Save The Dals: Letter Of Thanks

We are pleased and honored to have received this letter of thanks from Save The Dals organization, which relates to donated funds received from sale of Painting, shown here as well. This is a heartwarming story of a man and his dog. . .

Years ago I had Painted this Dalmatian, named "Fiasco", but immediately lost contact with his owner, Mr. Bradly Kathol, who was known by my neighbor at the time, but neither of us at that time knew his name. And then we moved . . . and though from time to time I would use the Painting in shows, it never sold. Then the economy turned bad, and I was ready to place the Framed Dalmatian up for sale once more, at a much reduced price. However, something in the back of my head kept nagging . . . find his owner! I had even talked with my prior neighbor, who still lived on our old street, but no longer saw the same man walking his dog on our old block!

So I turned to our local newspaper for help. They placed an image of my Painting in that next Sundays newspaper, along with the story of the lost Dalmatian owner. It did not take long and I received an email. Mr. Kathol's brother had seen the Sunday paper and recognized not only the dog, but the carpet on which Fiasco was laying in the painting!

Local artist seeks owner of dog in painting
Does this dog look familiar?

Wichita artist Vera Dennen is looking for the dog's owner, whom she met in 2004 or 2005.

Dennen said she met the man while he was walking his dog in the 4100 block of English.

"I had seen him walking his dog several times by our house," Dennen said. "It was such a beautiful, striking dog, I asked him for a picture and asked would he mind if I painted it."

The man gave her a photo of the dog and his contact information, which she lost, Dennen said. She has since moved to another part of Wichita.

Dennen would like to find the dog's owner so she could share the painting with him and provide him a print.

"This work was not solicited by the man walking his dog, so am not concerned with a possible sale here at all," she said. "If it was my dog, I think I would like to see it."

If you think you recognize the dog in the painting, e-mail Dennen at vera@veradennenstudio.com.

—Diane McCartney
Read more: Click Here To Read Paper
Anyway, it tuned out that Fiasco had passed away two years before, and the very grateful owner insisted on paying for the already framed painting! I was just sooooooo very happy that my beloved Dalmatian Painting had finally found the home where it belonged, that nothing would make any sense but to place a full price donation in the hands of Save The Dals, for their wonderful and extensive work in behalf of this breed.

And here is their letter of thanks, which I shared with Mr. Kathol.