One Dirty Dog
Foto, the prototype stuffed dog and mascot extraordinaire of Dog Meets World has now traveled to Guatemala and Haiti and been handled by hundreds and hundreds of children, been dropped on the ground, etc. Foto had become a black & gray dog! The manufacturer assured me that Foto is washable, but my past experience cleaning other plush toys has resulted in discolorations. So with trepidation I plunged little Foto into sudsy water and tada…….clean again with bright white fur! Obviously Mentor International makes a very durable product, which is fabulous considering all the places Foto will go to fetch photos!
The Making of Foto….
Little Foto plays an integral role and therefore must be completely adorable, lightweight, happy and unique! In addition she needs to resemble her real live namesake and model. Okay, so you just have some firm in China make you a little plush stuffed dog…how hard can that be? What firm, what fur, what face, what feet, what feeling, what what what!
After a disastrous start, Patti Hughes, owner of Natural Life, came to the rescue by recommending Mentor International Corporation and a zillion sketches and email descriptors later we have a prototype and it meets all expectations. Salient features of our model include perfectly soft fur, sweet smile, versatile enough to stand or sit on command, long floppy ears, jester-colored white and black butt, endearing heart and peace signs on her front paws and an identifying collar with a camera icon “dog tag”! What else could you want from a plush animal fetching goodwill and photos for the globe’s kids?!