Through kindness and painting, a local teenage artist is giving some of Arlington’s shelter pets a helping hand.
Keira Cheng, 17, is a volunteer artist for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue at 5159 Langston Blvd. The Woodson High School student has been creating portraits of the rescue’s resident cats and dogs since summer 2023, all the while advocating for their adoption via social media.
The portraits’ subjects are all considered “long stay” animals, meaning they have been at Lucky Dog for at least five months.
“The point is to kind of highlight the dogs that are usually overlooked,” Cheng told ARLnow. “I think a lot of times, people go into the shelter and they’re immediately drawn to the puppies and certain breeds.”
At least two animals with portraits have been adopted so far, with their new owners taking Cheng’s artwork home as a gift.
“It’s so wonderful seeing a young person take an interest and investment in the animals in her community, and … it is incredibly meaningful to us,” said Emily Jagdmann, Lucky Dog’s communications manager. “Everyone’s voice can make a difference and we are so grateful to Keira for using hers for our long stay animals.”
Of the 90 cats and 62 dogs at Lucky Dog’s Arlington location, three cats and five dogs have been there longer than five months. Two of the dogs, Buddy and Mikey, have been in the rescue’s care for over three years.
Cheng became interested in animal welfare after visiting a shelter in California that euthanized a high portion of its animals.
“Witnessing the way the dogs were treated, kind of all pushed into a small, small area, crowded, and you can tell they weren’t groomed, their eyes had infections — I really want to do something about that,” Cheng said.
Since fostering was not an option for Cheng, she began making portraits for Lucky Dog in 2023. She is currently an AP Drawing student and takes a senior portfolio class at the New York School of Arts in Vienna.
Cheng said she always been drawn to animal subjects in her work.
“You can really see the joy radiating off of them and the love in their eyes. You can see that they’re smiling and that their tail is wagging,” she said. “I really try to capture that, because I think it really shows more than a breed or an age.”
Cheng plans to study biological engineering in the future, and in the meantime, hopes to continue raising awareness of Lucky Dog’s furry residents.
“All of us at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue are so grateful to Keira for shining a spotlight on some of our longer stay dogs and cats,” Jagdmann said. “It is truly a community effort finding forever homes for these hidden gems, and we are grateful to have such a wonderful artist and animal rescue advocate like Keira helping us spread the word.”
