By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

WINDHAM – Dr. Wooff is ready to tackle the world.

With a sun-loving penguin pharmacist, an orangutan shrink and other friends, he runs a large animal hospital in Pet Springs, East Coast, America. They tend to the town’s animals – backed by a catchy tune – to show millions of young humans how to treat their pets.

At least, creator Henry Carlton hopes there will be millions.

“You know the Ninja Turtles? That was created in Maine. This will be a hundred times bigger,” said Carlton, sweeping his arm wide at his office wall lined with bright drawings of Dr. Wooff, Nurse Meow and the rest of the gang.

An animal-lover and entrepreneur from Germany, Carlton created Dr. Wooff while managing a large veterinary clinic overseas. He saw too much animal abuse and met too many people who didn’t know how to take care of their pets.

“The people didn’t do it on purpose most of the time,” he said. “They didn’t know.”

Adults shuffled off to other vets when he brought up the subject. Kids, he figured, would be more open to learning.

Think Smokey Bear meets Pixar.

He sketched out the first Dr. Wooff, a floppy-eared veterinarian who speaks three languages and collects Hummel figurines, 10 years ago. He gave Wooff 17 friends, including a greyhound ambulance driver named Dave and a boxer dog dentist named Dr. Drool.

To elementary school kids, they would be role models.

To Carlton, they would be an education empire, starring in comic books and cartoons, CDs and stuffed animal lines, pet-care products and how-to guides for kids. All of it would help pay for nonprofit Noah’s Ark, part education center and part no-kill animal shelter.

“It got bigger and bigger in my head and I had to let it go before it exploded,” said Carlton, who moved to Maine nine years ago and learned English from “Wheel of Fortune” and “Beavis and Butt-head” episodes.

With a professional artist, a graphic designer and investors, the Web site, www.doctorwooff.com, launched last year. A comic book and a theme song CD (adults enthusiastically singing “W, double O, double F, woof!”) are set for release in the next few weeks. The hour-long animated DVD movie is in production.

Lessons range from proper dog grooming to what to do when a friend hurts a pet.

At least one local vet, Jeffery Carr, has signed on for the long haul. He’s found it difficult to talk with reluctant clients. Now a Dr. Wooff adviser, he can’t wait to put a stack of comics by his door.

He considers them cartoons with a cause.

“Everything has been designed around the mission,” he said. “It never gets too far from the education.”

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