Senior is the New Puppy

--- MY DREAM GOAL IS TO RAISE $20,000 FOR THE SHELTER. PLEASE KEEP SHARING! THANK YOU!! ---


HOW WILL THE MONEY BE USED?

The Foundacion Animalove is an animal shelter and sanctuary based near Bogota in Colombia. They rescue neglected and abused dogs, cats and other animals, from the harsh streets of Bogota and nearby. They have over 300 dogs in their care, 65 of them being senior dogs. They also have cats.

Food is their biggest expense, as they need over $4,000 of food every month. The seniors in particular, received a special senior diet, which is more expensive. But look how happy and healthy they are! I visited the Foundation last year and fell in love (you can read more about it here).



With the pandemic, things have gotten worse for the shelter, as monetary donations have reduced significantly, and food donations (by individuals or corporations) have completely dried up. Their food stock is depleted and they expect to run out of food early August. Adoptions have stopped too, but intake is on the rise (64 new dogs and 10 cats) and the shelter has rescued several cruelty cases.



Skip this paragraph if you are sensitive, but these are the types of stories the shelter has faced these past few months: Perdita was left behind by her owners, chained. Her paw got stuck under a fence, probably as she was trying to escape, and she must have been in horrible pain and scared for days before the shelter people got to her and gave her the medical attention she deserved. Someone threatened to drown puppies if the shelter wouldn't take them - one had deformed front legs. Earlier this month, the shelter rescued Luz, a doggie who was raped, stabbed multiple times and left to die (she is recovering from surgery). They also find dogs chained to their front gate regularly....

The shelter is facing very challenging times. It's not just about the money, though of course they are in dire needs in that department. They are also facing so much cruelty and misery. So much pain. I know they must feel deflated and drained emotionally and physically. I would love for this fundraiser to show them love and support, and tell them they aren't alone in this.

ABOUT THE T-SHIRT DESIGN

I wanted to celebrate our seniors with a quirky hippie-inspired look. After all, Senior IS the New Puppy! The design is modeled after real-life Sam, one of the senior residents at the Foundation! (who is such a character and a puppy at heart!).


EDIT: I was made aware that the slogan "Senior is the New Puppy" has been used before by another artist (Luvabullz and Co). When I created this shirt, I didn't recall seeing it anywhere. I even researched the phrase and didn't find anything. I thought I was doing my due diligence, and I am sorry I somehow missed her work in my search. You can find her work on Etsy.




I would like to thank the team at CustomInk for their support. They are always amazing to work with, and have been so helpful, patient and passionate about helping me bring this fundraiser to life. A special mention to Gary and Allie, you have been spectacular!

Thank you all for your support,
Sophie

------

ABOUT SOPHIE GAMAND

Sophie Gamand is an artist and animal advocate known for Pit Bull Flower Power, a series of shelter pit bulls wearing flower crowns. She travels to shelters, donating her time and skills to help them get more exposure, raises funds for them, and helps dogs get adopted.

You can follow her work on Instagram, Facebook, and support her mission via her Patreon.