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Plainfield mastiff featured on greeting cards
By Denise Baran-Unland For The Herald-News Apr 19, 2011 08:34AM
Kathryn Dunlap knew her dog Rufio was special. Now Hallmark does too, and the card company is telling the world.
Rufio is a natural when it comes to mugging for the camera. And as a 10-month-old Neapolitan mastiff, Rufio has a really big mug.
Rufio became a recent winner in a Hallmark’s “Furry, Funny and Frightful†greeting card contest. Rufio, sporting a gladiator costume, will be featured in online pet-themed Halloween cards at www.hallmark.com starting in May. If Rufio does well, those cards will later be in stores.
Whether or not Rufio makes the racks at the local card store, his greeting card line won’t end.
Dunlap, of Plainfield, is designing her own card series featuring Rufio and hopes to place them in Plainfield area stores.
“He was up against 800 other entries, but I thought he might have a shot at it,†Dunlap said. “His idol is Zelda the Bulldog. Maybe he’ll be famous, too, one day.â€
Dunlap entered Rufio in the Hallmark contest on a whim.
Although she’s not a professional photographer, Rufio struck the cutest poses, so Dunlap experimented with costumes, snapped shots of him and posted them on Facebook.
Her friends loved them. “They kept telling me he belonged on calendars and greeting cards,†Dunlap said.
She had owned another mastiff and loved the breed. So when that dog died, Dunlap contacted a breeder and got another dog.
“It’s the same dog as Fang from the Harry Potter movies,†Dunlap said. “I like the look. It’s an ancient breed that was used for fighting.â€
Plans for Rufio, however, are more modest. Dunlap hopes to sign him for classes that will train him to be a therapy dog. “Rufio loves his family and he likes seeing people, especially children,†Dunlap said. “I’d like him to visit sick kids at the hospital.â€
In the meantime, Dunlap is busy taking more pictures and setting up a website for the budding star. For now, contact Rufio at akita7072@msn.com.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/life...field-mastiff-featured-on-greeting-cards.html
By Denise Baran-Unland For The Herald-News Apr 19, 2011 08:34AM
Kathryn Dunlap knew her dog Rufio was special. Now Hallmark does too, and the card company is telling the world.
Rufio is a natural when it comes to mugging for the camera. And as a 10-month-old Neapolitan mastiff, Rufio has a really big mug.
Rufio became a recent winner in a Hallmark’s “Furry, Funny and Frightful†greeting card contest. Rufio, sporting a gladiator costume, will be featured in online pet-themed Halloween cards at www.hallmark.com starting in May. If Rufio does well, those cards will later be in stores.
Whether or not Rufio makes the racks at the local card store, his greeting card line won’t end.
Dunlap, of Plainfield, is designing her own card series featuring Rufio and hopes to place them in Plainfield area stores.
“He was up against 800 other entries, but I thought he might have a shot at it,†Dunlap said. “His idol is Zelda the Bulldog. Maybe he’ll be famous, too, one day.â€
Dunlap entered Rufio in the Hallmark contest on a whim.
Although she’s not a professional photographer, Rufio struck the cutest poses, so Dunlap experimented with costumes, snapped shots of him and posted them on Facebook.
Her friends loved them. “They kept telling me he belonged on calendars and greeting cards,†Dunlap said.
She had owned another mastiff and loved the breed. So when that dog died, Dunlap contacted a breeder and got another dog.
“It’s the same dog as Fang from the Harry Potter movies,†Dunlap said. “I like the look. It’s an ancient breed that was used for fighting.â€
Plans for Rufio, however, are more modest. Dunlap hopes to sign him for classes that will train him to be a therapy dog. “Rufio loves his family and he likes seeing people, especially children,†Dunlap said. “I’d like him to visit sick kids at the hospital.â€
In the meantime, Dunlap is busy taking more pictures and setting up a website for the budding star. For now, contact Rufio at akita7072@msn.com.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/life...field-mastiff-featured-on-greeting-cards.html