Portraits with Purpose
Let’s celebrate shelter animals.
Let’s get them seen. Let’s make it fun.
Portraits with Purpose is a creative initiative created by artist and shelter volunteer Agnes Pierscieniak. Through vibrant digital pet portraits — created using AI tools and hands-on artistic direction — the project helps shelter dogs be seen, celebrated, and adopted.
Every dog has a personality.
A presence. A story.
This project exists to make sure those stories are visible.
When a dog is adopted, their new family receives a custom portrait as a keepsake. Additional portraits are displayed in local businesses and shared online to increase visibility for dogs still waiting for homes. The goal is simple: turn awareness into connection, and connection into adoption.
Why It Matters
Portraits with Purpose reframes shelter support as something joyful, visible, and community-driven. Through art, the project builds bridges between local artists, volunteers, small businesses, and animal advocates.
Join the movement.
Commission a portrait.
Help a dog be seen.
Order products featuring current adoptable animals.
The Shelter Art Shop is ready to order →
For a custom portrait of your own pet, visit Custom Pet Portraits—each commission helps fund portraits that give shelter dogs more visibility and a better chance at finding home.
If you’re interested in sponsoring this work—or supporting outreach through funding, amplification, or strategic partnership—I’d love to explore how we could collaborate to support local shelters together.
When someone commissions a custom pet portrait, they help fund the creation of artwork for shelter animals. This art increases visibility, honors each animal’s story, and supports adoption efforts. The broader goal is outreach. These portraits are used to help animals find homes by being shared across social media, gifted to adopters at the time of adoption, and used to recognize shelter staff and volunteers.
We’re seeking brand partners to sponsor this outreach—supporting the creation, distribution, and amplification of shelter portraits. Sponsorship enables more animals to be seen, more stories to be told, and more adoptions to happen, while aligning brands with a visible, heartfelt mission rooted in community impact.
You can support the initiative by:
Commissioning a custom portrait of your pet
Sharing available adoptable dogs
Hosting artwork in your business
Spreading the word
Small acts of visibility create meaningful change.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
— Agnes Pierscieniak
