This mural is very personal to me. Each one of these animals was a part of my life: 1 adopted, 1 found a stray, and 1 bought.
The cat on the far left is Ribs, a 14-year-old farm cat who was given up to the ARL for adoption because of arthritis and stomach problems, and was adopted by my husband, who has since passed away in 2026
The dog in the middle was my childhood pet, Lilly. She was the runt about to be left for dead by a dog seller, but was saved by a 6-year-old me. She passed away in 2025.
The cat on the far right is Ruth, found in a barn as a small kitten, given to my husband and me. We raised her for a few months, then gave her to my father-in-law, who has always dreamed of an orange cat.
The similarity between all of these animals was that they were given a second chance, either in old age or just born. This is what the ARL strives for, to give animals a second chance.
These three images were made in Procreate, then brought into Illustrator to create one large mural.
