These Organizations Have Kids Paint Pet Portraits to Help Shelter Animals Get Adopted

“I didn’t even know I could paint that well!” Jude, 10, told his mom after painting a portrait of Vic, an adoptable shelter dog, for the Empathy Pawject, a program that uses kids’ art to help shelter dogs get adopted. Lending his newfound artistic skills to the Calgary, Alberta-based project helps Jude connect with shelter animals and find them a home, while giving him a sense of agency and boosting his confidence.

While there are many ways for adults to help their local animal shelter, concerns around safety or liability mean younger animal advocates don’t get a lot of opportunities to participate. Some shelters are trying to remedy this, and parents and teachers are getting creative, too. Here, we feature three different programs in Canada and the United States where kids like Jude make art to help rescue pets find their families.

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The Empathy Pawject—Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

The Empathy Pawject created by artist, art educator, and animal rights advocate Rebecca Carruthers Green, teaches kids in Calgary to use compassion and kindness to help real animals. First, the students receive the profile of a real dog or cat from an animal shelter. Then, through a series of lessons, also made available for free online, they learn how to paint their assigned pet. Their completed portrait is later shared on the Empathy Pawject’s Instagram account to help boost the pet’s adoption profile.

Through this artistic process, they discover that “like humans, all animals are very unique with their own set of likes and dislikes, quirks, and wonderfully individual personalities,” Carruthers Green adds. Through the process, she says, they also pick up on the importance of compassion and treating all living creatures with kindness. 

Each year, the Calgary Central Public Library hosts a two-month-long exhibit of Empathy Pawject paintings each year. It’s a great way for the young artists to see their work impact the real world, as they celebrate the animals who found homes.

Visitors to the library learn about shelter animals through the compassionate lens of children. “I loved going to the exhibit,” Sienna, a 12-year-old artist, tells Kinship. “I figured the more people know about the dogs, it will spread around the world and more dogs will get a nice home, like they all deserve.”

Sketch-a-Pet Program—Las Vegas, Nevada

Following the success of their Book Buddies program (children visitors read books out loud to shelter pets), The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas launched their Sketch-a-Pet program, which provides children with sketch pads to draw the animals of their choice. The kids can take their drawings home or donate them to be displayed near the animal at the shelter.

“The program benefits both children and animals,” Andrew Findley, The Animal Foundation’s volunteer coordinator, explains. “Just having a child sit calmly and talk to the animals helps them decompress and get them used to being around people, easing the stress of shelter life.”

Rescue Advocates of Long Island (RALI)

In 2015, the Buonomo family of Long Island founded their own nonprofit organization, Rescue Advocates of Long Island (RALI), to support local shelters and rescues. From a young age, their children (Brianne was five at the time; Caitlin, eight; and Brendan, 11) got involved in holiday drives, making Christmas ornaments for the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh, New York, or painting rocks for a scented garden.

Over the years, the Buonomo kids also painted around 400 endearing portraits of dogs and cats who were waiting for homes, focusing on “long-timers” — the animals who have been waiting to be adopted for months, sometimes years.

Learning to deal with difficult emotions

The Empathy Pawject helps students exercise their empathy but also learn how to cope with potential complicated emotions that come up while they are making art of these rescue animals. Maybe they feel sad that a pet hasn’t found their home yet. Or maybe their artwork brings up grief because a cat or dog reminds them of a childhood pet that has passed.

Take Jude. He connected deeply with the story of his dog-model, Vic, and experienced deep feelings. “He showed such concern for the dog’s future, asking us if we knew anyone that might adopt him,” his mother, Sally, shares.  

The empathy Jude felt extended beyond the dog himself, to the people who take care of them every day. “My favorite part,” he says, “was seeing how much volunteers care for the dogs, especially when they know if the dogs are adopted, they won’t get to see them ever again.” 

At The Animal Foundation, Findley notices similar connections. A little girl asked him once, “Do guinea pigs need to be with other guinea pigs?” Upon learning that yes, they are very social animals and should never be housed alone, the girl declared: “I’m going to tell my mom that my guinea pig at home needs a friend!”

Reaching the community and empowering young advocates

In Long Island, RALI’s paintings welcome the public in the shelter’s lobby. “Once a dog or cat is adopted or pulled by a rescue, the painting goes to that adopter or rescue as a gift,” founder Anne Marie Buonomo shares. Years later, some adopters still treasure the painting.

The Empathy Pawject was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022, and the Buonomo family received a citation from their town. Beyond the recognition, both endeavors have profoundly marked the children. “Not only did the Empathy Pawject impact my daughter’s growth in art, but also her growth in character development,” Michelle, a mother whose child participates in the program, shares. Jill, another mother, adds: “It gives the children a sense of there being a bigger world out there and that they can help make a difference.” 

Brianne Buonomo, who is now 15 and has been participating in RALI for a decade, is still very excited about the work she does: “Every moment counts. It is my passion to give a voice to the voiceless, and this is something I plan to continue pursuing for years to come.”

How to start a program like this for your local shelters

Visit the Empathy Pawject’s website for more info, and be sure to follow their Instagram for cute paintings. You can support RALI by donating via their website. Donations help cover the cost of paint, canvases, and art supplies they might need. They have an Amazon Wishlist for their shelter friends, too. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram. 

If you are looking for a simple way to start at home, check out these easy activities I created, from coloring pages to friendship bracelets and adoption flyers.