Gallery Of Travel

It’s true: there is no shortage of pet portrait artists out there and many of them do work that is quite good. In fact, throughout the history of art, this has always been the case. Some of the finest works of art in the world resonate against both the artist’s and the viewer’s love of animals.

Now all of that said, as with anything art-related, an element of subjectivity is required when looking at the work in question and as soon as I looked at Robyn C. Hill’s, my heart responded. Hill’s portraits seem to me to include a richness and a depth that you don’t see every day.

Hill tells me that she’s “professionally trained and certified in the Visual Arts. I’ve been producing beloved portraits for friends and family outside of my gallery career for many years and due to their reception and my own love of animals, I am now offering my talents to others.”

Hill says clients can anticipate one-on-one collaboration with the artist. She communicates with the client throughout the creation process, sending photos and updates so that they can watch the handmade artwork evolve into a timeless and unique treasure.

You can visit Hill on the Web here.

We really love Cougar’s Crag Dog Friendly Extreme B&B. The property and house are gorgeous. Fifteen acres of West Coast splendour and the house is the perfect blend of luxury and edge of nature. (Can you say “split level level with a turbo tub”? I knew you could!) And get this: not only is your pet welcome, if you want, the lovely and friendly owners will watch your best friend while you take in the local sights or indulge in some of the local extreme sport opportunities.

“We can watch Fido while you take in the sights,” says owner Steve Schweighofer. “After all, he's our guest, too. And, when your best four-legged friend accompanies you to the sandy beaches or muddy trails, we have the mudroom facilities where he can be washed down -- before he jumps into bed with you.”

It’s an awesome place to spend a weekend with your pooch and they are great people and dog lovers.

Schweighofer says that they have been operating “a dog-welcoming bed and breakfast for the past seven years and have had literally hundreds of dogs of all breeds stay here with their owners.” Not only that, but dog lovers make up the largest portion of their clientele. “Eighty-five per cent of our customers are dog owners and we don’t restrict by breed or size, don’t charge extra or ask for a deposit, and offer free dog-sitting if the guests want to participate in non-dog friendly activities such as ziplining, whale watching or visiting a museum.”

Not only is the property gorgeous, it’s well-located and they offer close access to the hundreds of parks and trails of southern Vancouver Island. “ Ideal for dogs and active owners,” says Schweighofer. “As well, we’re only 30 minutes from downtown Victoria and 15 minutes from Sooke which makes weekend getaways easy. We operate 365 days a year on a reservation basis, and can book up four to six weeks in advance.”

And they truly seem to love their canine clients and their owners. “Our experience has been extremely positive,” Schweighofer says. “We’ve never had a bad dog here either from damage or aggression -- and we can’t say that about children. Dog owners, themselves, simply make the best guests as there is a certain mindset attained from owning and caring for an animal that positively affects people’s behaviour towards others. We even have guests who live in pet-restricted conditions and come specifically because we are dog-friendly, just so that they can have that interaction the rest of us take for granted.”

Between the owner’s generous and loving attitude and the gorgeous house and surroundings, it’s difficult to think of a better place for pets and their owners to get away for a few restful and restorative days.

You can visit Cougar’s Crag on the Web here.