Dogs of Boca Grande calendar

If you are a resident of Boca Grande and you’ve always envisioned your canine’s charisma and good looks as star material, Nancy Blank at Fugates is looking to talk to you about a new calendar that Fugate’s is sponsoring.

Blank is working with “Balimama,” otherwise known as Chris Carey of Sarasota, on a “Dogs of Boca Grande” calendar, and the good-looking hounds of the island will be featured. It will be a desk calendar, neatly kept in a CD jewel case, of professional quality.

Blank is excited about the prospect of the calendar, particularly since $1 of every calendar’s proceeds will go to the Englewood Animal Rescue Sanctuary. It is a cause near to her heart, and Fugate’s has sponsored two adopt-a-thons for the organization right outside their store.

“EARS is one of my passions,” Nancy said. “I do whatever I can for animals, primarily dogs. I love them.”

Response to the calender, however, has been slim so far, and Nancy is hoping that some of the year-round dogs will come out and seek a little fame.

“I think our target time was late,” Blank said. “By the time we got the flyers out in the store and started putting them in shopping bags, season was over.”

The desk calendars are made of 15 pages with a large photo on the cover. Each of the 12 months will feature a “Boca-style” background with a half-size photo, one page with photo credits and pet info and the back page showing the theumbnail photo of each month. The lucky dog chosen for the cover shot will have a large photo on the front.

Photos can be submitted via http://www.balimama.com and 12 photos will be chosen along with the coveted “cover shot.” According to Blank, all photos will be judged on the “Four C’s,” which are Content, Character, Color and Cuteness.

Photos need to be submitted by June 1 for consideration. Include a bit of information on your dog, such as favorite tricks, pasttimes, treats or quirky behaviors. Nancy said if there are dog owners out there that don’t have what they consider to be a good photo of their dog, she or Carey could take the photo for them.

All dog owners who are chosen will be notified by July 15. The calendars should be available in October.

Carey is a graphic artist living in Sarasota with two spoiled rotten dogs of her own, one of which is a rescue dog.

“I have always loved visiting Boca Grande,” she said. “On one kayak visit this year my friends and I happened to go into town afterwards for dinner, and I noticed the wall in Fugate’s with pics of “island dogs” and got the idea for my calendar. I did a little mock-up, had a meeting with Nancy and that’s the story.”

Blank can be reached 964-2323. Chris Carey can be reached at (941) 954-3880.