Our story
About Pocket Palz
Pocket Palz started with a simple problem: I had a dog I wanted everyone to meet, and no good way to introduce him.
The dog I couldn’t bring to school
When I was younger I had a golden retriever, and he was the best dog in the world. (Ask anyone. Well, ask me.) I wanted all my friends to know how awesome he was, but there was one small problem: you can’t exactly bring your dog to school for show-and-tell. So I did what any kid does. I talked about him constantly and hoped they believed me.
A new dog, and the same problem
Years later I adopted a rescue from the humane society in Oakville, and I quickly found myself in exactly the same spot. He has a huge personality and a very unique look, and we still aren’t sure what breed he is. German shepherd, husky, corgi, or something else entirely? We’re voting “mystery.” Once again, I wanted everyone I knew to meet him.
“What kind of dog is he?”
These days, walking him takes twice as long, because people stop us constantly. They ask what kind of dog he is, and then they want to hear his story. Some of them have become regulars on our route, and they’ve told me the same thing: they tried to describe my dog to their friends and just couldn’t do him justice. (Fair. He’s hard to describe.)
So I made him a trading card
That’s where the idea for Pocket Palz came from. I made my dog a trading card, with his photos, his stats, his favourite things and his story, and I started handing them out on our walks. People got so excited. Suddenly they had a photo to keep, a few fun facts to share and something to show their friends. He even wears a Rescued badge on his card.
That reaction is what I wanted to give everyone. Every pet has a personality worth sharing, whether it’s a golden retriever, a rescue of unknown origin, a therapy dog, a shelter animal waiting for a home or a zoo resident. Pocket Palz lets you turn yours into a real, collectible card you can hold in your hand and give away.
What I’m hoping for
One day I want to hand someone my dog’s card and get a card of their pet back, all the time, everywhere. I love animals, and I love learning about other people’s pets. So that’s the real dream here: a world where we all swap cards, share stories and meet each other’s animals one pocket at a time.
A little about the cards
- Made in Canada. Pocket Palz is a small Canadian business, and your cards are printed on real trading card stock and shipped to your door.
- Made by you. You build the card yourself in the card builder, with your own photos, stats and fun facts.
- Made to share. Give them out, trade them and collect them. See what other people have made on the Explore page.
Ready to make a card of your pet?
Build your card