Just like photographer Traer Scott and her heartbreaking portraits of shelter dogs, artist Mark Barone is trying to bring some much needed attention to the neglected animals in shelters. After learning that 5,500 shelter dogs are killed every day in the United States, he decided to paint 5,500 portraits of actual shelter dogs with names and the date that they were killed. Now two years into the project, Barone has painted more than 3,500 portraits which, for any dog lover, are incredibly hard to look at.
The project, called “An Act of Dog,” is a massive memorial designed to educate and illuminate animal welfare consciousness. Any donations the non-profit receives goes towards the salvation of shelter animals.
There’s a page of testimonials on “An Act of Dog” website where animal lovers state why they support this cause. As Karen Wettstein says, “I like and support An Act of Dog because it is the right thing to do out of respect for Mark Barone and how he has painstakingly memorialized beautiful dogs whose lives were ended needlessly. This hauntingly beautiful work serves as an instrument of change. Thank you, Mark for your dedication.”
