Two Langford teens are hoping to drum up support for animal shelters with their book documenting the journey of two intrepid pups.
Teaghan Dillon wrote The Adventure of 2 Stray Dogs, a picture book about his grandma who adopted two dogs from New Mexico after she had visited there. The book chronicles two chihuahuas on an intrepid journey from the southern United States to the north of Vancouver Island, where Dillon’s grandmother lives.
She worked on the story and then partnered with Michael Lee Maizik, a fellow Grade 11 student at Belmont Secondary, who hand drew all the illustrations.
“It’s kind of an inspiration for other people to either adopt dogs or to donate to animal shelters and get them interested in animals that are living in shelters,” said Dillon.
With help from Dillon’s grandmother, the pair self-published and donated copies to several animal shelters in Sooke, Maple Ridge and even as far away as Australia. Three copies also went to a north Island library near where Dillon’s grandmother lives.
Dillon said the idea is shelters will be able to sell the books and raise money. The pair didn’t apply for a copyright on the book, so if the books prove popular, the shelters could make more and continue to sell them.
“I think there is still a lot of mistreatment of animals or people who will buy animals and not properly know how to take care of them and so they end up abandoned or just not taken care of properly. Then they end up in shelters and people don’t really consider adopting.”
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