Unleashing the Love with Art
The shared bond between humans and their cherished pets simply goes beyond words. Some ‘Unleash the Love’ through adopting, fostering, or donating. Sierra E. Scoggin, however, has a more artistic approach.
Sierra began volunteering at the Cheyenne Animal Shelter after her Grandfather’s friend introduced the idea. “My grandfather agreed and encouraged me to try volunteering because he knows I can play and socialize with the cats [...] It also gives me something to do since I am currently taking a year off of college and searching for jobs,” Sierra explains. With her Grandfather’s encouragement, Sierra signed up for her first shift.
As a volunteer, Sierra dedicates her time to assisting our Animal Care team, engaging in tasks such as cleaning kennels, providing enrichment, and socializing with our feline residents. Sierra’s love for cats, however, began at 6 years old when her family adopted a tiny gal named Patches. Their bond continued to blossom over the years as Patches became Sierra’s fluffy sidekick, even accompanying her for her first year of college! Now, Sierra utilizes her incredible artistic talent to help adoptable cats find the purrrfect home.
The first recipient of a portrait was a 3-year-old orange cat named Mort. Mort had been patiently waiting on the adoption floor for roughly a month, quickly becoming a fan favorite amongst the Shelter staff and volunteers. With our Volunteer Coordinator Austin Coward’s support, Sierra created her very first design featuring this ‘VIC’ (Very Important Cat). The Shelter staff was simply amazed by the artwork of Mort. So amazed, in fact, the CAS Director of Operations, Michael Upton, designed staff t-shirts featuring the Mort design.
“Most of the artwork I've made is digital and done on my iPad,” says Sierra, describing the intricate process of creating such designs. “Digital artwork allows me to expand the range of fun colors and textures to use to make the artwork itself stand out and catch everyone's attention, as well as giving the kitty a higher chance to be adopted! A majority of the ideas I come up with are from discussions with my friends and grandparents after I show them images or videos of the cat I chose to draw.”
Sierra makes sure that each piece is a personalized representation of the cat’s personality, name, and unique characteristics; Tank resting on his battle tank, Mr. Chonkington in all his fluffy glory, and Sparkler with her Eeyore eyes and box of fireworks. “Socializing and playing with the cats gives me a general idea on what the feline's personality is like before I head home and start thinking of ideas to draw them with,” Sierra explains.
While not everyone possesses artistic skills like Sierra E. Scoggin, the love between a human and a pet is universal! This holiday season, you have the opportunity to Unleash the Love by making a donation in your pet’s honor to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter. Your contribution, whether big or small, can make a significant difference in the lives of animals in need, just like Sierra.
Unleash the Love and make a donation today at www.cheyenneanimalshelter.org/donate.
