Artists, Architects Create Dog Houses For Humane Society Benefit

TAMPA, FL -- Give Fido the royal treatment with a dog house decorated with 20,000 pieces of costume jewelry. Or perhaps your beagle would prefer a replica of Snoopy's iconic dog house from the Peanuts cartoon.

The nonprofit Outdoor Arts Foundation, dedicated to producing art for public places, is once again raising funds for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and other animal charities with its BowWow Haus project featuring designer dog houses created by architects and artists.

The St. Petersburg-based foundation launched its first BowWow Haus project in 2003. Since then, architects, artists and designers from five continents have created 62 custom-designed dog houses that were exhibited last year at high-profile venues in London including St. Pancras International and Stratford International rail stations.

Now, five of those kennels are back in Tampa Bay and available to the highest bidders. Proceeds from the online auction will benefit the Tampa Bay Humane Society.

All five dog kennels are currently on display on the first floor of International Plazaby the elevators and the Reeves Import Motorcars display. Pet lovers have until June 30 to bid on the dog houses.

The dog houses include:

• "Dogs Rule." designed by Eileen Goldenberg and featuring more than 20,000 pieces of gold and silver costume jewelry along with objects d’art from Goldenberg’s travels. The top of the kennel is removable to give viewers a look inside, and a drawbridge allows for a royal entrance.
• "Kable the Kennel Table" by PLYable Design & EDable Architecture. Here’s the Kable, where kennel meets table. Dogs love to hang out under the dinner table, so why not make that space a bit more purposeful. When the sun is shining, wheel it out and turn it into a table by raising the roof. With the red roof down, it pays homage to the iconic Snoopy kennel design.
• "Game of Bones" was designed by Heather Richardson. It features mosaic mirrors and bones made of polymer clay. Inside the kennel, a carpeted floor is installed to keep your pup’s paws dry.
• "The Dog Decorator" was designed by surrealist Jim Warren. It features a portrait of a King Charles spaniel on one side and a cartoon on the other. The roof of the kennel is painted with Warren’s signature sunset framed with a multi-colored heart.
• "Travel Kennel" was designed by Studio Lisboeta with Base Models. Studio Lisboeta designed this kennel to look like a super-sized travel bag and statement accessory. The kennel was designed for a small dog and includes a snug seat, a window to look out and a feeding bowl. The shelter provided by the weather-resistant material was produced using only four boards of construction-grade plywood.

In the meantime, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay is preparing for its major annual fundraiser, Tuxes and Tails.

The signature black-tie gala is scheduled for Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tampa Convention Center. It features live and silent auctions, a cocktail hour with complimentary wine and beer, dinner and dessert, live entertainment, adoptable pets and an after-party with dancing and a cigar bar at the Sail Pavilion on the Tampa Riverwalk. This year's theme is Noche de Fiesta.