Great Britain has a long and well-deserved reputation as a country of animal lovers, famous both for keeping domestic pets and for protecting the wildlife that share their island habitats.

A survey carried out in the UK and released in May 2008 reported that there were 27 million pets in the UK, with dogs accounting for 7.3 million and cats 7.2 million. They found that 47% of all households contained at least one pet. The research was carried out on behalf of National Pet Month by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) and released during the 2008 National Pet Month.

The top ten UK pets, in order of popularity, were: dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, hamsters, horses/ponies, snakes, gerbils, tortoises/turtles, and (last but not least), rats. The top reason for keeping a pet was listed as ‘companionship’, and increased scientific recognition is now being given to the physical and emotional benefits which can be derived from the human-companion animal relationship.

The 2009 UK National Pet Month will run from the 4th April to 4th May.

This year, why not celebrate National Pet Month by having a pet portrait made of your pet?

Pet portraits and original pet paintings were once prohibitively expensive undertakings that involved an artist, getting your dog, horse or cat to pose for sittings, and then framing the results whether they were a good likeness or not. Pet oil paintings were usually a luxury reserved for professional horse and dog breeders or the very wealthy to commemorate their favourite animals.

Now with the combination of digital photography and the technical advancements of the Internet everyone can afford to commission custom pet portraits from photos. 

The Paint Your Life (www.paintyourlife.co.uk) premier online photo art gallery works with a staff of professional artists who specialise in painting original oil, watercolor, Acrylic, charcoal or pencil portraits of pets and domestic animals.

Paint Your Life has wide experience and a well documented satisfied customer base and will guarantee your satisfaction too. They will work from your favorite photograph/s and you will view online the finished pet painting for approval before they ship. Only when you are satisfied that your custom pet painting accurately recreates your pet’s features and familiar expressions will they release it for shipment.

Custom pet paintings by Paint Your Life are genuine works of art, and their experienced artists use only the best quality paints and canvas. Pet portraits make wonderful gifts for any occasion for someone with a beloved dog, cat, or other pet.

Pet oil paintings also make very tasteful and appropriate pet memorial gifts for someone who has lost a beloved pet. Paint Your Life can also work from old print photographs if you don’t have a digital photo of a long ago pet.

You don’t have to wait for National Pet Month to turn your favorite pet photo into a lasting work of art, but it’s a good excuse to honor your dog or cat now with a custom pet portrait.