Healthy Inspiration ROCK STARS

Artist’s colorful paintings of dogs on stones raise awareness for pet adoption.

WRITER: CHRIS GERBASI PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

In the 1970s, as a novelty gag, people kept “pet rocks” in boxes lined with shredded paper like a hamster cage. Today, in Lake County, pet rocks have a much deeper meaning. Sheri Meadows, an artist and schoolteacher at Pine Ridge Elementary in Clermont, is painting intricate portraits of dogs on small canvases of stone to raise awareness about pet adoption.

Sheri has hidden painted rocks around her hometown of Clermont and in other communities, and near the Lake County Animal Shelter in Tavares.

Anyone who finds one of Sheri’s rocks may bring it to the shelter for a free adoption, sponsored by LEASH Inc., a nonprofit group that benefits the shelter.

Sheri was painting pet adoption messages on rocks this year as part of the Kindness Rocks Project, a national movement in which children and adults paint rocks and hide them outdoors to provide a smile to anyone who finds them.

Locally, Mount Dora resident Kayla Stever started Lake County Rocks, which has thousands of members.

When LEASH volunteer Lisa Cooper-Butler saw photos of Sheri’s work on Facebook, she encouraged Sheri to paint rocks for the organization.

“I was so excited about the idea because rescuing dogs is something I’m very passionate about,” Sheri says. “I thought I’d love to do that.”

Rescue dogs are close to Sheri’s heart. Her parents, Bud and Betty Meadows, took in Estee, a schnauzer mix, from an area shelter. Bud, who died in 2016, had dementia in his later years, and Sheri credits Estee with saving his life on several occasions, including once when Bud drove his car into a lake outside their home and Estee alerted Betty to the accident. Betty is now in an assisted-living facility, and Sheri cares for Estee and two other dogs.

Sheri painted Estee’s face on a rock as a tribute to her parents, and now has painted more than 100 rocks— and counting.

“With the rocks, you want it to look good. I want to bring some personality to it,” she says. “I want people to adopt the dogs before something happens to them. They’re amazing animals.”

Adopt a pet

The Lake County Animal Shelter is open from 10am-6pm Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm Saturday, and Sunday for adoptions only from 11am-3pm. For more information, stop by the shelter at 28123 County Road 561, Tavares, call 352.343.9688 or visit lakecountyfl.gov/lcas, facebook.com/lakecountyanimalshelter, or twitter.com/lakeshelterpets.