Too Big, Too Old, Too Damaged: The Viral-Era Artist Giving Unwanted Shelter Dogs a Rescue Story We All Needed

The gut-punch, two-picture story that's got rescue lovers everywhere sniffling — from an artist who lives by 'radical compassion.'

Two simple paintings have taken over feeds this month, capturing in one glance the heartbreaking reality of the dogs left behind in shelters, watching visits come and go — always the hardest to place, always last to leave.

'Waiting' speaks for every overlooked dog, while 'Chosen' delivers the happy ending we've all been crossing our fingers for. UK artist Amber Fossey — who creates as Zeppelinmoon — explains she first painted 'Waiting' to call out how Greyhounds and black-coated dogs keep getting passed over, making them the longest-held residents in rescue kennels. The response stunned her: strangers begged for a sequel, so she painted 'Chosen.' Now she's flooded with stories from adopters whose 'hopeless case' dogs ended up saving them right back.

Rooting for countless more happy endings for every pup still counting the days.

Meet the human behind the brush: Zeppelinmoon, aka Amber Fossey

Fossey's path here is anything but typical. She trained as a doctor and dabbled in forensic psychiatry before pivoting in 2017 to paint creatures with swagger and heart, spinning themes of radical compassion into whimsical watercolours. She's convinced every living being can feel and thrive, and she champions the outcasts and the endangered. On any given day you might find her, a little eccentric, perched in an English oak pretending to be a sloth and clucking at crows. See more at zeppelinmoon.com.

This story first ran in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!