Dad’s amateur pet portraits raise $15,000 for homeless charity

LONDON – A British man is proving you don’t have to be the most talented to make a difference through art.

The father’s amateur pet portraits have helped raise thousands of dollars for charity, despite being not entirely accurate.

Phil Heckles says about six weeks ago he decided to draw a sketch of his dog and post it to Facebook. Along with the portrait, he joked he would sell it for around $390.

Heckles says he received an overwhelming response, including requests from other people wanting sketches of their pets.

Instead of charging for the drawings, Heckles set up a fundraiser for Turning Tides, a charity that helps the homeless. He says so far he has done about 220 portraits and raised over $15,000.