Submitted by Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District

Their tails are wagging and they are in the car as soon as they see the recycling bins being loaded. The dogs of Lopez Island don’t miss a chance to steer their owners straight to the dump on a weekend morning to be treated like first class customers with biscuits upon arrival.

To celebrate our enthusiastic canine patrons and their obedient owners, local non-profit SWAP created the first ever “Dogs of the Dump” calendar for 2018. The calendar was an immediate success and sold out of all copies. We hope to increase the success and popularity of this fundraiser with a new approach to the 2019 Dogs of the Dump calendar.

SWAP is offering dogs and owners a special 45-minute “4 Rs” photo shoot: reduce, reuse, recycle, ruff! Costumes, props and set pieces can be included to feature the season, holiday or other aspects of each month of the year. Photo subjects will receive a thumb drive with high resolution photos from their shoot, as well as a complimentary calendar!

If your pup and family are interested in being featured in the 2019 calendar, here are the steps to get involved: Consider your first and second choice for the month your group would like to be featured in (up to four groups may share the same month). Email your choices to: nikytap@lopezsolidwaste.org to schedule your 45-minute photo shoot. Make a tax-deductible donation of $100 in cash or check to SWAP to reserve yourspot.Then start planning the costume, props, and scenery for your canine friend(s).

SWAP will curate the photos and create the final calendar to hit the sales racks around July 4. Each photoshoot group will receive one complimentary calendar.

We look forward to hosting you and your dogs at the dump this spring.