George the Dog, John the Artist: A Rescue Story

For years, John Dolan had been living rough, trying his best to get by. Born and bred on the estates of east London, his early life was marked by neglect and abuse, and his childhood gift for drawing was stamped out by the tough realities outside his front door. As he grew older, he turned to petty crime to support himself and ended up in prison. On coming out, he soon found himself on the streets, surviving day-by-day, living hand-to-mouth. It wasn’t until he met George, a homeless Staffy puppy, that his life changed for the better. To begin with, George was a handful: he had been abused himself and was scared of human contact. Soon, John and George became inseparable. It was then that John decided to pick up his long-forgotten gift for drawing, sitting on the sidewalk for hours at a time, sketching pictures of George that he would sell to passers-by. With his best friend by his side, and a pencil in his hand, John suddenly found his life’s calling.