“Abundance & Charity” by Artist Lauren E. Todd

These works were created to raise awareness about the unfair treatment and tragic suffering of thousands of puppies in puppy mills across the nation. I chose to draw attention to the involvement of one particular location, Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, the county in which I currently reside. In addition to gaining notoriety for the abundant "authentic" Amish attractions, shopping outlets, dinner theaters and shoofly pies, Lancaster is infamous for being the nation’s hub for illegal puppy mills and animal mistreatment. In order to illustrate Lancaster County’s prevalent role in the exploitation of animals, I chose to make small paintings inspired directly by a familiar folk craft, a hex sign, that is a symbol of the county’s German roots. I appropriated symbols found on traditional hex signs and incorporated imagery relating to the theme "Puppies are Biodegradable." Representations of fear and oppression were used to contrast the traditional themes of happiness and goodwill to present the view that puppy mills are destructive. It is my hope that viewers will look past the painted surface and be moved to eradicate puppy mills and ensure the humane treatment of animals. Artist Lauren E. Todd of Pennsylvania