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| Luca (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
Today is World Animal Day. It is also exactly two years ago
I buried my dog Luca on a beautiful mountain overlooking the valley of Antigua
Guatemala. It was grey and rainy that day, quite fittingly, but just when we covered
her grave with dirt, the sun came through as if paying its last honours. A
little later, just after we purchased a much needed bottle of wine, the skies
broke open into a torrential downpour. Also quite fitting.
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| Monster (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
As sad as it was to burry my dog, it was also beautiful and
harmonious. Luca had been with me for a long 15 and a half years. I met her the
day she was born and she died in my arms. In between she had a wonderful life
and I’m happy I was there for the beginning, middle and end. But World Animal
Day is now forever the day that Luca died.
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| Ganja (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
I usually couldn’t care less about what International Day of
What it happens to be today, but World Animal Day has always been special, ever since I was
a little girl. I was one of those animal nerds, who rather crawled into the
rabbit cage than playing a game with other kids. World Animal Day was almost as
good as my birthday. At school we did animal-related activities and some teachers
even let us bring our pets to school. Which might actually not be the best of
ideas, stressing those poor kittens, hamsters and Guinea pigs out for
educational and recreational purposes. Even stupider was the idea of a
teacher at a school in my neighbourhood in Guatemala to build a cardboard arc
of Noah and telling her kindergarten students to bring a live animal, to
celebrate the love of Noah for animals. So every kid grabbed a random puppy or
kitten, always plenty of those around in Guatemala and brought it to school whether
the poor thing was ready to be separated from its momma or not. Those kittens
and pups, all unvaccinated of course, spent the whole day cuddled up together
in a cardboard boat. When it was time to leave each kid was given one animal
to take home. I really wonder how many of those animals are still alive today.
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| Noah (Guatemala, painting by Carin Steen) |
So that’s how I got Noah. My neighbours were not pleased at
all when their 5 year old daughter came home with a puppy. She was only 3-4 weeks old, way
too young of course to be separated from her mom. Big brother went to look for
the mom and siblings but couldn’t find them. And that’s how she ended up in my home-Noah turned out to be the craziest and funniest pup I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, she died when she
was only 13 months old, probably of a brain aneurysm. That really sucked an
there was nothing beautiful or harmonious about it.
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| Gaviota (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
By the way, I always thought World Animal Day is celebrated
on October 4th because it’s Francis of Assisi’s day, patron saint of animals.
But as it turns out, it´s an initiative started in Germany in 1925 by cynologist
Heinrich Zimmerman. And a cynologist is someone who studies dogs. Who knew! Thanks
Google. (Now I think I want to be a cynologist, later when I grow up.)
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| Tres (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
Anyway, going through the dog portraits I have painted over
the last few years, it was sad to realize that so many have already passed the
rainbow bridge. So here a little tribute to all those fantastic dogs, our
buddies and besties. Cheers to you all, dear doggies, I hope you’re having a
ball in heaven! (Pun intended.)
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| Lupita (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
And in case you´d like a portrait of your own dog, check out the Shop section on this blog!
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| Murci (Guatemala, painting by Carin Steen) |
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| Bambi (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen) |
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| Roxie (USA, painting by Carin Steen) |
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Bombero (Honduras, painting by Carin Steen)
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Hazel in Heaven (Guatemala, painting by Carin Steen)
Unidos para los Animales shelter, Guatemala (and not all deceased yet, thankfully!)
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