Sam the Painting Dog Funds Service Dog Training with Money Made from Art Sales

Paintings which have sold for up to $1,700 along with national and international fame is not a bad start for an artist who has only painted 22 pieces of art work to date and donates all of his art proceeds to funding service dog training. Combine that impressive start with the fact that the artist holds the paint brush in his mouth while standing on four legs and you'll have Sam, the painting dog. Sam's talents earned him a spot on the Today Show along side of Al Roker earlier this year. A current video on YouTube features the painting pooch in action.

Sam, who is a sheep dog-bloodhound mix is a rescue dog that arrived at a service dog training center called Shore Service Dogs. The original plan of Mary Stadelbacher, owner of Shore Service Dogs, was to train Sam to be a service dog. That plan was interrupted when Mary Stadelbacher had to undergo surgery and found herself needing a little help around the house until she had fully recovered from a bungled surgical procedure done on her hand.

During the time that Sam was helping his benefactor around the house, Ms. Stadelbacher became aware of paintings done by various animals. With an amateur painting background herself, Ms. Stadelbacher felt certain that if other animals could paint, so could dogs, specifically Sam.

Armed (or should I say mouthed?) with a custom made paint brush, Sam the painting dog begins his artwork at Ms.. Stadelbacher's command of "paint". Sam is classified as an abstract artist that loves to use a variety of colors in each of his paintings, layering paint colors from dark shades to lighter paint colors on top.

Trendy New York art galleries have displayed Sam's paintings, with art collectors and other dog owners purchasing Sam's unique paintings.

Most of the proceeds from Sam's paintings goes to fund the training of service dogs at Shore Service Dogs located in Maryland. Shore Service Dogs takes in abandoned and neglected dogs and gives them a second chance by custom training them to suite an individual clients needs. Some of the sales proceeds from Sam's paintings have went to Animal Haven, a non-profit organizations that finds homes for abandoned dogs and cats.

Sam's original painting masterpieces are signed with one black paw print and numbered for future posterity.

Sam is using his second chance by delighting the art world with his painting talents and providing funds for service dog training.

Sources:

http://shoreservicedogs.com/index.shtml#Anchor-top
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6373384/Paintings-by-dog-sell-for-more-than-1000.html