Local Chalk Artist Selling Work To Save His Dog
Posted August 5, 2010 5:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If there is one thing Dave Johnston, better known on the streets of Toronto as ‘Chalkmaster’, has never asked for, it’s a handout. Johnston earns his living as a chalk artist, and spends countless hours a day thrilling locals and tourists alike with his mind-blowing sidewalk creations. As anyone who has seen him labour religiously over a piece or even glimpsed his raw hands can attest, he works hard for the loonies and toonies that provide him food and shelter, and afford him the opportunity to fly out to visit his children, who live out east.
So when I contacted him after seeing his Facebook post relaying his dog’s health problems and his subsequent plan to sell prints as well as hoodies and t-shirts adorned with his art to help pay for the staggering vet bills, he was quick to point out, “this isn’t a ‘poor me’ story”.
examples of work Johnston plans to sell. See more on Facebook under ‘Chalkmaster Dave’
Johnston figures it will cost $2-3,000 to have Lady’s tumours removed.
“She is a 70-pound pitbull/boxer cross, I adopted her from the Toronto Humane Society a couple of years ago. She’s had a few health problems, she (needs) three tumours removed, she’s got arthritis in her entire spine so she shakes a lot when she’s tired and she has thyroid issues, so she has a few things going on, but she is also 14-years-old.”
“When I got her she became my best friend,” he says, affectionately petting Lady. “When I picked her up at the pound she was one of those dogs that people had no interest in, nobody was on the list to adopt her, she had been there for months and I guess nobody wanted an old dog with medical problems…I decided to take her, I thought I don’t want to pick a dog because it’s a fashion accessory, I’ll just pick a dog that kind of picks me.
“(When they brought her out) she just plopped right on me and I was like, ‘okay you’re my dog that’s it’. We’ve been basically inseparable ever since.”
The alternative to costly surgery is to put her to sleep, but it’s one Johnston, who also has several cats, can’t bring himself to consider just yet.
“I’ve had a couple people say well she’s old it gets to the point where you have to make a decision, but I think she still has some dog left in her and who the hell wants to make that decision, I don’t want to be around me the day I have to make that decision, I think she still has a year or two left and I want to get rid of these (tumours).”
Johnston’s dog has truly become a part of his family, offering unconditional love and companionship.
“My children, I don’t get to see them every day so I guess my immediate family would be my dog, which is not to in any way diminish the love I have for my kids, but the reality is they are far away and I get to see them every month or two. My dog is here every day and she helps to keep me grounded because it’s kind of lonely without your kids and I’m single so she’s like my girl, she helps keep me grounded. It’s her and I about 95% of the time.”
Johnston hopes to raise the money by the end of August.
“If I happen to have anything left over, I know a friend whose dog has cancer, I’ll just give her the rest, and hopefully it’s something I can help other people with and not just me.”
“Toronto treats me great…I mean my lifestyle is pretty good but to drop 2 or 3 grand just like that is a little tough, so I’m thinking if I can just raise it with my art not only does it not become a pity story it becomes….and I don’t want to sound too dramatic here….but almost like hope, it’s inspiring, you use the tools you have in life to accomplish the goals you need or you want to accomplish, so hopefully other people will think ‘hey what resources do I have to do something positive for either myself or my friends, that sort of thing.”
“The talent that I’ve been able to grow and get better at thanks to peoples’ support is now going to be used to help another living creature and it’s pretty neat how it all ties in together.”
If you are interested in buying original art from Dave, contact him at chalkmasterdave@gmail.com, or on Facebook under Chalkmaster Dave.
