Guests and their pups filed through Di Luna Candles’ patio on a recent Saturday to celebrate National Pet Day with pet artist Kat Swan.

Hosted by Tucson Love Letter and Swan, local vendors sold pet accessories including shoes,  bandanas, stickers, buttons and more on the patio. And volunteers with Old Souls Animal Rescue were there with a few elderly and special needs dogs available for adoption.

Amid all the gifts, crafts and food for sale, were Swan’s colorful paintings of shelter dogs, which she creates to help increase the exposure of adoptable dogs at local shelters. 

During the event, she greeted guests, took photos with them and their dogs and advocated for the adoption of the pets whose portraits were on display. 

“We’re gonna have an exhibit of portraits of dogs that have been adopted, ones that are still up for adoption and in the middle, I’ve decided to do a three-foot by four-foot canvas of Mira,” Swan said.

About the artist

Mira is Swan’s late dog and the beginning of her animal portraits project.

“I think my life changes trajectory based on death, which sounds so weird,” she said.

After her father died and the family spread his ashes in New Hampshire, she felt she needed to paint the scenery.

“When I got home, I bought my first set of paints,” she said. “Then, when Mira passed, I had to paint an animal.” 

Her original painting of Mira remains unfinished, but at a recent event, she debuted a new finished portrait.

“She deserves an homage,” Swan said. 

A biologist by training, Swan always loved animals and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. But her life took an unexpected turn in 2019 when her father became ill, and she took over his automatic services mystery shopping business, she said. 

She never expected to be painting portraits of shelter dogs that now hang at local cafes like Cartel Roasting Co. and The Monica. 

“Each painting is done with so much care and detail, it’s honestly beautiful to watch her work and see each piece come to life,” said Christina Willis, manager at The Monica, where her pieces hang at the bar.

Painted pups

Swan, who volunteers at PACC, often paints long-stay dogs in hopes of getting them to their forever homes.

“I am about the dogs that are harder to adopt and more prickly,” she said.

But she chooses not to paint animals already scheduled for euthanasia. 

“I don’t think I can turn it out fast,” she said. “It’s okay if they end up on the euthanasia list, but I don’t want to bond with a dog or be told that they only have until Thursday to live.” 

She sees the animals in person to capture their personalities and includes descriptions next to each painting, including details like which dogs may be best as the only pet in a household or if they are good with other animals and kids.

“I like to create the mess of their personality with the splattered paint and the pain that they’ve experienced, because they are long-stay dogs,” she said. “But then make it a little beautiful with brightness and some happiness, because even if they’re cranky, even if they’re reactive, even if they can’t tolerate kids or something that isn’t perfect, their personality is enough.” 

In creating her art visuals, Swan looks to find the beauty in their flaws and quirks.

And it seems to work.

“What’s truly amazing is that every single dog she has painted and we’ve featured has ended up getting adopted. It’s been incredible to witness,” Willis said of the dogs featured at La Monica.

Visibility

It’s all about getting the animals seen by more people, said Amber Jones, a volunteer coordinator with Pima Animal Care Center. 

“We try to give those guys as much visibility as we can, give them a better life than what they’re having here at the shelter,” she said. “Though our staff works tremendously hard to give all the animals here the proper care and good welfare that they deserve.”

Other artists also bring visibility to the animals at PACC through paintings or other mediums to help them get seen, too, Jones said. 

Working with animals at the shelter can be challenging, especially as PACC faces high numbers of intakes and full kennels, forcing staff to make difficult decisions.

“But it is all the more important to remember the moments like the ones that Kat creates, where we are putting light to the happy endings, where we get to see these dogs find placements,” she said.

For more information about how to volunteer, adopt or foster a pet, visit PACC’s website. 

Swan’s work is on her website or her Instagram.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.