Wayne County’s Mural Mania has brightened the Erie Canal landscape from Fairport to Syracuse with its hand-painted public art highlighting local history. The latest mural honors rescue pets at the Humane Society of Wayne County in Lyons.

What started with one dog has grown into a pet rescue mural featuring 101 cats, dogs and even a bunny.

What You Need To Know

  • Mural Mania is an effort to create beautiful public art that highlights our local history

  • A pet rescue mural is being painted on the animal shelter at the Humane Society of Wayne County

  • Mural Mania includes more than 40 outdoor public murals along the Erie Canal and Seaway trail

Bev Owen is what you might call a feel-good artist.

“I like all animals. I am into eyes, so without the eyes the painting isn’t worth anything to me," said Owens as she painted a dog on the mural.

She is one of half a dozen volunteer artists painting the pet portraits to highlight pet adoption.

“I guess I feel the heart,” Owen said. “I feel like it is bringing them back a little bit and it makes a great memorial that people can come and see and have a connection with so that’s kind of why I do this.”

Most of the pets in the mural are rescues adopted from animal shelters. Every one of them is super special to someone. It’s that unconditional love. Pets are a lifesaver and a part of the family.

“That is “Peanut” right on the rock here. She was adopted here at the Humane Society of Wayne County. I came out and visited her at lunch one day and called home and said this is something I want and I came back the next day and I adopted her,” said Christine Worth of Wayne County.

This vibrant mural of rescue pets on a packet boat on the Erie Canal scene is part of Mural Mania that stretches 85 miles from Monroe, Wayne and over to Onondaga County.

Mark De Cracker is so proud of the public art project that engages, enhances and enlivens the community.

“It is not the paintbrush to the canvas but the emotion behind the paint brush,” said De Cracker. “It’s just these stories and now you have people’s pets who are only with us at most 13 years or so. This is a mural to memorialize these wonderful animals. I hear some love their pets more than people.”

Donations to the pet mural go to Mural Mania and the Humane Society of Wayne County that helps 1,200 dogs and cats a year.

Mural Mania includes more than 40 outdoor public murals along the Erie Canal and Seaway trail. The next mural is being painted now in Sodus on North Maple Avenue. A special thanks goes to the Lyons Community Center, Golden Artists Colors, Secor Lumber, Sean Dobbins and all of the pet sponsors.