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.

Although made for a cat, I think this lounge from Etsy seller CANOPYstudio would be suitable for tiny dogs, too. Also, check out their geometric graphic fabrics – lovely.

[via Moderncat]

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!

When it comes to grooming products for my dogs (and for myself), I like the idea of keeping things as simple and natural as possible (although, of course we have the $30 bottle of special medicated soap from the vet from when somedog decided to get a crazy skin rash issue). Prunella’s dog soap, which is handmade/handmilled in Portland, Oregon, contains all-natural, vegan ingredients, making it super safe and certainly dog-friendly.

With effective yet gentle, natural ingredients like olive oil, tea tree oil, oatmeal and peppermint oil, Prunella’s dog soap (available in Peppermint & Tea Tree and Lemongrass & Tea Tree) would probably treat those pesky skin issues way better than that $30 bottle of chemicals. Plus, do you see that “stumptown organic holler mountain ground coffee beans” up there in that ingredients list? I don’t think I even know what that means, but I’m pretty sure I like the sound of every word.

You can grab a bar or two at Prunella’s Etsy shop. (And yes, there’s people soap, too!)

[sniffed out at Miss Moss]

This package design for the Oh My Dog! hair care line is nothing short of spectacular. The only disappointing part about it is that it’s not an actual hair care line for dogs! Bummed? Yeah, I was too. But I still appreciate the enchanting work of Martha Robertson and Alfonso Sotelo, who designed this packaging during a workshop at ELISAVA in Barcelona. Martha and Alfonso imagined dog washing as an “adventure” of running, splashing, biting, and a whole host of other things dogs to to avoid baths. They decided they wanted to add a bit of humor and fun to the process by designing this charming packaging in which dogs interact and play with the logo. I think it’s brilliant and well-done. If only all companies put this much thought into creating beautiful packaging!