Many unwanted animals wander adoption clinics alone and unloved. The chance for many of the animals to find a home is generally quite low. A group of University art students decided to make a difference and help these often forgotten animals.

University art students worked with Companion Animal Alliance and other local animal adoption centers with a goal of increasing adoption rates. The students created wooden molds of the cats and dogs they saw while visiting the centers and used these molds to create large portrait prints.

The students hope the art will inspire those that see it to open their homes to the rejected animals. The prints will be donated to CAA, a local animal shelter, so visitors can be inspired.

The project is led by professor Leslie Koptcho in the College of Art & Design. Koptcho’s prints and bookworks are included in 35 permanent collections worldwide, including Australia, France, Japan, Portugal, Russia and the U.S. Her aim in creating the program was to get her students involved with a project that not only teaches them the required curriculum for the course, but also leaves a positive effect on the community.

“This is the students’ first time working with wood molds,” Koptcho said. ”Their first attempt is very impressive.”

The students’ prints came to life in the basement of Hatcher Hall. Students etched designs into wood blocks, using pictures of the animals available for adoption as a reference. These wooden molds are coated in ink then pressed into paper to create prints.

Koptcho setup the project with Jennifer Jenkins, the placement and adoption manager at Companion Animal Alliance. Jenkins brought an Australian shepherd named Max to the University for the students to use as a reference when making prints.

“The shelter started Nov. 14, and our volunteer enrollment has only skyrocketed since,” Jenkins said. “We currently have 1,400 people on the roll now. Every volunteer orientation we have is packed.”

Jenkins said she is hopeful that this can become a yearly project with the shelter and printmaking class working together.

Students involved in the project are excited to help the animals in need. Chloe Smith, a printmaking and art history sophomore, went with a group of students to Companion Animal Alliance and said she suffered from heartache as she looked over all the unwanted animals.

“It won’t hurt people to go out and visit an animal shelter,” Smith said. “There are so many cute dogs that need a home, and it’s hard seeing them all with their big sad eyes.”

The prints will be shown at an exhibition at Companion Animal Alliance in April.