and will be distributed nationally. Wouldn’t you like your best friend to be featured in its pages, especially if the finished project helps save lives (regionally through Second Chance Humane Society)?

(In 2013– 2014, the “Rover” book and initiative will raise over $1 million for rescues throughout the country).

The Peaks event:

Molly’s mug shot for “Rover”

Normally, the price of entry on to the pages of Andrew’s “Rover” is a donation of $5,000, but The Peaks Resort & Spa in Mountain Village, Telluride, is hosting a very special event that makes an exception to the rule. One lucky dog will be selected for inclusion in this museum-quality art book FREE. Your pet will be selected at a “casting call,” scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, 3 – 6 p.m. The green-carpet event includes food and beverages and a raffle.

The casting call is not a beauty contest, but in support, Soggy Doggy is offering 50% off full grooms and $10 brush outs leading up to the big day. Andrew and his fellow judges, Kelly Goodin from Second Chance, the beneficiary, and Kristine Hellman-Rosen from The Peaks’ Soggy Doggy, will select the winning animal based on character, a unique look, or a particularly compelling story. All dogs are welcome – rescues and purebreds.

Note: Dogs must be on a leash and their humans must remain with them at all times. 

Want to help, but can’t attend the event or would prefer to have your pet introduced to Andrew in private?

Make a donation to Second Chance of $5,000 and book an appointment with Andrew Grant at The Peaks, where he will photograph your pup for “Rover” in a dedicated studio. (He is in town through January 27). On Tuesday, January 14, that is exactly what four individuals did, so Second Chance is up $20,000 going into The Peaks party.

Another option, GO BIG: a donation of $25,000 gets your dog and four dogs currently living in a rescue photographed and included in “Rover.” (Your generosity will help those featured dogs find a forever home.)

Bugsy modelled for “Rover” too

About Second Chance:

It’s no secret. The Telluride region is dog heaven. Well, pet heaven. Unless you are one of our furry friends who gets caught in the maw of neglect and abuse. Then heaven is on hold until Second Chance Humane Society comes to the rescue.

Second Chance is the region’s principal nonprofit dedicated to saving animals’ lives and promoting responsible pet parenting and human-animal bond.

(In her weekly blog on Telluride Inside… and Out, executive director Kelly Goodin profiles at least one, generally two, of the many animals now living at the no-kill Angel Ridge Shelter, a dog and a cat, hoping to find them loving, permanent homes. The column is sponsored by Ted Hoff of Cottonwood Ranch & Kennel, who from time to time exercises his skills as a dog whisperer, partnering with Kelly and her staff to help train a particularly challenging animal.)

Second Chance Humane Society Animal Resource Center and Thrift Shop are both located in Ridgway, but service San Miguel, Ouray & Montrose Counties. Call the SCHS Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS spay/neuter, volunteer, feral cat, or other programs. View the shelter pets and services online:www.adoptmountainpets.org

More about “Rover”:

Click on this link to watch a video featuring Andrew in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFlXcvmyUB8

Email amanda@rovertotherescue.com for more information about the Rover initiative.

Moxie can’t imagine why your pet wouldn’t want to join in the fun of “Rover” to help save other dogs not as fortunate as he.

Click on the “play” button to eavesdrop on my chat with Andrew.