Put stuffed animals and kids of all ages together, and it's amazing what happens...
Recently I’ve had the opportunity to do just that. At our photoshoot for the 2007 catalog, for the first time, we decided to use “models” (members of our Wildlife Artists family). That decision was made as the functionality of some products would not be evident in still-life photos. Of all the time I have spent with our photographer and our products, I have never had as much fun as the “model day”. Our staged photos were abandoned as our photoshoot quickly became kid-driven, and our perceptive photographer just snapped photos of our “models” naturally reacting to, and interacting with the products.

A couple of years ago AmeriCares, a non-profit, international disaster relief program, flew me to Guatemala to distribute our plush donations to disadvantaged children (see photo to right). Although culturally and economically the opposite of our “models”, these children’s reactions to our products were exactly the same.

The emotional responses I saw that day in Guatemala and at our photoshoot are the first step in a cycle that we hope continues and grows. At Wildlife Artists, we believe that putting “the closest thing to the real thing…™” into a child’s, or even an adult’s arms will inspire and nurture the respect and action that is needed to save these animals and their precious environments. And given what I experienced on those two days, we are all taking a step in the right direction.

As our valued customers, I thank you for being an important part in bringing wildlife into hands and hearts big and small.

Very sincerely,




Caroline Ward