A while back, we posted about the incredible Amigo Dog Wheelchair concept designed by Nir Shalom. Not surprisingly, it was one of our most popular posts and generated a lot of great conversation about pets with disabilities who still live full, active, and — most importantly — happy lives! That’s why we were ecstatic to come across this photo series of Disabled Pets by Carli Davidson.

Photographer Carli Davidson was inspired to create this beautiful and heartwarming series after seeing a German Shepherd in a wheelchair playing happily with its owner. According to Carli, “It was so happy, a dog doing what dogs do, totally undeterred by its disability. I felt inspired by the whole scenario. The owner made this choice out of love, to do a little extra work every day to make sure his friend was happy and comfortable.”

Carli created her Disabled Pets project to showcase “differently abled pets, telling their stories in order to show the world that they are happy, thriving companions.” She wants to show all of us that “they are not sad, they are not in pain, and the owners and animals continue to be of great value to one another.”

Carli Davidson is currently in the process of creating a book featuring her disabled pets telling their stories. She hopes that “what people take away from these stories is information to make decisions for their own pets, an appreciation for the resilience of all animals, and ultimately a sense of normalcy from the photos and stories.”

Well, February is upon us, which means we’re being assaulted with hearts and Cupids and “every kiss begins with Kaayyyyyy” at every turn. Even though I’m married and in love and all that jazz, Valentine’s Day usually makes me want to kick things. When you think about it, though, we all have the best Valentines around — our pups! I mean, they actually show us what love is all about, and they don’t care a thing about cards and roses and diamonds. We’ve rounded up some great Valentine’s Day items for you and your pup.

Clockwise from top left: Organic crocheted ball by Hip Doggie from Baxter Boo, pop hearts dog collar by Up Country from Muttropolis, conversation hearts squeaky toys, at Petsmart, Ramona heart dog bed from Doggie Vogue, Archie the Dog letterpress notecards at PaperSource, “mom” dog charm by Doggles from Baxter Boo, Red Dingo stainless steel heart tag at PupLife, talking rose dog toy from Artful Pups.

Susan Kare is one of the most influential computer iconographers ever. Since 1983, she has designed thousands of software icons that have become familiar to anyone who has ever used a computer. This spotted dog character was created by Susan in the Cairo “heiroglyphic” font that came with the original Macintosh. And now this “dogcow” as he came to be known by many, is available as a limited edition signed print as part of Susan Kare’s icon poster collection.

Illustrator Emily Mackey sells adorable stationery in her Etsy shop, Illustrated Cards. Not only are they cute, but because they’re printed on 310gm recycled card and wrapped in a biodegradable cornstarch sleeve, they’re eco-friendly too.

Hendrick Boards is a cool skateboard and apparel company based out of Orange County, CA. Unlike most SoCal skate shops, Hendrick Boards is on a serious mission to spread the word about the importance of pet adoption. They’re so serious about helping out this worthy cause, that a generous portion of all of their sales goes to local animal shelters.

David Hendrickson founded Hendrick Boards in 2011 after rescuing his dog William. William was rescued from an Orange County animal shelter and not expected to live much longer then a year. David took it upon himself to nurse William back to health, and the two have been inseparable ever since. The experience was inspiring enough for David to start his own company with a mission to help as many shelter dogs as possible.

Having grown up in sunny Southern California myself, I totally appreciate what David is creating. I can’t help but to fall in love with his skater gear with a K9 twist. If you’re a skater with a passion for four-legged friends, Hendrick Boards is a must visit site for you!

There’s a great little article in the current issue of The Bark about William Steig (1907-2003), award-winning cartoonist, illustrator and sculptor. If his cartoons look familiar to you, it might be because his drawings graced the pages (and cover) of The New Yorker over 1600 times. Steig, who just so happened to be the creator of the character Shrek, often depicted dogs in his illustrations — dogs who often seemed perhaps a bit too human for their own good.

Steig was also the author and illustrator of dozens of children’s books, including personal favorites Doctor De Soto and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. In Caleb and Kate, Steig tells the story of a man who transforms into a dog and becomes his wife’s pet and companion. In his cartoons, Steig created humorous, often ironic situations, frequently turning to dogs to deliver some sort of observation about the world. I love the way you can practically trace the exact movements of his pen in his hasty, simple drawings.

There’s a new collection of Steig’s cartoons out called Cats, Dogs, Men, Women, Ninnies & Clowns: The Lost Art of William Steig.

[Images above via Conde Nast Store]

French design friends Claire and Arnaud began producing their origami jewelry in 2008, after a Japanese friend taught them the folding handcraft. Their clever jewelry is full of cute and well-crafted animals available in gold and silver. Naturally, I’m a huge fan of this little Origami Dog Necklace. I’m dying to give him a home around my neck.

Ribbonesia is the brainchild of Japanese artist and illustrator ‘BAKU’ Maeda. He began experimenting with ribbon and the idea idea of traditional Japanese paper folding… ultimately turning the ribbons into animals. Each animal is made by hand and is completely unique. You gotta love the dog!

Photo by Kei Furuse.

[via Four]