CritterKin- helping kids learn the joys of petcare

Our guests on PAWsitive Radio- all things pets was    CritterKin

And what a PAWSOME conversation it was!


Jena Ball, the writer and illustrator and Creative Director with Startled Cat and CritterKin talked about the inspiration for CritterKin, which actually dates back to when she was a young child.  Jena grew up passionate about wanting to prevent animals from being returned to shelters, and to teaching the importance of choosing the best pet for your family, and making certain families have the education, tools and resources to have their pets be FOREVER (or shall I say.... FURever) pets.  They are part of our family.

Jena Ball

The CritterKin Mission is "help children (and through them their families) learn the invaluable life lessons that pets can teach. These include respect for all life, an understanding of and appreciation for difference and diversity, empathy, responsibility, and anawareness of our role as the species that has the greatest impact on the planet." (Source: CritterKin).  CritterKin is closely tied to and very supportive of animal shelters, and the important work they do!

Marty Keltz talked about the importance of stories, and that stories connect people. An Emmy Award-winning producer he was the co-founder and president of Scholastic Productions, Inc. (1978-1995) and a Senior Vice-President in charge of New Media at Scholastic Inc., the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. He led the teams that created The Magic School Bus on PBS.

Martin Keltz

CritterKin Moments are beautiful stories, photographs and music about the lessons we learn from animals, and the many beautiful ways in which they make the world a better place. I was thrilled, and honored to learn CritterKin featured our dog Toby in one of their CritterKin Moments ( http://critterkin.com/moments.html)./   Scroll down and you will see PAWS with Purpose and a wonderful photo of Toby surrounded by children. What a legacy our pets leave. 

All the CritterKin dogs have their own personality, and their own story to share. One our interview Jena shared a few with the listeners.

The next phase of the CritterKin project is their Kickstarter launch in late April. This is a fundraising campaign to hire the animators, designers, engineers, and programmers needed to transform the humane education plan and Jena’s illustrations and stories into a mobile application. 





And there is one more member of the pack....
A veteran brand strategist, Thompson brings more than 20 years of experience in market research, brand positioning, advertising, design and digital media to Startled Cat. In 1998, he formed Remedy Communications, Inc., a full service agency with clients that included Fortune500 companies like Johnson & Johnson (Tylenol), AstraZeneca, and the U.S. Dept. of Defense. Thompson is both a co-founder of Startled Cat and the founder of the Academy of Bright Ideas (AOBI) Ltd.

Doug Thompson

So how can you help? What can you do?  First, listen to the radio show to hear Jena and Marty talk about CritterKin and the many ways in which the project will help create forever homes for animals. And, make sure you visit their website www.critterkin.com and their facebook and Twitter pages to help share their message.

You can listen to the show here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chammond/2013/04/10/guests-jena-ball-and-marty-keltz-from-critterkin


Read a great article in the Examiner about CritterKin: