--- title: "A Pet is for life, not just for Christmas | News | Visit Keswick, Lake District" url: https://visitkeswick.com/news/a-pet-is-for-life-not-just-for-christmas description: "A Pet is for life, not just for Christmas: Cumbrian animal artist launches festive campaign for animal rescue centre" --- **Cumbrian animal artist launches festive campaign for animal rescue centre A Cumbrian artist, known for her vibrant and energetic animal paintings is launching a festive campaign to help support the much-loved local charity, Eden Animal Rescue. As the Christmas season approaches, Sarah Taylor-Brown wants to raise awareness that taking in a dog – or any other animal for that matter – ‘is for life, not just for Christmas’ as the old saying goes. To help spread the word, she has pledged to donate 10% of every cat or dog painting bought between now and 24 December to Eden Animal Rescue. Sarah commented: “Back in 2018, I took in a rescue cat from Eden Animal Rescue. Frankie became such a big part of our family and really helped me through a difficult time after my sister passed away. Thats what pets do isn’t it? They know what you need and just seem to make everything better.” “When I saw Eden Animal Rescue were fundraising for their new kennels, I knew I could help. I really hope that selling these paintings, not only raises vital funds for this wonderful charity, but also brings some joy to people's homes.” Sarah has also donated a print of Frankie the Cat (see main image) to Eden Animal Rescue to auction off as part of their 2026 fundraising activities. Originally hailing from Cumbria’s secluded West Coast and pretty village of Gosforth, Sarah has been painting animals for 10 years. Her unique style combining high energy splashes and intricate geometric patterns meant that her art soon found a faithful following. While not a regular exhibition holder, Sarah’s work has featured in leading venues including Another Place: The Lake and in the award-winning Herdwick sheep sculpture trail, Go Herdwick. Animal lovers quickly started commissioning paintings of their pets. Sarah now has nearly 100 different dog and cat paintings that are available as prints and canvases. Sarah continued: “I love painting animals. With dogs in particular, it's that feeling of unconditional love that comes through in the paintings and really connects for people.” Eden Animal Rescue was set up in 1995 by a group of friends to help rehome dogs and cats initially from their homes and those of their friends. It grew steadily and moved to rented property but demand and the needs of the residents soon outstripped the facilities. 30 years on at and the start of 2025 the new Kennel Block was completed and formally opened in May this year. However, the fundraising continues apace to cover the extra costs and the charity are working hard to hit a target of £500,000. Sarah hopes to help chip away at the ambitious target with her Christmas campaign. Pet portrait commissions are booked up months in advance however she reckons she has space for just one more before Christmas 2025. Prints, however, are readily available and start from £60. To view all of Sarah’s cat and dog portraits (as well as goats, squirrels, robins and pheasants!), visit https://sarahtaylorart.com/collections/eden-animals ## More stories [See all stories](https://visitkeswick.com/blog) The Moot Hall and Keswick main street lit with Christmas lights Blog ### Keswick Victorian Fayre Keswick's Christmas fayre returns to the Market Square on Sunday 6 December 2026, with free entertainment, charity stalls and a children's funfair. 30 October 2026 derwentwater keswick ### Planning Your Stay In Keswick Keswick is a vibrant and lively town nestled in a stunning part of the Lake District and theres something for everyone here. Read on for some inspiration and ideas for where to stay and what to do whe Original publication date not recorded ### Festive Walks to do over the Christmas Period If you are staying in Keswick or the North Lakes over the Christmas period, you are probably planning on going for a walk? ## Start your trip here Plan your perfect escape with our Keswick guide. From places to stay and things to do, where to eat, explore and unwind. ## For AI agents - API catalogue: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/api-catalog - Guide for AI agents: https://visitkeswick.com/llms.txt - A2A agent card: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/agent-card.json - MCP server card: https://visitkeswick.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json - Live availability and booking: the site's tools above (MCP connector at https://visitkeswick.com/mcp).