Dogs Have Their Day at NorthWest Crossing Calendar Launch Party

Online, November 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - It's no secret that Central Oregonians love their pets, and it's no different in the Bend, Oregon neighborhood of NorthWest Crossing. This love took shape in the form of a newly launched 2012 Calendar featuring dogs owned by NorthWest Crossing residents.

"Living and working in NorthWest Crossing, we always see people walking around with their cute and friendly dogs," said Romy Mortensen, who serves on the board for West Bend Property Company, the developer of the Bend, Oregon neighborhood. She, her husband and their two dogs also live in the neighborhood. "When we were thinking of ways to promote and celebrate some of the unique aspects of our neighborhood, we came up with the idea of a dog calendar. It was a great fit!"

The community decided to run a contest on its Facebook page in mid-2011 asking residents to post photos of their furry companions. The response was overwhelming, with dogs of all shapes and sizes showing their best paw forward. In the end, Facebook fan voting on each photo narrowed down the entries to 14 winning canines to grace the pages of the 2012 Dogs of NorthWest Crossing Calendar. Each dog was professionally photographed by local photographer Karen Cammack, while sporting donated gear from Ruff Wear. Ryder Graphics donated a large portion of the printing costs for the piece. The result is one year of excruciatingly adorable photos of dogs that live right here.

All proceeds from the sale of the calendar will benefit Bend Spay and Neuter Project, which works to prevent pet homelessness in the region through a low cost spay and neuter clinic. The calendars will be for sale at several local businesses, including Bend Pet Express, Newport Market, Birkenstock and most businesses in the NorthWest Crossing Neighborhood Center.