Andy’s Paw Prints is one of those uncommon companies that makes beautiful things for a beautiful cause. Artist Tim Wemple and his wife, Sherry, established their company in 2011 to benefit the over 1000 animals affected in the devastation of the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri that year.
Ever since, 25 percent of every purchase from Andy’s Paw Prints goes to animal rescues, and the purchaser even gets to choose which one!
Tim’s beautiful art style is a unique blend of digital tools and hand-drawn: “My artwork is a combination of computer enhancements and hand painting in Photoshop. I try my best to make your portrait look exactly like your pet,” he says.
Sherry Wemple, who is, what Tim calls, “the driving force behind Andy’s Paw Prints,” manages the business aspects of the company. She was also gracious enough to spend time chatting with DogTime for an interview. Here’s what she had to say!
Meet Sherry Wemple, Creating Hope Amidst Tragedy
AMANDA: Sherry, it’s wonderful to meet you. Your husband, Tim Wemple, is a very talented artist! I love the work I’ve seen of his. Has he always been a digital artist, or was it a more recent skill he developed?
SHERRY: Tim has always had a love for art. Tim had a scholarship to study art, but he was encouraged by his family to become a medical technologist. So Tim’s career has always been in the medical field, but he has always dabbled in art on the side.
AMANDA: Wow, his “dabbling” has created some stunning masterpieces. I see you founded Andy’s Paw Prints on the idea of helping pets displaced by the 2011 Joplin EF5 tornado. That’s very touching.
SHERRY: We do not have a rescue of our own, but we support rescues and shelters through our artwork. I have always been very passionate about animals, and I have volunteered at shelters.
However, after going through the Joplin tornado, the need to help intensified. There were so many people and animals displaced; it was heartbreaking.
I have always wanted to have a rescue, but it never happened, because I worked full-time. I dedicated as much time as possible visiting the animals, giving them treats, volunteering, walking animals, etc.
The tornado aftermath is when I saw first-hand the needs far exceeded what I was able to provide on my own.
AMANDA: You are a gem of humanity, seriously. Bless you for all the lifesaving work you’ve done over your life.
Broken Hearts Bring A Community Together
AMANDA: I had no idea there were so many animals displaced by the Joplin tornado until I read your website — 1300, wow! That is so sad.
SHERRY: It was heartbreaking. There are still some animals that have never been found. I spent hours and hours for several years looking for one dog named Hanah. Hanah was ripped from her mother’s arms during the tornado. Hanah’s mother Kari Wilkes started a foundation called Bring Hanah Home that helps so many animals. To this day, Hanah has never been found.
AMANDA: I am sobbing reading about Hanah. I can’t imagine something so awful. I’m so sorry for her and her family. I’m relieved to read on Bring Hanah Home’s page that someone photographed her alive after the tornado, but it’s still tragic they have never been reunited.
How kind of you to spend so much time helping Kari look for her, and how wonderful of Kari to start a nonprofit in her honor. It’s truly admirable to me how much you and your husband do for animals you don’t even know.
SHERRY: Thank you. I care deeply about people and animals. I did everything I could to help people in need and be supportive in this time of crisis. We are the voice for animals, and I will do anything within my power to help animals in need.
After the tornado, I saw the community come together to help one another. Animal lovers worked together to help find and capture animals that were missing, displaced, and traumatized by the tornado. I searched for animals before going to work at the bank and as soon as I got off of work.
AMANDA: Huge thanks to you and all the other rescuers!
Andy Leaves His Paw Prints On Our Hearts
AMANDA: I see you adopted the namesake of your company — a dog named Andy — who was rescued from the tornado!
SHERRY: Yes, Andy is our namesake and our big boy! We adopted Andy on October 8th, 2011. Andy has battle scars, and does not like storms to this day. They really stress him out.
AMANDA: How kind of you to give him a loving home. Can you tell us about him? How old is he, what is his personality like, and did he fit into your home right away?
SHERRY: I always went to the shelter and passed out treats to all of the animals. Andy was at the shelter with his foster mom, Laurel Stebbins. When I walked near him he looked at me and laid down for a belly rub, so I loved on him and spoke with Laurel.
When I got up to leave, Andy scooted closer to me and laid his head on my foot. That is all it took, and I knew I wanted him.
We already had three dogs and had no intention of adding any more. After I got home from the shelter, I was talking to my husband about Andy, and he said, “Go back and get him!” The rest is history, because I immediately did just that.
The thing is, when I got back to the shelter, Andy’s foster mom, Laurel, had already left with Andy. The shelter called her, and she said she would bring him back. The shelter was very crowded that day because they were doing a big adopting event.
When Laurel got back to the shelter with Andy, he led her through the crowd straight to me before I saw them. At that moment, I knew Andy chose me to be his mom!
AMANDA: Aww! I love that story! That’s so sweet how Andy chose you, and you chose him back. Was his name “Andy” when you adopted him?
SHERRY: When we adopted Andy, his shelter name was “Mister.” I changed it to Andy because he just seems like an old soul. He reminded me of Andy Griffith, and that is where his name came from. Everyone always says his eyes are beautiful and very expressive, and we agree.
From the moment we rescued Andy, he fit in perfectly with our family. We like to call Andy “Famous Andy,” since he is our namesake.
AMANDA: Adorable!
‘Andy’s Paw Prints’ Is Born
AMANDA: How did you come up with the idea to use Tim’s art and your marketing skills to benefit rescue animals? The 25 percent donation to animal rescues is also extremely generous, by the way. I’m very impressed by your generosity and your ability to sustain such a hefty donation.
SHERRY: When I saw the overwhelming needs at the shelter (Joplin Humane Society), I asked Tim if he thought he could create custom pet portraits from people’s photos and donate to help the shelter. Tim was willing to give it a try, so I spoke to the shelter’s director at the time, Lysa Boston, and she welcomed the help.
It was at that time that Andy’s Paw Prints was created. Every portrait we sold, we would put on Facebook, and within three weeks, we had other rescues and shelters reaching out to us to help them, too.
From there, we just grew because the needs are so great at all rescues and shelters.
AMANDA: Wow! What a wonderful idea, and it’s equally wonderful how successful it was right away. That must’ve felt really good, immediately being so helpful to so many. Did you have to spend a lot on promoting your business?
SHERRY: Tim and I have spent very little on promoting our business. Most of our business comes from word of mouth or people coming across us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. We have a lot of repeat clients.
What Does Tim’s Artwork Show?
AMANDA: Every creation is so different. How does Tim tie what he can see from the animal’s personality into the physical manifestation of their portrait?
SHERRY: The customer somewhat decides this depending on the style of artwork they choose. Tim pays extra attention to the animal’s eyes when creating each portrait so he can bring the portrait to life.
AMANDA: How widespread are your clients, geographically?
SHERRY: The majority of our clients are in US and Canada, but we have done portraits for Europe, Australia, England, and Africa.
AMANDA: Wow! Is there a certain animal that’s the most popular?
SHERRY: Dogs and cats are what we do the most.
AMANDA: What’s the most exotic or unusual animal Tim has illustrated?
SHERRY: We have created artwork of cows, pigs, llamas, dragon lizards, ferrets, hamsters, horses, donkeys, parrots, monkeys, and even an elephant in a rescue.
AMANDA: That’s so neat!
Balancing Life, Nonprofit Work, & Pet Parenting
AMANDA: How do you balance your business and your life as a pet parent?
SHERRY: Tim recently retired from the hospital and is home all of the time. We both give all of our animals constant love and attention. We have always dedicated all of our off-of-work time working on Andy’s Paw Prints and doing things together.
AMANDA: That’s great. Congratulations to Tim, by the way! How many pets do you have?
SHERRY: Thank you! We are a very close family, and our pets are our kids. In the past two months, we lost two of our senior pets, Gracie and Andre, to old age issues.
AMANDA: I’m so sorry to hear that!
SHERRY: Thank you. We currently have three dogs: Andy, age 13, Terrier Mix; Preslee, age two, Yorkie Poodle; and Cooper, age six, Australian Kelpie; a cat, Smokey Robinson, age five; two parakeets, Oliver and Emma Lou; and four chickens. We call all of our chickens “working girls,” and we have had them for almost three years. I am proud to say all of our pets are rescues.
AMANDA: Incredible! What a full and fun house you must have!
You Can Use Your Skills To Help, Too!
AMANDA: Do you have advice for anyone else who’d like to use their skills to benefit animal rescues?
SHERRY: Do it! Rescues and shelters need so much help, and what you give does make a difference.
You will find that you will be touched and blessed by the clients you are creating this artwork for. The art means so much to them. We have cried with clients who recently lost a pet and want to do a keepsake portrait.
Then, the icing on the cake is giving back to help those that need it the most — the animals in need.
AMANDA: Beautiful. Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
SHERRY: We offer artwork in seven different styles. Each style can be found on our website at www.AndysPawPrints.com. We can do business with anyone, regardless of where they are located, since we create the artwork from the client’s photo.
We post all of our client photos on our Andy’s Paw Prints Facebook page. Tim also sells stock art at www.TWArtwork.com. We have done artwork of family pets, military dogs, police dogs, fallen K9 police dogs, search and rescue animals, a secret service animal, and Roxy, the 2018 America Humane Hero Service Dog of the Year.
We absolutely love what we do. Caring for animals is not our job; it is our passion! Tim does all of the artwork, and I do all of the customer relations and marketing. We are blessed to do this!
AMANDA: And I say we feel blessed to have you and Andy’s Paw Prints! Thank you so much again for all you do to help animals, and thank you for the great interview.
SHERRY: You’re very welcome!
Like, Follow, & Keep Up With Andy’s Paw Prints
For more information about Andy’s Paw Prints, including how to commission your own piece or to read about their mission, please visit their website.
To follow Andy’s Paw Prints on social media, please visit them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.
Do you have any beautiful portraits of your pets? Would you get one from a place like Andy’s Paw Prints that donates so much to animal rescues? Then let us know in the comments below!
