New Stories for old dogs project

New Stories for Old Dogs is a project I started in 2023 with a three-fold goal: Raise money for a good cause, engage writers and non-writers alike in a fun short story project, and find a use for the many old dog photos I have picked up over the years.

For years I have been collecting old photos of dogs from flea markets, antique stores, garage sales, and more. Collecting the photos has been my way of saving the dogs and their stories, but I usually don’t know their stories at all and can only imagine what their lives were like. I had been trying to think of a project to use the photos for and after collecting them for many years I landed on the idea of inviting people to write a story about a given dog photo, and in doing so giving that dog new life. With that the New Stories for Old Dogs zine project was created. For each volume I select 10 photos from my collection and put out a call for writers, in particular encouraging people who don’t consider themselves to be writers to participate. The authors give the dogs names and new stories, and then I combine them with the photos in a simple print zine. All the proceeds from the sale of the zines goes to support an animal shelter or rescue. This is the only collaborative project that I have ever created and managed, so while I get to design and write for it I also get the experience of managing the project and its participants. It is a project that I hope to continue into the future as it is a fun way to engage with other creatives and help dogs in need at the same time.

Copies of the various volumes of the zine can be purchased by contacting me directly, or through my Etsy.

Below is a list of the organizations that the sales of the zines have supported:

• Volume 1 - The Humane Society of Jefferson County, WA

• Volume 2 - RezRoadsRescue