~64~ Early Christmas Present

I realize that it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I'm so excited about this that I had to share!

My Christmas present from Jake arrived today and I absolutely love it!!!

A while back, I learned of a company called Shelter Pups that does custom made stuffed replicas of your dog. Not only do they make beautiful, realistic looking dogs, they also donate some of the proceeds from each dog to local rescue leagues of your choosing.  They have become so popular that there is a waiting list queue that you must sign up on in order to get one.  

Buckles is the first dog I've had since a puppy and is about to celebrate his 13th birthday!  I knew that I wanted to get one made of him since he is a senior dog and I wanted a forever keepsake that captures his coloring and demeanor.  

Not knowing how long it would take to have my name come up to the top of list, I joined the queue.  About 2 months later, I received an email from Shelter Pups letting my know that it was my turn.  It happened much faster than I expected. The dogs are rather pricey, so I felt unsure about spending so much for a stuffed dog.  After talking it over with Jake, we agreed that it could be my Christmas present from him.  I'm so lucky that he understands how badly I wanted one and how important it was to me.  So, I excitedly submitted my pictures of Buckles and impatiently awaited pictures of the mock-ups.  

3 weeks later, I received another email letting me know that Buckles' mini-me was ready for approval.  The side by side comparisons were amazing.  They did an amazing job of capturing his personality, right down to the head tilt, and I really felt like it was Buckles. 

 After approving the mock-up, I submitted my payment and waited one last time for mini Buckles to arrive. 2 days later, he was here!

I am so, so happy with the end product. The quality of the fur, eyes, and nose are extremely high and his coat, made of all-natural merino wool, is so soft.  The only disappointment that I had was in regards to donation of the funds.  We had hoped to make our donation to the same rescue league that we got Viktor from, but that was not one they had on the list.  We did give it to an equally deserving shelter, The Animal Rescue League of Iowa.  Also, the amount that Shelter Pups gives you to donate is considerably less than what I had expected.  My understanding was that a decent portion of the proceeds went to rescue leagues, which was how I justified the steep price tag.  Turns out, it was only $2.  However, I am overall very pleased with the product, and the process.  Shelter Pups was extremely prompt in their production of mini-Buckles. They kept me informed about the process from start to finish and gave me a high quality replica of my fur-baby that I will cherish forever!  

If you are interested in rescuing your own Shelter Pup, you can do so at their website

**Disclaimer: I was in no way paid or compensated for my review on ShelterPups.  All opinions and statements about my ShelterPup dog and experience with the company are my own.