ScoutDog Studios Leaving Our Mark pick of the week is …. Tamira Thayne and Dogs Deserve Better.

Tamira Thayne, founder of the anti-chaining nonprofit organization Dogs Deserve Better, is definitely leaving her mark on the lives of dogs. And she continues it this holiday weekend.

She has spent 25 days – 250 hours – chained to a doghouse in front of the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to pass SB1435, a law which would help chained dogs with Operation Fido’s Freedom.

On Day 26, Labor Day, Thayne plans to go mobile with her doghouse to reach more people at a huge riverfront festival lasting all weekend, since the state Capitol will be quiet.

Then she will spend four days in a silent vigil and fast while chained to her doghouse at the Capitol steps. She has daily blogged, twittered, and facebooked from her chain, but internet communications, as well as speech and all food and drink except water will be cut off during those four days.

Thayne hopes that Pennsylvania dog lovers will continue to call members of the Senate Ag Committee during her vigil, and make plans to attend a dog rally on the steps of the Capitol September 13, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in support of anti-chaining legislation, the gas chamber bill, and puppy mill laws.

She also asks supporters to attend Mike Brubaker’s town hall meeting with her September 15, 2010, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Witmer Fire Protection Association, 455 Mount Sidney Rd., Witmer, PA 17585 to urge him to allow the bill out of the Ag Committee and get it onto the Senate Floor for a vote.

The ScoutDog Studios Breed of the Week is Tugger.

Many of your are probably have never heard of the dog breed “Tugger.” Well there was only one. Tugger was my sister’s dog and then became my Mom’s little buddy when my sister went off to college. He was a Schnauzer and the runt of the litter. He never really developed the traditional Schnauzer look but he had a huge personality so I created a breed just for him. And usually I don’t include my realistic work but I wanted to share a painting I did of him that captures his look and personality.

Meet Emma Zen.

These are some custom illustrations that I have completed of a talented dog with an amazing story. Emma Zen is a rescue dog, therapy dog, biker dog, model, blogger and more. Check out her website at www.emmazen.com and become a fan on Facebook.

I’ll also going to be working with her mom and illustrating her adventures in a series of books.

Custom Illustrations

Now you can order a custom ScoutDog-style illustration of your dogs. Working from photos I will create a custom illustration of your dog or dogs. You can send photos via email to bark@scoutdogstudios.com. You can also mail them to the studio: ScoutDog Studios, 3995 Zenobia St., Denver, CO 80212. (The photos will be returned to you.)

You will receive:

1. One 8.5″ x 11″ print, signed by me and printed on Matte paper.

2. A link to download a high resolution file from which you can create your own prints. The file is in PDF format – 200 dpi, 8.5 x 11 inches.

For a drawing with 1 dog – $100
For a drawing with 2 dogs – $160
For a drawing with 3 dogs – $220
For a drawing with 4 dogs – $280
For a drawing with more than 4 dogs, please send photos, and contact me for a quote.

Meet Abbey … a French Bulldog. I’ve done a 6×6 painting of each of Abbey’s brothers and sisters, including Beignet who you meet last week, so this completes the set.

Our rescue group of the week came to our attention via our good friend Emma Zen …. Kruise 4 K-9s and Labrador Harbor. Labrador Harbor is leaving its mark on the lives of dogs.

Kruise 4 K-9s is an annual fundraiser for Labrador Harbor, an emergency funding nonprofit for Labrador Retrievers with medical needs in California. The 2010 was held over the weekend with a motorcycle ride from Oceanside to Julian. Check out some video of last year’s event.

Labrador Harbor was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in late 2005 to provide charitable funds to private citizens or non-profit rescue organizations that directly benefit the immediate physical well-being of Labrador Retrievers. They believe there are too many labs who are euthanized simply because loving families and supporters simply do not have the financial resources to cover the costs of life-saving medical procedures or rehabilitation. There goal is to help provide financial assistance and resources to these families and supporters in an effort to provide a second chance to labs that would benefit from surgeries or rehabilitation techniques.