Published August 10, 2022, 09:02:56am by Michelle Noble - Pibb News & Bytes

How to get your dog done up as a plush toy completely free.

Seems too good to be true: a cute, cuddly children's toy made in the likeness of your pooch for free; no shipping cost, no registration, no giving up personal information. Adding to the appeal: you don't get one, or two, or even five plushies of your pooch... you get twelve. Completely free.

This would be utterly ludicrous if it weren't for the simple rule-of-thumb that applies to most surprising finds in life: you must know where to look.

So where? At pibborafi.com, the site of a small, boutique toymaker. And how? If you have a rescued or adopted dog, anyone can get their furbaby done! From now until Christmas, the company is offering ten (10) chances for anyone to get their dog done up free in a promotion called Pibb My Pup! Even if you don't get one of the ten guaranteed spots, get your dog posted on their hashtag so they have an opportunity to select you!

For those interested; the background of this promotion and the story behind it.

The tiny company of Pibborafi Inc., has been doing this for their small band of loyal Instagram followers since 2016. Indeed, small pockets of the rescue animal community at large has been getting their pooches made as plush children's toys free and keeping it secret for years. Trying very hard not to share outside their tight cabal of animal lovers that stretches from Brisbane to Anchorage.

Artfully fringing mainstream, the company's many contests have been covered by dozens of news affiliates across the country over the years. Briefly popping up on Drew Barrymore's radar in November 2021 as a mention at the end of one of her shows, Pibborafi raised a few eyebrows and gained a flurry of new fans.

Those who know about Pibborafi, swear by them. Each quietly waits for new releases, usually communicating with company management directly through their Instagram account. Around the holidays, the company can allow you to give a gift that is literally one of a kind. In fact, the company is so small, and so unknown that if you do reach out through their website, pibborafi.com, odds are very good you will be speaking directly to the founder, Darrin (D.C.) Wilson, who takes on the unenviable task of dealing with occasional lost pups in the mail or shipping delays.

Contrary to popular belief about the company, a dog owner can't just approach them and ask to get their dog done. The company selects the dogs they do through a process of contests and random selection. But it still doesn't stop people from paying them to do their dog up as a "Pibborafi Rescue Hero" plushie — and as many will attest, commissioning Pibborafi is not easy, nor cheap, nor is the wait time short. "We don't like doing commissions," Wilson says. "That is not our business. We make it as difficult as possible to do that on purpose." Despite all that, there are currently hundreds of dog owners on the waiting list waiting to be accepted.

Strangely enough, apart from the occasional commission, Pibborafi's oddball business model does make money: You submit a picture of your pooch to their Instagram hashtag #pibbpickmypup2022. If they select you, they will offer to create your dog as a cute stuffy for free. And they will give you twelve with free shipping. In return, you allow them to create a small production run of your toy that they can sell to the public to make up the expense of producing the toys to begin with. Thirty percent of those proceeds goes to a rescue organization that you get to choose. So you get to help rescued animals to boot.

The only catch is a qualifier. Your dog must be a rescued dog. It can't be a dog you purchased from a breeder or store. And to the chagrin of many of their followers, Pibborafi Rescue Heroes don't currently ship internationally, although special requests can be made.

Incidentally, from now until Christmas, Pibborafi is shedding its restrictive selection process and opening it up worldwide. The company is offering ten "Golden Tags" on ten random plushies throughout their stock. If you happen to purchase a Pibborafi Rescue Hero plushie with a Golden tag, the company will automatically do your dog next. And yes, twelve are yours with free shipping. It's opened up the offer worldwide which means if you live outside the United States, the only way you can get one is if you know someone who can buy one and ship it to you. If you're a dog lover, good luck keeping this secret.

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