What is Secret Paws?

Secret Paws is a name/gift exchange where you are assigned a Secret Paw to send clues and gifts throughout the entire year.  They try to guess who is sending to them.  In the meantime, a Secret Paw has your name in which they in turn send you clues and gifts while you try to discover their identity.  It is loads of fun but it requires ~COMMITMENT~.  If you are not comfortable with the word ~COMMITMENT~ , Secret Paws is not for you.

Secret Paws is for Dogs, Cats and Rainbow Bridge pawticipants.  You can play Secret Paws as a family or if you have individual profiles, you can have a Secret Paw for each profile but you must meet the monetary requirements for EACH profile.

If you do not want to send/receive gifts or mail – you can sign up for the free VIRTUAL SECRET PAWS and exchange e-mails, e-cards, letters etc.

Group Leaders

This year we have Group Leaders that can assist you with questions and concerns.  You will be assigned a Group Leader and that will be your contact for the year.  Group Leaders are:

Hannah Banana ~ profile 4155

Biskit ~ profile 9495

Kolchak ~ profile 7129

12, Chappy, Whiskey ~ profile 1676

Smoochy ~ profile 16947

Pepsi ~ profile 9423

Pastor Fonzie Tuxedo ~ profile 2457

Shana ~ profile 2002

DOGGYSPACE SECRET PAW GROUP REQUIREMENTS

Basic Requirements:

·        You must be at least 18 years of age to participate as there is a monetary requirement to play.

·        You understand that you are providing your personal information and it will be released to another individual.  Secret Paw Leaders are not liable for any misuse of your personal information.

·          You cannot change your profile number

·          You must have an active Doggyspace account for the past 3 months (if you delete your account, you will automatically be removed from the program).

~Sign Up~

Open enrollment will be October 15th to December 15th.  Your Secret Paw will be assigned to you in January, 2010.  If you currently do not meet the minimum age requirement of at least 18 years of age or your account is less than 3 months old, you will have the opportunity at the end of each month to apply once you meet the requirements.

Doggyspace Journals:

Having active journals is mandatory for participating in this program. If you're new to Doggyspace, please note that you must have at least 5 posts in order to join SP. This online journal is a great place for the SP who is spoiling you to find out who you are and what you like or dislike (do you like sweets? are you allergic to specific foods?). It also provides a place for you to publicly thank your SP when the packages/cards start rolling in. Remember it is always more fun if your Secret Paw writes frequent journals.

Anonymous Email Address:

You must set up an anonymous email address such as the free ones from Hotmail or Yahoo so you can contact your SP buddy without giving away your identity. Make sure to check the account regularly. You might want to consider having that account’s mail forwarded to your regular email account so you don't miss anything. If you do this, don't forget to reply from your anonymous account when corresponding with your paw!

Minimum Contribution:

You will be able to select from two options; $30 or $60 in US dollars over the course of the twelve months of the exchange. This does not include the value of your time if you make something or any postage costs. Establishing the amount should make it clear to all what a fair commitment should be, and no one should expect more, or less. $60 over twelve months is just $5.00 a month. $30 over twelve months is just $2.50 a month.  If you feel this amount is too much, this exchange is not for you.

Your Paw:

Once you have been assigned a Secret Paw, please send them a quick note to say hello (from your anonymous email address) so they know they've been paired. Keep in mind that the fun of a Secret Paw event is to have fun with a person who shares a common interest with you (love of animals & Doggyspace). There is a method to the madness of matching up all participants and you only get one match. Complaints about your secret paw of the "I'd rather not have a paw who..." variety are a quick way to have yourself removed from the event. If you feel you have a valid reason to request a rematch, feel free to email your Group Leader. Please remember though that you cannot pick and choose your secret paw and we will not hesitate to remove anyone who appears to be missing the point of a Secret Paw exchange.

What To Give:

Toys and  treats and pet-related items are great but not the only thing you are limited to sending. Lots of participants also like to send their paw gift certificates, name a star in honor of their Paw and other special ideas. Just remember that not everyone can have all types of treats and toys. It's a good idea to get to know your paw by reading the responses to their questionnaire and their journal entries. If you're still stumped, ask your paw what specific things they like. You can always ask your Group Leader for help too. We've seen lots of neat packages and will be more than happy to make suggestions.

***If you will be gifting items from your stash they MUST be in brand new condition.***


Number or Frequency of Gifts:
The number of gifts you send to your paw is entirely up to you. You can send one package a month to spread out the gifts, or one big package at the end. However, sending something snail mail to your paw once every other month is absolutely required and a really great way to keep the exchange fun and exciting. Post cards, letters and cards are great, inexpensive ways to stay in touch with your paw if you choose to send only one package of gifts at the end of the exchange. If you do choose to just send one package, make sure to let you paw know your plans so they don't feel abandoned. Purchasing delivery confirmation for packages is a great idea. It's less than $1 at the post office or free when you use click and ship at the USPS website. If sending one package at the end of the exchange delivery confirmation is a requirement.

Contact:
You must make contact with your paws once each month of the exchange to let them know you're still around with either an e-card, journal comment, or email. Of course if you'd like to contact your paw more often, you're more than welcome to do so. Remember to use your anonymous email when contacting your paw. If you're going to be away, you must let your paw and Group Leader know. It's an awkward situation when you think your paw may have dropped out of the exchange because you haven't heard from them. Remember to treat your paw as you would like to be treated.

Please remember that keeping in touch with the paw spoiling you is just as important as staying in touch with your spoilee. A quick email to let your paw know that a package has arrived will ease their mind as to whether or not it got lost in the mail, not to mention it's just plain old good manners. A public post to your journal to thank your paw is required within 72 hours of receiving your goodies. Part of the fun of Secret Paw is the joy of giving and that includes knowing your gift was received.

Stuff Happens:
If for some reason you are unable to follow through with your responsibility with the program please let us know immediately so that we can find a replacement for you. We realize and completely understand that things come up some times that are totally out of your control which might prevent you from participating but you need to let us know instead of avoiding your paws and your Group Leader. If you stop participating and don't respond to your Group Leader you will be replaced and your name will be added to the banned list for future SP programs.

If you have not had contact from your paw as outlined above, please let your Group Leader know immediately. Do not use your journal to blast your paw. We will try to find out what happened to your paw and if they have flaked we will get you a replacement.

Angels:
If someone does fail to participate as they agreed we will remove their name from the participation list and replace them with someone else. This means we will need a list of "angels" who are willing to jump in as replacements.

Option 1: To cover pups that had to drop out due to financial hardships (may be long term).

Option 2: An occasional gift to different pups in need (on a rotation basis).

Option 3: A one- time gift.

 

Rainbow Bridge Pups:

Option 1: MAIL

·     Donation in pets name

·     Memorial Items (i.e. Memory Book, Name a Star, Angel Statue, trinket box, mouse pad, a mug, key chain, a few cute frames etc.)

Option 2: VIRTUAL

·     E-cards

·     Letters

·     Playing with clues but not gifts



Final Note:
It's an important one! Please keep in mind that we are volunteering our time to run this event. We all have participated in past Secret Paw events and know how much fun they can be and want to help continue the tradition. This takes an incredible amount of time and effort.

When you join the Secret Paws Group - please remember to submit your form at one of the links below:

TO SIGN UP FOR MAIL PAWS -

http://www.jotform.com/form/10033950648


TO SIGN UP FOR VIRTUAL PAWS -



http://www.jotform.com/form/92750705164

Latest Entries

Sticky: **PUPDATED** Re-Mailing Letters from a... by Kolchak & Felix ( 7 Comments )
Last Update: 8 months ago
**PUPDATES IN RED**Hello Secret Paws!Here are some ways to send mail without revealing your address:1. USPS Re-mailing ServicesThe US Postal Service will re-mail an envelope or package for you. To use this service, address your mail to your Secret Paw. I would put your Secre... (read more)
Last Update: 8 months ago
Hello Everydoggy - Lots of Paws in my Secret Paws group were concerned that since they are in the postcard exchange and Secret Paws, lots of doggies already know their address.Here are some sneaky tricks to get your package in the mail AND keep your Secret Paw guessing!TIP #... (read more)
Sticky: Locating Your DS Profile Number by Kolchak & Felix ( 8 Comments )
Last Update: 10 months ago
Hello Everydoggy!It is so exciting that Secret Paws 2010 sign up has begun! Mom and I have been reviewing some of the forms tonight and we have noticed that a number of pups do not know where to find their Profile Number!!We thought we would post a quick journal telling you ... (read more)
Our VSP has an orange cat sister by 12, Chappy and Whiskey ( 6 Comments )
Last Update: 3 hours ago
Yesterday we got an ecard from our VSP, and the clue is that it contained a picture of their sister.Their sister is a beautiful orange cat.We know we've seen their sister, but we can't quite put our paws on where. We looked at the profile thumbnails of every cat that has its... (read more)
Last Update: 2 weeks ago
Oh My! I have simply the very best Secret Paw that ever lived! Thank You Thank You Thank You Secret Paw!This morning the nice lady down the street came and rang our doorbell. She had a package for me - Kolchak T Puggle! She laughed about how the paws at our house get more (a... (read more)
OH YEA WE KNOW OUR SECRET PAW......TA DA... by Mouse, Scooter, Teenie, Rabbit and Crickette (The Min Pin Gang) Min Pin Rescue ( 7 Comments )
Last Update: 2 weeks ago
WELL WE DID IT.....WE SNIFFED THEM OUT.....AND WE HAVE THE BEST SECRET PAWS EVER...With almost 8 months of sniffing and searching and wondering who our Secret Paw is we finally figured it out......With all the clues they gave us in the beginning we thought it was 12, Chappy ... (read more)
SECRET PAW STRIKES...AND WE HAVE A GUESS... by Mouse, Scooter, Teenie, Rabbit and Crickette (The Min Pin Gang) Min Pin Rescue ( 2 Comments )
Last Update: 2 weeks ago
Sorry for the two journals but since DS changed the tagging system we posted from our own journal and now posting a thread from the Secret Paws Group just in cause we are wrong with our guess and we want to make sure our Secret Paw sees our post..........OH MY, OH MY, OH MY.... (read more)
OMD - I have a Secret Paw!! by Isobel (Izzy) & Angel Brittany ( 1 Comments )
Last Update: 2 weeks ago
Wow! I sure was surprised when my sister, Gretchen, brought me over a gift today and she told me it was from my Secret Paw.Me - Little Izzy??!! I have a Secret Paw??!! I didn't even know that I had a Secret Paw!!!!The gift was so beautiful in a cute bag with a dog on it and ... (read more)
Last Update: 3 weeks ago
I am just so happy I got a package the other day and it was from my Secret Paw. I couldn't wait to open it and see what was inside, and guess what I hit the jackpot look at all these gifts!!!!!!!!! Some stuffed toys a shark and fox, a new collar and leash, a cool ice cubetra... (read more)
Last Update: 3 weeks ago
I got a gift yesterday and it sure did brighten my day! We have a houseguest, Lexi, who is a one year old yellow lab.She is so energetic and hyper and I don't really like her, so I am confined to the bedroom for the week she is visiting.My mom has my favorite bed, my litterb... (read more)
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  • Secret Paws
  • Created: October 28, 2008
  • Keywords: Secret Paws
  • Members: 293