Chico's Promise
Goals: Through a new website design and strong identity, significantly boost awareness and drive donations to Chico’s Promise – a nonprofit with an unusually bold objective: saving the lives of 50,000 no-kill shelter dogs.
Idea: Celebrate every dog as a hero. Highlight the story of an exceptionally loyal Vietnam service dog named Chico, and his unwavering bond with a partner who never forgot him, to inspire people to join in the mission of Chico's Promise. The logo for the campaign features an illustration of Chico drawn directly from photos of him.
Story
At the end of the Vietnam War, an estimated 4,300 service dogs were euthanized or abandoned in Vietnam. One of them was a Silver German Shepherd mix named Chico. Chico’s handler was 20-year-old Mike Monahan, who served in the 46th Scout Dog Platoon in Tay Ninh, Vietnam. By alerting Mike and his platoon to live tripwires, Chico saved many lives and would forever be a superhero in Mike’s eyes.
After his Vietnam tour, Mike had to leave his canine partner behind and return home, but the sorrow of abandoning Chico weighed heavily on him for five decades. To honor Chico’s bravery and the bond they shared, Mike recently wrote a book about their story called “Chico’s Promise”, and used the proceeds to start a non-profit of the same name. Mike realized there was no better way to say thank you than by helping to save the lives of 50,000 shelter dogs. He hopes to accomplish that by paying adoption fees at selected no-kill shelters throughout the U.S.
Donation and Book Sales
The website is set up for online sales of the Chico's Promise book, as well as accepting direct donations to the fundraiser.
