Everything Under The Sun: Raising Awareness Of The Fate Of Homeless Animals

An artist, who paints pet portraits, participated in the exhibition and continues to create works like this.

Do you know how many animals are killed every day just because they've been discarded? These are stray animals, dumped animals, unwanted animals, and abused animals. There is basically nothing wrong with them, except that a human let them down. They're not defective and most aren't aggressive, although a certain number of them may have injuries. In 2014, almost ten thousand healthy animals were killed because they were considered to be "too many".

Charlene Logan Burnett, an animal welfare advocate, was quite aware of this issue. She had worked in an animal hospital, where part of her job was holding animals, who were being euthanized. Given her experiences, she wanted to raise awareness of how many animals were executed, simply because they were homeless and unwanted.

So, in 2014, she opened an art benefit in Davis Arts Center in Davis, California. The plan was to showcase the work of 40 artists from around the country for a one-month period. Mixed in would be photos of animals, with their descriptions, and the shelters where they were located. All sales were to benefit designated animal welfare groups.

Ms. Logan Burnett's objective was to provoke viewers to think harder about the fates of other creatures in the community. It would also encourage thinking of animals as fellow creatures and then stimulate people to think about how to treat them more humanely.

Charlene also explained why she is so dedicated to this issue, "Today, I am overwhelmed, viewing social media photo feeds of cats and dogs red listed for euthanasia. If they aren't adopted or pulled by a rescue, I know what lies ahead. I want to change that outcome. I want every child and adult who [visited] Davis Art Center during SHELTERED to stop, feel, and then think about what they can do to change the future for one, and hopefully, a thousand more animals."

Although the art benefit itself ran for five weeks, the existence of the internet allows the works a permanent home online. In addition, the exhibition's site has some resources for those who want to host their own benefit, including graphic posters with statistics, along with posters that have quotes about animals. Some of the artists in the original show share pertinent artworks on the exhibition's Facebook page, and there is also room for smaller, more focused art exhibit events to be shared.

"Roolie", one of the paintings in the 2014 benefit.

Those who advocate for animal welfare know that this is an ongoing issue, and there are gains and losses. There are communities and community shelters that come together and share resources, tips, fundraisers, and even space for animals. More and more, the shelters that work together are making headway and really saving the lives of homeless animals through adoptions. In some areas, live release rates are now above 90%, which is considered a no-kill rate. More can happen, the more interested and involved people keep bringing attention to the lives of these animals who need homes.