Both The HSUS and the animals found a friend when Billings-based artist Sandra Merwin called the Northern Rockies Regional Office in the fall of 2004 to see if she could help. Known worldwide for her animal portraits and her captivating wild horse series, Merwin already had a plan. She proposed that she join The HSUS in co-sponsoring a number of animal contests in which people send in a picture of their pet along with an entry fee. The winners would receive an original portrait of their pet painted by Sandra.

The contests quickly brought animal lovers together in competition ion several categories, including Unbridled Love: Horse, Pony, Mustang, and Mule Contest I and II; the Cat of the Year Contest, which ran in conjunction with HSUS’ Safe Cats events; and the Pets for Life Contest.

The contests attracted media attention and were such a success that enough entry fees were collected for the Northern Rockies Regional Office of The HSUS to purchase a horse rescue trailer. It couldn’t have been better timing either, because days after the trailer arrived, our staff deployed to Hurricane Katrina. The trailer was inaugurated with a 4,000-mile round-trip journey, allowing the team to help many animals in the devastated Gulf region.

Sandra also began donating 20 percent of the sales from her gallery to The HSUS. This amazing gift continues to support HSUS animal health assessment teams that work cruelty cases and other special projects.

Sandra doesn’t just give her money and talents to The HSUS. She also provides new contacts and a network of supporters she “recruits” from her Billings’ gallery located in Rue d’Artists. Whether you’re attending an open house, a city wide Art Walk event, or simply stopping in to browse, it’s unlikely that you’ll leave Sandra’s gallery without hearing about the regional office. If you’re a child, you’ll probably leave with an edition of “KIND News” in hand.

Little did we know that on that cool fall day in 2004 we weren’t just making a friend. We were embarking on a wonderful journey with an advocate for all animals.

If you can’t make it to Big Sky Country to see Merwin's work up close, you can still see her work, including the portraits of the contest winners, at sandramerwin.com. While you’re there, email her a quick note to thank her for being such a wonderful supporter of The HSUS and the animals of the great northern Rockies region. 

The Merwin Gallery is at 2301 Montana Avenue in Billings, Mont.