Dogs never cease to amaze me. They are the purest, most loving, joyful creatures on the planet. When we’re in a time of darkness, dogs are there to lift our spirits.

After the Tree of Life shooting here in Pittsburgh on October 27th I’ve been especially reliant on my dogs to get me through this sad time. Lucy and Burt are always there to make sure I get up at 6:30am, no matter how badly I want to stay in bed and hide from the world. They also make sure I get out for a long walk every day.

Our regular walk route goes right past the Tree of Life, so this week we’ve been able to provide a little extra dog love to people we see along the way. One morning two women stopped for some cuddles and another day a neighbor invited us into her yard to let our dogs play together.

It’s wonderful how dogs can bring us together as a community. On Tuesday night I invited all the lovable dogs I know to come together at a local park to offer a furry hug to anyone who needed it. The 50 or so pups who showed up wagged, licked, ran, and begged for treats until every person there was smiling. That was no small feat just days after the shooting.

I’m so thankful for dogs!

I wanted to do something more to inspire this dog love to spread and grow out in the world. So I created this artwork that I’m offering as a free digital download in my shop. In exchange for the free download, please consider making a donation to the Shiva.org effort to plant trees in Israel in memory of the 11 victims of the Tree of Life shooting.

Click here to get the print in my shop.

Go directly to the fundraising page. You can also donate directly to the Tree of Life GoFundMe page if you’d like to further support the victims of this senseless tragedy.