The fundraiser Painting for Pooches is raising funds for shelter dogs to have a better future.
Giving hope to dogs that were given the short end of the stick in life, Corks N Canvas, an organization that coordinates art-focused events, will host the first Painting for Pooches fundraiser Tuesday evening.
Participants of the fundraiser will pay $45 to follow step-by-step instructions to paint a snowy landscape. For a fundraiser, the organization sets the price and anything above $35 goes to the rescue.
Proceeds will go to the Friends of the Shelter Dogs, an all-volunteer and donation based rescue that helps shelter dogs find “forever homes.”The group works closely with the Athens County Dog Shelter to place dogs with families, help pay for spaying and neutering and providing transport for dogs who are fostered.
There are eight dogs currently fostered through the rescue: Charlie, Lucy, Marco, Paddycake, Yellow Dog, Tigger, Shiloh and Zeus. The dogs are different breeds and have different backgrounds, such as Zeus, who Kami Perritt, the coordinator for the rescue, said the group considers a “hero.”
Zeus’ previous owners had a water heater catch on fire one night while the family was sleeping.
“He woke them up by jumping on the bed and pulling off their covers until they woke up,” Perritt said in an email statement. “Because of his heroic actions, the family made it out safe.”
Zeus later developed a skin condition caused by fleas and his family could not afford the treatment, so he ended up in the shelter.
The rescue pulled him from the local shelter and he has been with them for five months.
“I think (this fundraiser is) important because there’s so many dogs, and people are having a hard time taking care of themselves (and the dogs),” Rachel Proffitt, the owner of Corks N Canvas, said. “I’m sure the money is not there to take care of all of the dogs.”
Perritt decided to approach Corks N Canvas for her own fundraising needs after a co-worker had mentioned that she was using them to raise money for a mission trip.
“If we fill all 50 seats, she is reducing her cost to $30 per easel giving the rescue $15 per easel.” Perritt said. “We did have a few last minute cancelations so we currently need to sell five more tickets by (Tuesday).”
Ashley Ward, the kennel keeper for the Athens County Dog Shelter, said the rescue does a good service for the community and has lowered the euthanasia rate at the shelter.
Athens County Dog Shelter only euthanizes dogs if they are terminally ill or aggressive. If the dogs at the shelter are old or have been in the shelter for a long time they are sent to nearby rescues.
“For everything we do, we have to raise money in order to help the dogs,” Perritt said. “So without these fundraisers and this money coming in, we can’t operate.”
Proffitt, who will instruct at the event, said she’s so passionate about helping these dogs “it’s hard for (her) to express it.”
“I don’t want any animal to suffer or to be put down because of people’s irresponsibility,” she said.
Proffitt, who has been painting since she was in high school during the ’70s, will be painting along with the participants. She said that in past fundraising events everyone has gone home satisfied with his or her work.
“No two are exactly alike but that’s what makes it unique and fun,” Proffitt said. “Art is simply entertainment.”
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