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Carolyn Menteith - writer, dog behaviorist and television presenter currently on Animal Planet's Top Dogs programme - and long-time friend of Allen Parton made the reveal of the portrait. During a very emotional speech she explained how, on embarking on a professional career in the canine world, her aim was to meet exceptional dogs and her very first assignment was to write about Endal. She has followed Endal's career over the last 10 years and often writes articles about his exploits and achievements, never once losing sight of the amazing human-animal bond that exists between this inspirational pair. Nigel Hemming, the well-known canine artist, who had accepted the commission to immortalise Canine Partner Endal on canvas, followed on from Carolyn and said that this had been personally an unusually unique and very exciting project to have been involved with. He also stated how in awe of Endal's abilities he was and found it humbling how Endal has transformed Allen's quality of life over the last 12 years. The significance of the reveal was just that bit more appropriate as 2008 has been designated the Year of the Assistance Dog. An emotional Gulf war veteran Allen Parton said "sadly one of the conditions of my head injury is long and short-term memory loss and my greatest fear is that in 10 years time I will have forgotten how Endal looks. This portrait, that has taken the best part of two years to produce, has closely been followed at each stage of development by the film crew that is making the Allen and Endal movie". After it had been revealed Allen said "I was totally lost for words. That adoring Endal look that I am so fortunate to experience ever single day has been truly captured on the canvas and one very precious moment in a long and illustrious career has now been captured forever. I really could not have found a more perfect artist to have painted Endal in this way. Nigel has spent an awful lot of time getting to know Endal, understanding what makes him tick and getting right under his skin to reveal the real Endal character."The finished portrait has a stunning image of Endal, proudly wearing his George cross medal, adoringly looking up towards his human partner Allen Parton. Painted in the background are very much softer images of Endal operating a cashpoint a machine, taking a tin off a supermarket shelf, operating a train door button, even one being naughty standing in a muddy ditch and one of Allen's all time favorite images of them both together. It is hoped that there will be an availability of limited edition prints of the portrait as it is so very unique and thought to be very much a collectors item. View more Endal photos at: www.endal.co.uk |
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