Anna Hamilton Brings Her Dogs Down to Gulfport

On a recent Friday, Dunedin muralist Anna Hamilton’s canvas was the deep brown siding of a business in Gulfport. Holding a photo in one hand and a brush in the other, Hamilton traced a creamy outline of Liz Wood’s beloved Chihuahua.

The rescued dog’s penetrating eyes emerged as Hamilton added earthy tones. In about an hour, Bandit was on the building just to the side of the door as if he were waiting to head inside.

Hamilton, famed for the Dogeden mural that wraps around 's outside walls, recently began painting dogs portraits on buildings in Gulfport as part of a similar project concept.

The Gulfport Pet Art Project is a collaborative effort coordinated by Murals for Mutts, Inc., which was founded in late 2010. The non-profit campaign raises money for animal welfare by painting pet portraits and murals in communities around the country. The Gulfport Pet Art Project will raise money for Limbo Chihuahuas-Chihuahua Rescue and Save Our Strays, Inc.

Local businesses donate the wall space. Participating in the Gulfport Pet Art Project was an easy decision said Bobbi Stapleton, who owns Domain Home Accessories along with Michael Knettel. Their dog, Bailey, a rescued pit bull and Chihuahua mix, will soon join Bandit on the building's earthy brown exterior. 

Gulfport artist and animal advocate Mary Megan Barrett, who is also painting pet murals in town, approached Domain and several other local businesses to see if they would donate wall space.

“You can’t not do this — to me it’s a no brainer. For this city it’s a no brainer. We are so pet friendly. You meet so many people when you have a pet. The thing we are proudest of (as a boutique) is all of our original art. We have original works of 83 American artists, 65 of them are from the local area. Having original art on the building is a no brainer,” Stapleton said.

Murals for Mutts came to Gulfport as a result of Barrett’s efforts and requests from people who saw Hamilton’s dog mural in Dunedin.

“I got emails from people saying, ‘Hey, we would love that in Gulfport.’ We got contacted by Barrett.” Hamilton said. “Through Murals for Mutts we could raise money for animal rescues, keep artists working and help promote local businesses. A lot of these animals we memorialize. It means so much for people to see the animal on the wall. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

The Gulfport murals will be all over downtown instead of just one wall like in Dunedin.

“(The pets) are going to be like they are just sitting there. They are going to be everywhere like a little scavenger hunt. This is fun because it involves the whole downtown,” Hamilton said.

Behind Murals for Mutts is the creative team of Hamilton and Dawn Carney. More than 400 people have donated to have their beloved pets' portraits painted on the Dogeden mural.

Carney started rescuing dogs in the late 1990s (Lucky was her first). She found her professional niche in artist management and public relations. She volunteers for dog rescue organizations including Dunedin Doggie Rescue. She believes, “service is the rent we pay for living.”

Visit www.muralsformutts.com.