Van Gogh is a one-eared dog who used to be used as bait in dog fights in the US which is where he lost an ear and hence the name. He, however, found his way to his "forever home" after he began to paint like his namesake -- the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter.
The seven-year-old pit bull mix was helped by Jaclyn Gartner, founder and president of the nonprofit Happily Furever After Rescue in Bethel, Connecticut. She had come across a photo of the injured, bleeding dog on social media and immediately knew she wanted to help him.
Gartner had created her foster-based rescue in 2020 to help overlooked shelter dogs like pit bulls. So Van Gogh was a perfect fit.
“The second I saw his picture online, I just had love for this dog,” Gartner, 34, told TODAY.com. “The smile he had was just so big, and he seemed so sweet. I spoke to the shelter about him and they said he hadn’t gotten any interest.”
“When he came off, he was wagging his tail and rubbing up against everybody,” she said. “He was so friendly right at the start.”
Gartner added that she came to know from the dog's neighbours that Van Gogh was a stray before people snatched him off the streets and used him as bait in a dogfighting ring for other dogs to attack. She told the publication that the dog was possibly dumped back outdoors when they were done with him.
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Van Gogh was found bloodied in a drainpipe with an ear so damaged it needed to be removed. But because of his background and his fear of other animals, few seemed interested in adopting him.
But Gartner found the solution in his name. She decided to find a way to ffor the dog to re-create Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” as a gift for potential adopters.
She put dollops of paint on a canvas and sealed it in a plastic bag, before smearing it with peanut butter. As Van Gogh began to lick the peanut butter off the canvas, he created his first painting.
“It was adorable,” Gartner said. “He was really enjoying it.”
Eventually, Van Gogh licked enough canvases for Gartner to decide to organise a gallery exhibition for potential adopters. But, only two people turned up. When she expressed her disappointment on social media, that's when it all changed.
Word spread. People started buying Van Gogh’s work, commissioning pieces, and eventually, the dog also met his adoptive parent Jessica Starowitz.
Now, Van Gogh has settled in nicely to his forever home. “He’s a love. I can’t believe how forgiving he is for what he’s been through,” his adopter, Jessica Starowitz, told TODAY.
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