Senior Dogs are the sweetest!

"Arcea"
10" x 12" acrylic on canvas

I was inspired by Melissa's post today on Pugnotes about senior dogs. Go check it out because she writes very eloquently about how older dogs can teach us wonderful things about life and about aging. Dogs don't care about a few gray hairs and some crinkles around their eyes...they just care about enjoying every day as it comes and embracing things that smell good! The painting above is of a very special senior dog I painted a couple of years ago. What a beautiful old soul he was.

One of my favorite rescue organizations that helps aging animals is SAINTS. They take in and care for seniors that have nowhere else to go. SAINTS provides a warm home and three beautiful acres in Mission, BC so that they can live out their days in a nurturing, loving environment. They have an auction coming up very soon so if you'd like to donate something to help raise funds for them...go here.

Back soon with a new dog portrait!

A beautiful cat, a beautiful legacy

"Hopey"
10" x 11" acrylic and collage on canvas

This is my latest commission, Miss Hopey the cat. Hopey was a very special lady to Carol Hine, the director of SAINTS Animal Sanctuary in beautiful British Columbia. Carol has said that, "It is because of her that SAINTS is here today". So thank you Hopey, because SAINTS is one incredible place. It is an end of life sanctuary that takes in elderly animals in need that have nowhere else to go. As it says in their mission statement, SAINTS provides a special place for these animals to be loved, cherished, and to receive proper medical care for the rest of their days.

SAINTS is very dear to my heart...it makes me think of Abby Louise and how she needed such special love and care the last months of her life. It was an honor for us to provide that for her but it's heartbreaking to think of other animals that are in that situation without a loving family to take care of them. Thank you Carol...for starting a sanctuary that is so greatly needed. And thank you again, Hopey for your inspiration.