Calendar With Maplewood And South Orange Pet Photos Raises Money For Local Animals

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A photo of a cute dog on social media led to a project that has raised money to help other cute dogs in the Maplewood area, and cats, too.

Susie Adamson of Adamson Ramsey Homes noticed a photo last year that her friend, Amy Jo Curran of Maplewood, had posted of her dog, Millie, surrounded by plants.

"I thought [it] belonged on a calendar," Adamson said last week. "From that, I thought it would be great to give others a way to show off their adorable pooches. We called for ideas for organizations to which we could give a donation from the proceeds and we chose the East Orange Animal Alliance."

Adamson and friends put out a call for photos for the "Dogs of SOMA" (South Orange and Maplewood) calendar and sold it through local stores in 2022.

"In truth, we did not charge for the calendars enough to make a profit [last year]," she said, "but we donated the entire proceeds of the sale regardless! We will likely do the same this year."

The group created a new calendar for 2023, and it has nearly sold out already, Adamson said. People placed orders toward the end of last year and picked it up at Pet Wants in South Orange and The General Store in Maplewood.

The group had put out a call on social media late last year for submissions.

Last year, the group was able to donate $1,349.88. They don't have a total yet for this year.

"Next year, we plan to include cats, by popular demand," Adamson said. "While our business is real estate, our team's mission is to serve the community in meaningful and authentic ways, and given that most of us are dog owners, this calendar is a fulfillment of that mission."

The East Orange Animal Alliance, run by volunteers, supports needy animals in homes and in the local shelter. They have a "mission is to provide resources that enable the City of East Orange to most effectively care for its at-risk animals and support the people who are dedicated to them," they say. Find out more and how to donate here.

Find out more about the 2023 Dogs Of SOMA calendar here.