Fifteen years ago, adopted shelter dogs Woody and Cooper ran through some wet paint and across the floors of their home. The colorful paw prints they left behind on the pine floors gave me, their mom, an idea: paint with shelter animals and present those paintings in an elegant “human” gallery setting. I hoped this might call attention to the overcrowding of shelters and the desperate need for more adoptions by introducing each animal to the public using paints, a photo portrait, and a biography of that pet. I thought this could be a unique way to “personalize” homeless pets.
The exhibit that resulted – called “Paws for Love” – debuted in Sonoma County in 2000 on a rainy February night in a vacant storefront, dressed up to resemble a “big city” art gallery. The animals’ paintings sold out almost instantly and the proceeds went to the local animal shelter.
The art show grew and grew, and eventually the nonprofit organization Paws for Love Foundation was created to benefit abandoned and abused animals in the Bay Area and beyond by providing a safety net of funding for expenses such as emergency surgeries, rescue operations, and spay and neuter clinics. The heart of the fundraising effort is still the exhibit and sale of captivating paintings created by shelter and rescue animals.
I travel throughout the Western states during the year with paints and canvases, coaxing these unexpected artists to create their masterpieces for the special exhibit held each February in Santa Rosa, California. Using tails, paws, and whiskers, each homeless pet paints an original abstract work of art.
In 2012, in response to the heart-breaking abundance of older pets languishing in shelters, the organization introduced “Silver Paws for Love” –an outreach program matching people 55 and over with pets 6 years and older, adopted from Sonoma County Animal Care & Control, the Petaluma Animal Shelter, and the Green Dog Rescue Project in Windsor. The Foundation covers the full adoption fee for any senior. We have found that this program serves a dual purpose by placing harder-to-adopt pets into the homes of senior citizens who can benefit from pet companionship, but for whom the adoption fees are prohibitive.
This innovative program has received such an overwhelming response that we have an incredible adoption record of over 160 older dogs and cats adopted in the past year. It’s been so well received by the senior community that another expansion is anticipated to include more shelters and more adopters.
The large population of homeless senior pets in shelters is a tragedy. They are largely overlooked by adopters in favor of younger animals. Having lost their homes through no fault of their own, they are essentially left without hope.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Bringing a senior pet into our lives may be the greatest gift we will ever give…and brings the greatest rewards! That gentle look of gratitude they give us – that look of forgiveness, wisdom, and unconditional love – will inspire warmth and courage in our own lives. They touch our hearts in a special way.
Research shows that older people can benefit in many ways from sharing their lives with pets, including reduced stress and blood pressure levels, less loneliness and depression, and new opportunities to interact with others. Sadly, however, for many seniors there is a financial obstacle to adopting a pet.
This is where the “Silver Paws for Love” program steps in, paying the initial adoption fee to make it possible for seniors to choose and adopt companion pets. We also promote the adoption of older pets in public appearances, speaking engagements, and by inviting shelters and rescues to bring their senior adoptable pets out to our events.
In time, the Paws for Love Foundation would like to add more community services to the program. Meanwhile, our senior adoption program and other work is supported with proceeds from our annual sale of shelter pet art at a fundraising auction gala, public paint-with-your-dog appearances, and private donations. We would welcome your involvement!
Ellyn Jaques Boone is Executive Director of the Paws for Love Foundation. For more information, or to donate to save a senior pet, please visit pawsforlove.info.
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Main article photo by: Ellyn Jaques Boone
