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BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — An "ugly portrait" may not sound like the best gift at first, but a local animal shelter is challenging that idea by turning bad art into big support for vulnerable pets.
The Windham County Humane Society will be offering these portraits throughout January to raise donations for the shelter.
The fundraiser invites people to send in a photo of their pet, which is then drawn badly, by the staff.
"You're just like, I'm going to do my best, and then it ends up coming out hilarious. And even without the artistic talent, you can see the essence of the animal in the photo," said Violet Zarriello, the marketing manager at Windham County Humane Society. "I'm always most pleased when that comes through in my terrible drawing."
She said there's only one criterion to be an artist here.
"You can't be good at art. You can't actually be good at drawing. It has to be authentically folks whose drawing is not their strong suit. They're funnier that way," Zarriello said.
Portraits cost $20, with 100% of the proceeds going back to shelter pets. So far, the reaction has been strong.
"The very first one we did was actually for one of our board members. He was like 'This is perfect. I love how it exaggerates her superhero look. That's Chloe,'" she said.
And to get your own portrait, you just have to send a picture of your pet with their name to Violet Zarriello, and they will send you the drawing back digitally over email.
Organizers said that the goal is to have fun, laugh at the artwork, and help animals who are in need. You can purchase one through the end of the month.
