Jump to Charity Information
AboutIn October 2009, Enrico Genosse, the creator of the VKC® Dogs, asked members of the Virtual Kennel Club to send him pictures and sounds of real mixed-breed dogs. He selected the best of these, then he turned to the residents of SL to choose the best of the best by means of a vote in a first ever VKC Mutt Contest. A week after the voting closed, on December 19, 2009, the VKC Mutt was introduced to the world and appears now in all the VKC Dog Parks. The RL Widget, who lives with the RL Aztek Aeon, emerged as the winner of the VKC Mutt Contest. He now proudly represents the shelter and rescue dogs of the world in his role as VKC Mutt, better known as the Widget. Each month part of all sales of Widget are donated to RL dog-related charity organizations. A new charity is chosen regularly from among those nominated members of the VKC or anyone else. Adopting your own VKC Mutt means that you are helping real life dogs to have a chance of finding a forever home. How cool is that!? Instincts
These instincts are not described in any detail because it will be much more fun for you and your dog to try them out together. Special PosesWhen petting the Widget, the avatar crouches in front of the sitting dog and strokes his shoulders. The dog responds to continued stroking by standing up and wagging his tail. Watch the video in the right column to see. Color OptionsThe color of the collar on the widget can be changed using the tint and color commands.
Prim Count15 Release DateDecember 2009 Charitable RecordAs mentioned, part of the proceeds from adoptions of the VKC Mutt, Widget, go to support dog-oriented charitable causes in the real world. Mr. Genosse wants this charitable process to be transparent to all. The following list of recipients and amounts will be updated regularly to reflect how the funds are handled.
Since he began this program in December 2009, Enrico Genosse has donated US$ 2353 to these real-world charities!  The Widget charity beginning in October 2011 is Austin Pets Alive!, a well-respected organization that promotes and provides the resources, education and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. "I know we have more natural disasters than we can shake a stick at lately, but it seems Texas is the most in need at the moment," wrote the VKC member when she nominated Austin Pets Alive! As you may recall, central Texas in the United States was hit with devastating wildfires that hit suddenly, leaving families little time to plan how to evacuate their pets. Choosing but one worthy dog-related charity from among all the good organizations around the world is heart-breaking. One look at the page on Bastrop Evacuations on the Austin Pets Alive site convinced Enrico that this was an important cause to support. With little care for their own situations, volunteers stepped up immediately to help people displaced by the fires who needed assistance with their pets. Shelters and foster homes were overflowing, yet the volunteers persisted in their efforts to reach out to all those in need. Do you have a favorite dog-related charity? At Virtual Dog Talk you can nominate your charity of choice for consideration. In world, click on a Widget sign, conveniently located in your favorite VKC Dog Park to make your nomination. Be sure to include the website for your charity and feel free to add a bit telling the world why this charity is your favorite. |
(photograph courtesy of Rosanna Himmel (left) and Aztek Aeon (right), © 2010)
(photograph courtesy of Rosanna Himmel, © 2010)
(photograph courtesy of Ebi Ebi, © 2010) (video courtesy of Solcar Amat, © 2010)  Chart Legend
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