Forest Preserve District Selling Dog Calendars To Benefit Humane Society

Press release from the Forest Preserve District of Will County:

A French bulldog named Johnny, who loves to snack on crickets and can fall asleep in any position, has been chosen as the cover dog for the Forest Preserve District’s 2021 Dog Park Calendar.

The New Lenox pup is one of 32 dogs that will be included in the calendar project, which is raising funds for the Will County Humane Society for the second year while also featuring some of the many adorable dogs from the Forest Preserve's dog parks. Last year’s calendar raised almost $6,000 for the shelter, which is the oldest no-kill shelter in Will County and survives on donations alone.

The deadline to order calendars at willcountydogs.org is Friday, November 13. Calendars cost $15 and will be mailed the first week of December in time for you to give them out as holiday presents to all your canine-loving friends and family. Around $10 from every calendar goes to the humane society and the price includes shipping and handling.

Ordering calendars is a fun way for people to learn about the Forest Preserve’s six dog parks while supporting a local animal charity that has been placing animals in their forever homes year after year for almost 50 years.

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Johnny's fan club

Caitlin Moyer, who owns Johnny, said she is happy to help with the project and thrilled her pup is on the cover.

“I’m really proud of him and so glad that I am able to share his cuteness with all of the supporters of the Will County Dog Park Calendar.”

Moyer said Johnny already has a pretty big fan club.

“I work at a local dermatology office and had been bringing him to work with me every day since the day I got him,” she said. “He won the hearts of all of our patients. Since the pandemic, I haven’t been able to bring him in the office and he is severely missed there – but I have been able to share the good news (about the calendar).”

Moyer is hoping Johnny’s fans will support the project and the humane society by buying calendars. And she said she’s glad to see people adopting animals during the COVID-19 quarantine.

“But we still need to work hard to continue to support the ones who have yet to find their forever homes,” she said. "So I’m happy to be able to contribute to such a great cause.”

As for Johnny, he loves exploring Messenger Marsh Dog Park in Homer Glen and he loves bringing Moyer presents.

“Johnny has recently picked up the habit of catching bugs and bringing them to me ... crickets specifically,” she wrote in an email. “I don’t know if it’s the thrill of the chase or their shiny bodies, but prying crickets out of his mouth has become a daily occurrence. Every time he comes in from being outside, I have to check to see if little black legs are hanging from his cute chops. I don’t find it funny at all but everyone else seems to get a kick out of it.”

Calendar pups

Hundreds of dog park patrons submitted photos of their pups for 2021 calendar consideration. Also profiled in the calendar is Lollipop, a humane society dog who illustrates all the good work done by the shelter, but who still needs a home.

Dogs that will be representing calendar months and the back cover of the calendar are:

• January: Wrigley, a blue heeler owned by Stacey Purpura of New Lenox, gives strangers kisses and is a loyal member of the family.
• February: Zoey, a sweet pitbull owned by Brian and Erin Kohl of Joliet, loves to swim in her owners' pool and play with other dogs at the dog park.
• March: Red, an English pointer owned by Julie Allott of Manhattan, eats dog-friendly ice cream and sleeps on fuzzy blankets whenever possible.
• April: River, a hound mix owned by Rebecca Ruedin of New Lenox, loves trail running and belly rubs and has two different colored eyes.
• May: Bryzzo, a golden retriever mix owned by Kristin Smith of Channahon, will do anything for a snack and accompanies his owner to most social events at her friends’ insistence.
• June: Millie, a golden retriever owned by Rebecca Hebron of Plainfield, is a service dog who helps her owner and brings joy wherever she goes.
• July: Ollie, a basset hound owned by Melissa and Chris Williamson of Minooka, has expressive eyes and long ears that no one can resist.
• August: Gracie, a beagle-poodle mix owned by Brian Wortel and Connie Scott of Dyer, Ind., is an emotional support dog at Monee Education Center where she helps students with special needs.
• September: Griffin, a cattle dog mix owned by Suzanne Fallon of Naperville, was named after Gryffindor house in the “Harry Potter” series.
• October: Sadie, a cattle dog owned by Kristine Donahue of Naperville, loves to play slip-n-slide on the wet grass at the Whalon Lake Dog Park.
• November: Tucker, a corgi owned by Rebecca Roberts of Naperville, has to get a running start to get on the couch.
• December: Onnix, a black Norwegian elkhound, owned by Jon Van Dahn of Monee, is a rare Scandinavian breed that was bred to quietly track moose, deer, bear and other large game.
• Back Cover: Aurora, a German shepherd owned by Brittany Threatt and Vincent Maltase of Plainfield, loves to chase squirrels.

Visit willcountydogs.org to read more about the featured dogs, and to order your copy of the calendar today.

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This press release was produced by the Forest Preserve District of Will County. The views expressed are the author's own.