‘Down to the Bone’ exhibition held at the Onca Gallery in Brighton, UK, last month was hailed a “huge success”, having raised so far more than £10,500 (€12,400) for street dogs in Portugal. In addition, organisers collected around £1,000 (€1,180) of dog food which arrived in Portugal last week.
The food was transported from Brighton to the Algarve free of charge by Algarve Freight.
“We built ‘Dog Food Mountain’ and there was so much donated that we also managed to build ‘Bone Henge’,” said organisers.
The food was delivered to The New Goldra Dog Sanctuary in Loulé and will be distributed where it is most needed. Some food will go to other associations and some will go to council-run kennels.
Some of the money raised will go immediately to vets, who will use the money to neuter animals if, for example, the owners cannot afford to neuter or if associations have no funds.
Funds will also be used to help fund a puppy unit at The New Goldra Dog Sanctuary and will pay towards the concreting of the dog runs there.
‘Down to the Bone’ has proved so successful that art will continue to be sold online via its Facebook page, thus raising more money for the dogs in Portugal.
According to the Down to the Bone Mission Statement, one of the organisers of the exhibition has, for many years, worked in Portugal and Spain, where she has seen many street dogs suffering on a scale that does not happen in England.
“There are too many dogs in shelters in the UK awaiting adoption but we have a support network – the animals here, in the main, have basic but good care, water, food, a dry bed … Even these most simple needs are not met abroad. The dogs really do have to live on the street or if rounded up they are kept in appalling conditions for a few days before being put to sleep. These are the dogs that all funds raised through the exhibition will help.”
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