page34_1
page34_2
I am Ingrid Motzheim and I live, together with my partner Frans and our two Cocker Spaniels Sgt Pepper and Jay-Jay, in Bruinisse, on the beautiful island Schouwen-Duiveland. I came into contact with Petra and Karin via a forum about healthy food for animals. They had already begun to sell the paw print stickers, but didn’t have their own website. I had said on the forum that designing websites is a hobby of mine and when Petra read this she decided to ask me if I would make a website for them. I didn’t have to think long about the decision because there is nothing better than using you abilities for something you believe in. I am already webmaster for the local animal shelter on Shouwen-Duiveland and so know how much animals need our help, not only in Holland but abroad also.

After the initial contact I enthusiastically started work. The logo was soon designed –Wereldpootjes- Worldpaws – it had to be a globe with paws prints instead of land. Karin and Petra were really enthusiastic and after two proposals for the site lay-out everything was agreed and I could begin building the site. About a month later, on 8 September, the Dutch version was ready for launch. Petra had done the necessary PR work so that we had almost 700 hits the first day the site went live. The first orders began to come in. Now three months later and we have expanded to include an English, a German and very soon a French version and the site receives about 2000 visitors a month from some 25 countries. Reading the guest book shows that visitors are enthusiastic over the Wereldpootjes campaign and this has resulted in us being able to donate a good sum of money to the shelters we support.

It gives me a good feeling to know that I am contributing to this campaign and this year I will be going to Turkey with Petra and Karin to see the situation for myself. Of course I realise that all over the world there are animals which need our help and that with this campaign we only reach a very small number, but every animal counts. And they deserve it because they are the most faithful friends we could wish for.

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog."

– George Graham Vest –