Rescued Labrador Turns Watercolour Artist, Raises Funds for Stray Animals
Photo : PTI
Hyderabad: A Labrador who was once found abandoned and tied up is now creating watercolour paintings to raise money for charity. Fittingly, she’s been named Dali, after the famous Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dalí. Dali was just 45 days old when she was rescued in a heartbreaking condition. Today, at two years old, she lives a joyful life with the Hyderabad couple who adopted her, said media reports. They recall the moment her painting journey began.
“She used to snatch the brush from my husband, who is an artist,” said Hoi Choudhury, Dali’s adopter. “She’d run off with it playfully. One of our friends joked that maybe it’s her way of protesting—maybe she actually wants to be part of it. So we let her try, and when she touched the canvas, we were overjoyed. It was like she was saying, ‘I want to paint too!’”
Since then, Dali has created several abstract artworks using a special brush made just for her. Her adopter, Snehangshu Debnath, explained how they came up with the idea.
“We did some research and realised we needed a dog-friendly brush—something she could hold comfortably in her mouth. So we made one at home using a wooden block, carefully carved to fit her jaw.”
Dali’s paintings are full of colour and spontaneity, much like her playful personality. In 2024, the couple compiled her 12 most popular artworks into a calendar.
As per a report by The New Indian Express, she had earned Rs 35,000 so far, which entirely goes to animal rescue and treatment for stray dogs. At home, Dali lives a happy and active life. She enjoys swimming, eating fruit, going on trips, and playing with her younger dog sibling, Miro, who is also a rescue.
