01/02/2026
Calling all first responder and public safety personnel service dog handlers!
We’d love to help spotlight a very special project created by one of our supporters, John Renaud.
John is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and a retired police officer with 35 years of service. Through John’s journey with PTSD, he has built meaningful friendships with service dog handlers and witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact these incredible, highly trained dogs have on people they support. John is an artist. He is a short story writer and painter and through these creative outlets, John has found a way to bring his art and passion together to create this new amazing project.
The 2026 Service Dog Portrait Project.
John is launching this heartfelt initiative to raise awareness about service dogs by painting one mini service dog portrait each month, completely free of charge and gifting it to the selected handler.
Each month, John will hand paint an original acrylic portrait of a service dog, share the finished artwork and the dog’s story and gift the portrait to the handler as a thank-you and tribute! Portrait Details include: Original acrylic on a 4”x4” canvas and it will come with its own wooden easel. To participate, you’ll need to provide: One or two clear colour photos of your service dog, a short write-up (at minimum the dog’s name and how long they have been working) and a mailing address so John can send the finished portrait to you.
If you are a service dog handler or know of one who might be interested, John would love to hear from you. Please email him at mratyc@gmail.com
This project means the world to John. Painting is not only his passion, but it also plays a meaningful role in supporting his own mental health and daily life. We’re proud to help him connect with the amazing first responder and public safety personnel service dog community and share his talent in such a generous way.
Please follow him and share to help spread the word! Let’s help John do what he loves and celebrate the incredible bond between service dogs and their handlers. 🐾
