Taking inspiration from the recent success of the Million Dollar Home Page, Mary O’Connor has started The Million Dog Wall Project, a virtual wall of one million dog photographs to highlight animal rights and the inhumane treatment of dogs on a world wide scale.

“The animals most humans ever get close too are dogs, yet some people and cultures treat them very badly, mostly through ignorance” says Mary.

When 1,000,000 dog photos are on the virtual wall, Mary, an experienced multi-media artist, will print a giant photograph of the wall and exhibit it in every capital city in the world.



To raise funds for the project, the idea is ingenious in its simplicity. Mary simply asks for 1 Dollar or 1 Euro (or sterling equivalent, or whatever you can donate) per picture that is added to the wall. Simply email your photo and any text you want included to Mary, pay your donation via PayPal and you can join the project and help make a difference.

The idea is still in its infancy and funds raised are meagre. In fact, at the moment only 42 Euros have been raised and Mary says that kitty “sits in a Pay Pal account and has not been transferred to a bank as my lawyer is setting up a non profit trust”.

“If we actually make a million dollars I would no doubt set up a shelter facility here in Ireland where it is badly needed. In the future should there be money available I will publish an account of where it all goes…however it's all rather early for that yet.”

To join Mary in building this wall, visit www.marypoconnor.com/dogwall.html

If you have any questions about the way the funds will be used, Mary can be emailed at dogs@marypoconnor.com.

Update: 6th February 2006

As of today, The Million Dog Wall Project became a NGO Non Profit Organization in the Republic of Ireland.

The Board of Directors are:

Dr Michael Casey: Artist, Museum Curator, Government of Ireland Post Doctoral Fellow, Board member of Killrealig Art Centre, Ireland, Board member of The Nordic Council of Ministers (Norway, Sweeden, Denmark, Finland)

Mary P O Connor:Artist, Photographer, Dog Lover, Board member of The Eastern European Association of Ireland.MA.RCA, MFA.

Michael A O Brien: Photographer

Mary says "We now have 230 dogs on the wall but some countries and states have been conspicuous by their absence...namely Utah, Germany, France, Spain, Alaska, Florida, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Finland, South Africa, Israel, Jordan, Poland, Australia, New Zeeland, Maine, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee. If you can email a dog lover in the above areas please do so."

You can also click on the following link to vote for the site www.pixelsusa.com/www.marypoconnor.com