At first, the only animals in sight were in picture frames, hanging on the wall, until two wagging tails rounded the corner and lit up the room.

Attendees of the Art for Animals event packed into a small room in Downtown Artery on Friday to bid for art featuring animals, but were distracted for a brief second by the two dogs that came scampering into the small setting.

The dogs were “shelter stars” living in the Animal House Rescue and Grooming shelter. The shelter, which benefited from some of the auction proceeds, focuses on giving second chances to animals to find a better life in their forever homes.

Stacey Hudson, a volunteer for Animal House, said, “We specialize in dogs. We take them all over the country and give them a second chance. We have 50 or so in foster and 20 to 35 in shelter.”

The money made off of the sold paintings will go toward helping Animal House provide the best care for their animals.

While the purpose of the event was to raise money for Animal House, it also showcased the artistic abilities of Colorado State University’s veterinary students and staff. 

One might not guess that a student devoting their time to veterinary school would have an eye for art, but Deb Lanzi, a second year veterinary student, said many are multi-talented. The artwork included animals as varied as birds, seals and, of course, dogs.

“There is so much talent in all of our students,” Lanzi said. “It’s really amazing to see veterinary students and research fellows with so much artistic talent in addition to their medical skills.”

The artwork displayed at the event was auctioned off to bidders. Theresa Wendland, another veterinary student, donated two small paintings to the event in hopes of raising more money for the cause.

“I have a fine arts degree, and I had been missing art after being in veterinary school for so long,” Wendland said. “When the opportunity came up this year, I was excited to be involved in both volunteering and in being able to donate artwork.”

However, it isn’t necessary to bid on a piece of artwork to support Animal House — just help a dog find a forever home and adopt.

Collegian Reporter Lyra Wiley can be reached at news@collegian.com.