At Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS), there are over 150 dogs patiently waiting for their forever homes. In an effort to get these dogs the attention they deserve, the VCAS staff came up with a genius idea: Have kids draw their portraits.
Recently,
a group of kids from a Santa Rosa Valley-based service league group came to the shelter to meet the adoptable dogs and draw pictures of them. The kids observed the dogs closely to try and capture their essences.
The results were adorable — and hilarious. Each drawing was as unique as the dogs they were portraying.
“I feel like they all capture the dogs' energy in a way that you might not expect, but they really get the essence of each dog, and we think that’s really special,” Jules Hooper, marketing specialist at VCAS, told The Dodo.
While all of the drawings are different, they have one thing in common: They bring joy to everyone who sees them. They’ve been serving as great morale boosters for the staff and volunteers at the shelter.
“I walk by the kennels every day, and the drawings always make me smile,” Hooper said.
VCAS is currently ramping up for their annual Clear the Shelters event, which is happening this Saturday, August 22. For one day only, they waive adoption fees for all of their available animals and send every animal home with free spaying, neutering, vaccinations, flea treatments and microchips. To sweeten the deal, they even throw in a voucher for a free vet visit and a goodie bag full of food, treats, toys and supplies.
“We have over 50 dogs at our shelter who’ve been with us for over a hundred days, and we really want to try to get those long-stay dogs homes because it’s not fun for them to spend that much time in a kennel,” Hooper said.
VCAS’ longest resident, a shepherd-husky mix named Twix, has been waiting for a home for over 1,100 days. The staff recently took her out for a beach day, where she had the time of her life playing around in the surf.
After such a great excursion, it was heartbreaking to have to return her to her kennel. But between the adorable drawings and goodie bags, hopefully Twix and all of VCAS’ other adoptable dogs will get to have fun adventures outside every day.
“We see these animals every day we come to work … You get to know their personalities. Really, all we want is for an adopter to get to see that personality and give them a chance,” Hooper said.
