A North Carolina animal shelter gets creative with 'Poorly Drawn Pets' fundraiser

USA Today

13-03-2025

A North Carolina animal shelter gets creative with 'Poorly Drawn Pets' fundraiser
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Cumberland County Animal Services: $10 custom pet portraits fundraiser
Cumberland County Animal Services' 'Poorly Drawn Pets' fundraiser gives you a custom pet portrait for $10 while helping animals in need!
Dogs are constantly making their humans smile, but an animal shelter in North Carolina figured out just how happy pet owners get when they're getting a poorly drawn photo of their dog.
The Cumberland County Animal Services in North Carolina raised over $2,000 by selling poorly drawn photos of people's pets, according to its Facebook post.
Every year, before kitten season starts in spring, the shelter holds a "Poorly Drawn Pets Fundraiser," Anna Hill, the rescue's foster coordinator, told USA TODAY. People can pay $10, and volunteers and employees from the shelter will send them a sketch of their pets.
But results may vary. Those willing to gamble $10 can get works of art inspired by their pups or a very cute scribble.
Volunteers and staff are "a hidden Picasso (an actual artist), orrrrrr you might get something that looks like the work of a chicken (but we'll give it our best shot)," the shelter said in their post on Facebook.
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What is the fundraiser for?
The fundraiser helps the shelter collect money for its medical fund, according to its Facebook page.
The fund helps treat animals' injuries, covers life-saving procedures or critical care,
"We get several dogs who come in injured, whether it's a broken leg or we see a lot of animals that are hit by cars," Hill said.
It's more obvious that animals with severe injuries will have their care covered by the medical fund, but that money also goes to looking up microchips in dogs that could help the shelter reunite them with their owners.
"That care can be extremely expensive," said Hill. "Especially recently, it has skyrocketed."
In the past, their medical fund has helped dogs, like Geneva, who is currently in foster care, according to Hill. The dog was hit by a car, and her hip was dislocated.
The shelter's medical fund covered the surgery she needed to fix her leg, and she is now available for adoption.
The shelter's favorite drawings
One of Hill's favorite drawings was one made for a woman who said she purchased a portrait of her 16-year-old pug that recently passed away.
The shelter made sure to assign the portrait to a staff member who was a "fairly good artist," she said.
Another favorite, which was funnier that it was good, was one of a "little scruffy dog."
"It kind of looks like a gremlin," said Hill.
How to get a portrait of my animal
The shelter creates portraits of any animal, not just cats and dogs.
Hill, who runs a small hobby farm with around 25 animals on it, got a portrait of her alpaca during a previous fundraiser.
Unfortunately, the shelter's fundraiser has ended for this year.
But there's hope for 2026 if you want to get a portrait. At the beginning of each year, people can send in photos of their pets and get the best (or maybe worse) portrait of their best friends to cherish forever.
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [e-mail]