Meet 'Pomcasso' - the dog painting custom art to help raise $45k for life-changing surgery.

Glitter, an 11-year-old blue Pomeranian, was diagnosed with stage C mitral valve disease - life-threatening heart failure - in July 2022.

To save her life she needs mitral valve repair surgery - open heart surgery in Japan in September 2023 because Dr Masami Uechi at the Jasmine Clinic in Japan.

Dr Masami is one of the two vets who can do this surgery - the other is Dr Daniel Brockman at the Royal Veterinary Clinic in Hatfield, UK.

Her owner, Brittany Echevarria, 29, needed to raise $40k to fund the surgery and the flights there.

Talented Glitter has been painting custom art to sell to help with the fundraising and has raised $40,933 - enough to cover the cost of the operation.

Brittany now needs an extra $5k due to cover the cost of shipping and paint supplies for Glitter's art.

Brittany, an event manager, from Maui, Hawaii, said: "If you want a painting with your dog and you don’t want them to paint their pawprints, you can put the painting in a bag and peanut butter on the bag and let them lick it."

"We put organic peanut butter and a bit of organic coconut oil to let her lick it."

"I got the idea to sell it because I saw Limbani, a chimpanzee, whose painting was sold for up to $1,000."

"Glitter loves licking - people loved Limbani’s painting - I just figured if people saw Glitter and her story, they would be empathetic, it would touch people’s hearts and luckily people took well to it."

"We want to make it authentic for her. Once she creates it, I will go in and add some dusting of glitter on it."

"I will just sprinkle it on there, so that’s like her signature with her paw print on it."

"It's like a little masterpiece of her to say thank you to the people help saving her life."

"Why wouldn't people want to see an adorable little dog in a Picasso costume and creating a painting?"

"I thought it would touch people’s hearts and luckily people took well to it."

"She is a little pomcasso."

Brittany's mum, Lisa Vasquez, 57, got Glitter for her on Valentine's Day in 2012.

She said: "I named her Glitter because I wanted the fur colour to match her name, she is a blue Pomeranian, which is a rare fur colour for a Pom."

"It ended up fitting her personality so well."

"She is very sassy and very spoilt, and just like a princess. Glitter is a perfect name for her."

"She is the favourite member of the family. We make custom dog cakes for her birthdays every year."

"Glitter loves to give kiss. She loves to lick. Her favourite toy is Peep Marshmallow Bunny. Everybody loves her."

"She loves people, going to the beach and the park."

"She is always there with when we go on vacations, shopping, dinner. She is like my best friend - we're inseparable."

Glitter was diagnosed with stage C mitral valve disease in July 2022.

Brittany said, "It is a genetic disease."

"There are certain dog breeds that are prone to develop this disease, such as Pomeranians, like my dog, mini poodles, and Chihuahua."

"What stood out for me for Glitter was that she kept coughing - constantly coughing since 2022 June - which was actually due to the fluid building up in her lungs."

"She was panting excessively. She gets tired really easily and can’t keep up to her normal speed."

"She ended up collapsing while running around, that’s when I took her to the vet and realised it was really serious."

Glitter is also experiencing heart enlargement, which means her heart is getting bigger every day, due to the disease.

Brittany said: "I took her to the vet, and we were told that she has MVD and to start planning to say goodbye because she only has eight to 12 months to live."

"I couldn’t believe that was happening. I made a big effort to be the best mum. I didn’t understand how this could have ever happened to my dog."

After visiting several other vets, Brittany was told Dr. Masami Uechi at the Jasmine Clinic in Japan operates mitral valve repair surgery with a 98 per cent of recovery rates.

She was told surgery was the only option for Glitter at this stage.

Brittany said: "Surgery is the only option for us at this stage, which allows her heart to shrink back to the normal size and stop leaking fluid to make it function normally."

"The average cost of MVD surgery is $35,000 to $40,000."

Brittany started the fundraising Glitter in August 2022, and decided to sell Glitter's artwork in June 2023 to help the cause.

They have since sold 200 paintings - each for $15.

They have raised $40,933 on GoFundMe through donations and the artwork - but they now need an extra $5k to cover the cost of shipping Glitter's artwork.

Brittany has been able to put down a deposit for the surgery in September and is grateful for everyone who supported them.

She said: "I wish I could meet them in person and give them a hug and Glitter give them a hug."

"We are so touched that people want to see her survive and them having empathy for this little Pomeranian that they don’t even know."

"They are the most amazing, incredible kind humans that I restore my faith in humanity."

"At first, I didn’t know how I am going to get $40,000 and didn’t even expect to hit the goal, thought I will have to think of another way, yet we are here ready to go to Japan to do the surgery."

"It made me believe in miracles."