Dogsters, this is hard news to have to tell you. I didn’t want this day to come, but for months now, Dogster top brass has been having closed-door meetings. Today the Dogster team let me know the results of these meetings. I was in Rome, in the Coliseum, when I got the text from Dogster World Headquarters, and I nearly tumbled into the hypogeum. You may want to sit down for the news:
Dogster is going to change to focus on amphibians, particularly frogs, starting later this month. It will soon be known as Frogster.
“April is National Frog Month — an excellent time to make the jump to becoming Frogster,” said future top frog, Ted Rheingold. “Frogs are beloved by so many people. They’re becoming the new dog, and we want to stay ahead of the trend. Plus, they’re relatively cheap to keep. In this economy, that’s important. We still love our dogs, of course, but the shift has been a long time in coming.”
This is not a leap of faith, but a well-though-out plan. It has to do as much with ecology as the economy. As Ted explained it to me, frogs may soon be going the way of the dinosaurs. Many scientists feel that amphibians will be extinct relatively soon unless big conservation measures are taken. You can read more about the peril of frogs to learn the details, but suffice it to say that we’re looking at a supply-and-demand situation. As the number of frogs decreases — a sad event indeed — the demand for their presence will increase. One of Frogster’s goals will be to stop the extinction of these noble amphibians. Another goal will be to provide timely information on their status, and a great social network for frogs and their people.
Dogster’s old mascot, the Dogster dog, will be retired so that the new mascot can leap in and make splash with new readers. Remember Michigan J. Frog, from the Warner Bros. cartoons? We have received the OK to use him as our mascot!
And more good news: Ted says you can keep your Dogster pages up, no problem, but to be aware that there will be more and more frogs with pages. “If they don’t mind having little green friends mixed in with the dogs, it will be a unique, fun place to be,” he says. “I’ve always been a fan of frogs and dogs, and I think it’s significant for us that they rhyme. We might be able to have fun with that down the road.”
For now, I’ll be continuing as your blogger, but I have to wade in the pond of amphibian knowledge for the next few days to really understand these creatures, their plights, their place in pop culture and in our lives.
Sponsorships are also pouring in. Check out this short clip from our newest sponsor, a contact lens cleaning solution.
We’ll keep you fully informed on our metamorphosis as we go though the tadpole stage of becoming Frogster. Hop back for more soon, but just not today. I’m too busy getting the salt out of my espresso on April Fools Day to post anything else. 🙂 (Who knew they celebrated the day in Italy?)
