You may have seen him checking out the Lumby fire hall, or sniffing around the Pat Duke Arena, or posing in front of a local business.
And soon, you’ll also be able to see him on your desk, in a different setting every month.
Cooper is an eight-year-old border collie in Lumby whose lovable mug is widely known by locals — so much so that some have suggested to his owner Jerry Mason that Cooper could have his own calendar.
Mason decided to take up the idea, thinking he’d get around 10 or 20 requests for calendars on Facebook.
Having greatly underestimated the demand for his pup’s portraits, he’s now got his work cut out for him.
“I’ve now got orders for 110 calendars,” he laughed, adding that requests came in from as far as Red Deer. “This is ridiculous!”
Mason put a call-out for calendar requests on the Around the Block Lumby Facebook page, where he frequently shares photos of Cooper in various locations. The photos — shared with the caption “Where’s Cooper?” — have made the playful pooch something of a Where’s Waldo figure in the community, and a star on social media.
“It only really started at the beginning of this year,” Mason said of Cooper’s popularity. “More people know Cooper than they do me.”
At this point, Mason says he’s given up introducing himself as Jerry and now goes with “Cooper’s manager.”
Mason has put together a 21-by-9.5 cm desk calendar, which are available by request via a Facebook message for $10, with a portion of the proceeds going to local charitable causes.
So far, Cooper’s calendar has raised enough money for Mason to donate $100 to the Lumby food bank, the Lumby Arts Council and the Vernon SPCA.
Being able to contribute to local causes was an unexpected bonus for Mason, who started off the project with the simple goal of making the perfect stocking stuffer for Cooper’s fans.
“If it brightens somebody’s day it’s all worthwhile,” he said.
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