The Most Famous Labrador in Britain?
Published on March 11, 2008 by Freelance Contributors · No CommentsCanine Partner Endal immortalised for ever
It was during 12 year old Yellow Labrador Endal’s record breaking 11th appearance at Crufts, that an Oil portrait of this arguably world’s most famous assistance dog was revealed to the world’s media on Sunday in the Crufts NEC press office.
Carolyn Menteith writer, dog behavioral expert and Television presenter currently on Animal Planet’s Top dogs programme….. long time friend of Allen Parton made the reveal of the portrait. During a very emotion 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 ten years and often write articles about his exploits and achievements, never once losing sight of the amazing human animal bound that exist between this inspirational pair .
Nigel Hemming, the world renown canine artist, who had accepted the commission to immortalise Canine Partner Endal on Canvas ,following on from Carolyn, 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 twelve years. The significance of the reveal has been made that bit more appropriate as 2008 has been designated the Year of the Assistance dog.
An emotional Gulf war veteran Allen Parton said “that sadly one of the conditions of my head injury is long and short term memory loss and my greatest fear is that in ten 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 had been truly captured on the canvas and one very precious moment in a long and illustrious career has now been captured for ever. I really could not have found a more perfect artist to have painted Endal in this way. Nigel had 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 addition prints of the portrait as it is so very unique and thought to be very much a collectors item.
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