Pets Care : Funding pet care with portraits - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Funding pet care with portraits - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Posted: 22 Jun 2012 04:01 PM PDT

Diana Warren poses with one of her cat portraits. (Jeff Kan Lee / PD)

By MICHAEL SHUFRO / Santa Rosa Towns Correspondent

A devoted member of the local veterinary community is trying to save the lives of sick cats and dogs by making and selling charcoal portraits of people's pets.

The creative effort known as Art Healing Animals is part of a lifelong dream for Diana Warren, who works as a registered veterinary technician at PetCare Veterinary Hospital in Santa Rosa.

All profits from her artwork either go into a kind of piggybank for animals in need of immediate medical treatment with no financial backing, or toward opening her own animal rescue facility.

Warren, 26, launched her plan in January and with the proceeds from her artwork, plans to continue expanding her efforts until she can establish a nonprofit organization for animal rescue, rehabilitation and adoption. Her current goal is to raise $50,000 by 2017 through donations, community fund-raisers and benefit events.

"I've always wanted to rescue animals and have a facility to foster them, but financially it never seemed feasible," Warren said. "Then, when I started doing theses portraits and realized how good I was, it suddenly dawned on me that I could make my dream a reality."

Surrounded by art her whole life, Warren learned how to produce realistic effects with charcoal by studying under her sister, Ahlia Warren, a painter and artist. Each detailed image she crafts can take between one and three weeks to create.

Depending on the size and amount of work involved, Warren adjusts her prices accordingly. She charges $200 for a standard 12"x16" portrait, custom matted and ready for framing, nearly half the going rate on the market.

"I've always had an aversion to making money on my art," she said. "But when I realized how lifelike these images were, how much people appreciated them and that I could give back to the animal world by selling them, it put everything into perspective for me."

Up until that point, Warren had drawn charcoal portraits as gifts for friends. Many she made and gave away as memorials for people whose pets had died. On many occasions friends broke into tears when they saw her renderings, she said, noting her ability to capture the soul in the eyes.

For the past eight years, Warren has taken veterinary courses, volunteered with rescue organizations and worked at animal clinics and hospitals. The work can be emotionally exhausting and incredibly demanding, she said, but since entering the industry she has been able to save lives and aid in peaceful deaths.

In many cases she watched as animals were euthanized solely because of the expense involved with treating the pet's condition.

"It's the hardest thing I see, watching these animals die because of money," Warren said. "And it's the cause behind my whole endeavor."

Warren often acts as a guardian, offering to personally shoulder the cost of treating an animal before its owner is resigned to euthanizing it. Sometimes she adopts them or finds other owners who can provide them with ongoing care.

While her current project is still in its formative stages, Warren hopes before long to go beyond individual cases and start helping animals in shelters that are not being adopted.

Since the beginning, Warren says, she has experienced support from industry professionals and like-minded businesses. Her donors and supporters include All Tails Wagging Veterinary Clinic, Dirty Dog Fitness, Seth Lane of Thriving Relationships Canine Services and a handful of veterinarians working in animal rescue services.

"My biggest focus is on stigmatized canine breeds such as pitbulls, Akitas and Rottweilers, and also stray kittens," Warren said. "All of them are having a much harder time surviving the shelters and getting adopted, and they all need a lot of help right now."

On her dream property, Warren imagines an animal sanctuary outfitted with kennels indoors and outdoors, large yard spaces for play time, training and boarding areas for pets and rescued animals, lots of art and a full staff to walk and feed them.

"Everybody has different relationships with their animals," Warren said. "There are work animals, play animals and animals who are beloved members of a family, and you've got to respect everyone has a different line. But regardless, we have to take responsibility for them and make sure they are fed, sheltered and, if a medical condition comes up, that it's dealt with."

She added, "I don't want pet owners to feel bad. It's not wrong that people don't pay thousands of dollars for their pets when they can barely afford food. I want them to know that I'm here, and that I'm here to help them and their animals."

To see samples of Warren's work, visit facebook/arthealinganimals.com. To learn more about her cause, email her at arthealinganimals@yahoo.com.

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