Pets of the Homeless (PoTH) Australia, a charity that supplies pet food, vet services and other services to pet owners in need, is running a fundraiser with a difference.
‘Bad Pet portraits’ is an online event taking place on 16 June, 2022.
Founder of Pets of the Homeless, Yvonne Hong, says the fundraiser began as a bit of fun during the pandemic. Participants donated, posted a photo of their pet online, and got a funny portrait in return.
“Everyone needed something uplifting and fun because they were stuck at home in lockdown,” she tells Paws ‘N All.
“People really took to the event. We didn’t expect it to be that successful!”
Since 2020, there have been seven rounds of the fundraiser, with almost 2,500 pet portraits created and $55,000 raised.
This time, Ms Hong hopes to raise $10,000 to beef up the Pet Food Bank.
Participants need to donate $20 and post confirmation of payment and a photo of their pet on the Pets of the Homeless Facebook page. After the upload date, the portraits will roll out online, with their behind-the-scenes team creating your masterpiece (or disasterpiece) of your animal companion.
Ms Hong says Pets of the Homeless receives regular requests from organisations such as the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, along with community pantries and soup kitchens, seeking pet food for client’s animals.
