Dog painters get creative to save UK rescue centre
Faced with an influx of stray and surrendered pets, an animal rescue centre in Bristol, southwestern England, has had to get creative when it comes to raising funds, turning to the animal artists in their ranks. "We get a canvas... put some non-toxic paint on the canvas, clingfilm on top of that, and then we put their favourite treats" explains Jodie Bennett, the centre's community and engagement officer. The artworks, created by the animals licking and playing with their materials, will be auctioned at a "Mutt Gala" in December.
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00:32 I definitely think the cost of living crisis that we're experiencing at the moment is a big factor.
00:37 People just can't afford insurance and veterinary care and you know just to look after their dogs in general.
00:42 Yeah, a big factor at the moment is people actually being able to afford or to live in a place that they're allowed to keep a dog, which is really sad.
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00:56 At the moment we are just taking in strays because we're experiencing such a high level of dogs coming in.
01:08 We physically can't accommodate for the strays and for people kind of signing their dogs over.
01:13 So at the moment it is animals just coming in that have been, as I said, picked up as strays.
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01:25 We basically get a canvas, a blank canvas or something similar to that, put some non-toxic paint on the canvas,
01:50 cling film on top of that and then we put their favourite treats.
01:53 So for the dogs here it's usually squeezy cheese or peanut butter or something like that.
01:59 And then the dogs will go over, lick it, play with it.
02:02 Sometimes some of our dogs like to walk on it and kind of use their whole bodies to use it.
02:07 And it's a really good enrichment activity for them.
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02:13 I'm sorry for the pain.