An animal charity that offered to draw pictures of pets in exchange for a donation has had to put a stop to submissions after becoming overwhelmed with requests.
The Wisconsin Humane Society launched its adorable fundraising scheme on Tuesday, February 25, but it was called off just one day later.
In the initial Facebook announcement, the charity explained if animal lovers donated $15, staff would reward them by drawing a picture of their beloved, furry best friend.
However, there was a catch; the Humane Society couldn’t promise the pictures would be any good. If you ask me, though, a funny attempt at drawing an animal is just as cute, if not cuter, than a perfect depiction.
The post explained:
We’re a whole lot better at caring for animals than we are at drawing them.
We have a pool of staff and volunteers standing by, eager to turn your animal into a timeless work of art (or at least make you laugh). You *might* get one of our extremely talented artists, but we’ll be honest… you’ll probably get someone who can’t draw their way out of a paper bag.
The Wisconsin Humane Society shared a couple of examples of its work, and needless to say, they’re definitely worth the $15.
One portrait was created of a black and white cat, though in the drawing the feline’s dark fur looks more like some sort of black cape. To be honest, it kind of looks like a cat’s head has been stuck onto the body of a Victorian man, but it was definitely a solid effort.
Another image, pictured above, depicted an adorably fluffy dog with its tongue lolling out; a photo the artist decided to recreate in minimalist black and white. They went into detail with the eyes, nose and mouth, though the dog’s body is probably best described as a chonky mass.
The charity initially stated there was ‘no limit’ to how many drawings donors could purchase, correctly pointing out that the more donations it receives, the more it can support animals. However, it soon became overwhelmed as it had its comment section flooded with photos of cats and dogs.
Yesterday, February 26, staff updated the post to explain submissions were closed due to an ‘overwhelmingly amazing response’.
The Humane Society wrote:
You all are truly incredible and surpassed our wildest expectations!! Our artists are working tirelessly to get the masterpieces back to you as soon as possible, though it may take a few days at this point. Thank you all so much for your outpouring of support for the animals!
While staff might have their hands full of drawing implements for the next few days, it’s all for a good cause. The initiative will have raised a lot of money, Facebook users got to share images of their pets with the world, and many of them will soon have their own portrait of their furry friend. Everybody wins!
Hopefully the Humane Society will continue to share some of its masterpieces – watch this space!
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.