It wasn’t enough for seniors living at the Virginian Senior Living Community to have found forever homes. They wanted senior dogs to find them, too.
Draw for Paws, an animal welfare group, recently partnered with the Fairfax, Virginia senior community and the Homeward Trails Adoption Center to raise awareness and promote adoption of senior dogs through sales of artwork.
“Talented and caring residents at The Virginian drew portraits of the three elderly dogs available for adoption at the nearby shelter, with the hope of capturing their unique personalities and promoting these older pups—often overlooked at shelters—and connecting with potential adopters,” Draw for Paws said in a statement.
Three color portraits sparked the Grandpaws Initiative. Donations raised from the sale of these works will help find forever homes for 11-year-old Pippa, a terrier mix; nine-year-old Bo, a chihuahua mix; and eight-year-old Cali, a bulldog-boxer mix.
Chuck Krouse, who painted Bo’s portrait told ABC News, “I’ve enjoyed working with Draw for Paws. Our big hope is that these dogs will be adopted.”
Draw for Paws was created in 2018 by eight-year-old Scarlett Chwatko who fused her love for art and animals. For every donation of $20 or more to the SPCA, Scarlett drew a portrait of the donor’s pet or a favorite animal. Sadly, Scarlett died of a brain tumor in 2019. But her friends carried her vision forward.
The “Scarlysquad” invites anyone to become a Draw for Paws artist. In its first year, 75 artists banded to raise funds toward the care and adoption of senior animals. To date, 700 portraits have raised more than $100,000.
“Scarlett said that, if she could, she’d adopt every animal in the world,” her mother, Robin, said. “We got Bo adopted. Let’s get Pippa and Cali adopted next.”
George and Page Gilliam, who rendered portraits of Pippa, and Hilda Shaffer, who painted Cali’s mug, hope their brush strokes touch the right hearts.