Draw Your Own MUTTS Shelter (or Foster) Stories

UPDATE: We are accepting submissions through August 15, 2020.

With so many of us staying at home these days due to social distancing and other impacts of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to make time for small activities that bring us comfort.

That’s why we’re inviting readers of all ages — yes, kids too! — to draw your own MUTTS comic strips, and to share them with us. Channel your inner cartoonist to show us the moments that bring you joy.

For instance, how are your pets helping you to stay active or upbeat? Are you using this time to foster an animal? What’s your shelter story you’d like to share with the world? What new adventures would you like to see Mooch and Earl embark on? We’d love to hear your stories and see your creativity blossom.

Where will the drawings appear?

In the coming weeks, we’ll be selecting our favorite images to share on the MUTTS social media accounts and on our website. You can also showcase your own drawings on social media by using the hashtag #MyMuttsArt.

Plus, Patrick would like to choose a few reader-submitted creations to include in the MUTTS comic strip for publication in newspapers around the world! If your image is chosen for this, Patrick will re-draw your comic strip and, of course, provide you with a writing credit. (Please note that the text in your image may be revised for clarity or to adhere to our editorial style guidelines.)

Additionally, if your art is chosen to be redrawn and published in newspapers, Patrick will send you a free, signed copy of the final comic strip.

How do I submit my drawing to Team MUTTS?

We welcome readers of all ages and locations to participate. To help you get started, we’ve included a few printable comic strip templates below, with spaces for you to include your name and other basic info.

You can share your art with us by scanning your completed drawing (or by taking a close-up, high-res photo with your phone) and sending it to [email protected].

Printable Templates:

Basic one-panel comic strip template: Click to download
Basic three-panel comic strip template: Click to download

Shelter Stories template (one panel): Click to download
Shelter Stories template (two panels): Click to download
Shelter Stories template (three panels): Click to download

Foster Stories template (one panel): Click to download
Foster Stories template (two panels): Click to download
Foster Stories template (three panels): Click to download

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Any questions? Reach out at [email protected]. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Comments (4)

Yesh! love your story of the returned kitty!
Sandoval

Hi everyone at Mutts!! As always, I love Mutts!! I’m not a good drawer but I did have an idea for comic strip. Have the Mutts gang, especially Woffie, who loves everyone, send some love, kisses and hugs to all the “essential” workers especially the health care workers, vets, grocery workers, delivery services, agriculture workers, and zoo workers to name a few. You could feature a different work sector in a series of stripes much like the way shelter stories are told. Woffie and all the Mutts gang are always so good about spreading the love and we need it now more than ever. Keep up the great work!!
Cheers!
…Janet
Janet Firth

I am not one to draw but I have some ideas that might make a great strip
Have earl and mooch in the doozy car delivering the essential dog food and a mask to dog on chain just their way of taking care of each other have mooch drive and earl walking keeping social distance
Also another idea was to have the earth in the shape of a heart with everyone from the strip looking over and around it with the mask on saying thanks in different languages and underneath write something like amazing healthcare works are hard to find but impossible to forget…
Another idea have mooch and earl in separate blocks with mask on and have bubbles saying healthcare workers are my heroes and one with essential workers are my heroes
Last idea have doozy girl in doc uniform and earl and mooch in nurses caps and have them say healthcare workers and dr Fauci are true heroes thanks for all you
Jennifer cheatham

Perhaps you can use my foster experience in a strip, since I cannot draw very well.

After my beloved rag doll kitty, Big Girl, died, I waited a few months and then drove to PetCo to adopt a kitty. I knew exactly what kind of kitty I wanted: a long-haired calico girl. I didn’t see any kitties like that in the cattery. I felt so disappointed.

Outside of the vet’s office, there was a small tabby sitting like a meatloaf in a cage. The vet’s assistant stated that she kept getting adopted, but people would bring her back. They didn’t like her bold personality. There she sat ,that kitty, in that big store, not scared of the goings on around her, very inquisitive. No one wanted her? She kept getting returned? That was the kitty for me!

Yes, she had her own, wonderful personality, and I loved her; we were together for 14 years. She could bark like a dog! She had grown up with big dogs and had thought she was one of them! Everyone who met Emily Ann fell in love with her vivacity and barking!!

The moral of this story is that you cannot have a laundry list of attributes that you want to see in a pet—or a person—your heart will be your guide.
Natalia Miles