Luc, sleeping peacefully in his mom's lap on his last day.

Once upon a time there was a little red doggie who wasn’t very good at playing fetch, going for walks or roughhousing with other doggies. He was very, very good at cuddling, though, and he gave his mom joy every time she looked at him. She didn’t care that his chronic illnesses slowed him down or that she had to give him medication throughout the day, or that when he wanted attention, he danced like Elaine from Seinfeld: limbs akimbo, enthusiasm unfettered. She loved him very much.

His name was Luc (a.k.a. “Lemon”), he was the original Sidewalk Dog, and he had to move on to the big dog park in the sky last weekend—a place where he can always catch a tennis ball, where he has super-smooth dance skills, and where—just as on Earth—all the girly dogs have big crushes on him.

Ali Jarvis, Luc’s mom and Sidewalk Dog’s founder and owner, was used to Luc’s health problems. He came from a puppy mill posing as a reputable breeder, and since puppydom, his list of ailments grew to such unpleasant things as genetic neuromuscular disease, advanced dental disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But through medication, he was able to stay comfortable and happy for most of his 5-year life. Unfortunately, his little lungs were ravaged by disease, and he had to be euthanized last Friday. Immediately, members of the dog community, both local and national, expressed their sympathies. Local artist WACSO even immortalized Luc in one of his signature line drawings.

Local artist WACSO captured Luc's essence perfectly, down to his little skunk stripe.

Luc was the inspiration for Sidewalk Dog. Because he needed medication every few hours, Ali had to bring him with her wherever she went. The warm welcome that stores, shops, businesses, offices and restaurant patios gave Luc opened Ali’s eyes to the wealth of dog-friendliness that Sidewalk Dog was founded upon.

“The night before [an ultrasound that determined Luc’s condition couldn’t be treated], I had a couple little talks with him, like I’ve often had, asking him to let me know if he wanted to be done and that it was okay,” Ali said. The next afternoon, after they got the bad news, Luc’s breathing went downhill rapidly. “That felt more than coincidental, like he’d heard the news about his lungs and decided he needed to be done. It might sound weird, but I hear stories like this all the time—of animals giving clear signs when you ask for it—and it seems like that’s what Luc did.”

Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic’s Dr. Cheryl Roth, who took care of Luc toward the end, took a personal interest in his case, going so far as to try to arrange to put him on a doggie transplant list, but to no avail.

“Some patients flicker through a hospital without making much impact, but Luc has touched Pet Crossing and its staff in ways not explained with words,” Dr. Roth said.

Even though our Lovely Luc is gone, we at Sidewalk Dog know that his legacy lives on with the company, with each happy dog that gets to hang out with its owner at a restaurant patio, a dog park, or a shop.

“He was such a sweet little companion for me for these past five years,” Ali said. “I never minded all that I had to do for him—I got so much more in return.”

—Meredeth Barzen

**Editor’s Note: Ali would like to thank her friend Lisa Weikle, who stayed with her all weekend, providing support, transportation and friendship during this hard time, as well as everyone at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic for the loving care they’ve shown Luc over the last year, especially Dr. Kate Knutson, Luc’s primary vet, who consulted with Dr. Roth toward the end. She’d also like to thank Bob Dalton of Pet Cremation Services of Minnesota, who came in on his day off to personally attend to Luc, Michael Trautner, who helped with Luc’s health problems during the first few years of his life, and Sarah of Sarah Beth Photography, who dropped everything to take some last-minute photos of him.

"Lily," by WACSO

By Meredeth Barzen

While the Twin Cities certainly isn’t lacking in talented pet artists (see: pooch painters Stray Dog Arts and Lintu Art)—or talented artists in general, for that matter—one has emerged who stands out from the crowd for his stylized, hyper-local treatment of the people, places and pups that populate our fair cities. WACSO (stands for Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out)—a.k.a. Robb Burnham—takes inspiration from everything around him, as his name would suggest. Often, it’ll be the fuzzy face of a four-legged pal, but you’ll see local landmarks like restaurants, architecture and adorable old men on benches represented in his work as well. WACSO will draw your dog if you’d like him too—but he won’t take any money for it, just a suggested $100 donation to a pet rescue (check out this recent portrait of his neighbor, M.A. Rosko’s dog Munter.)

"Munter," by WACSO

“I get a lot of requests from strangers all around the country, which was a bit odd at first because I would really rather meet the dog in person, but I’ve got it down to where I ask them to send me as many photos of the dog as they can. That gives me a pretty good idea of what the dog is like,” Burnham says of his commissioned dog drawings. “I don’t want payment for these drawings so I ask for a donation to be made in my name to a shelter/rescue. I’ll send them a hi-resolution file that they can print however they would like. People have made T-shirts, calendars, mugs … I just had a woman use my drawing to get a tattoo of her dog that passed away. It looked awesome, and I think it was great therapy for her.”

Here’s a look into the philosophy and process that is WACSO:

"Sharing the Bed" by WACSO features the artist's own dogs, Frankie and Grady.

Do you have any dogs?

I have two dogs: a female English bulldog named Frankie and a little block-of-cement French bulldog named Grady. Frankie likes to watch TV—in fact, if the TV is off, she’ll yip until the TV is turned on, and she’ll actually growl at the mugshots they show on news programs. She knows who the bad guys are; it’s pretty funny.

What’s your favorite dog-friendly spot in town?

Sitting outside at Java Jack’s Coffee Cafe is awesome.

Do your dogs make it into your drawings?

Yes, I constantly draw my dogs.

How long have you been drawing?

I’ve been drawing all my life, but didn’t really get serious about it until about five years ago.

Your work really celebrates the everyday and the local—what is it about those subjects that compels you to portray them?

I like everyday things. Life isn’t all about taking big vacations and going to exotic locations. We’re surrounded by all kinds of cool everyday stuff; we just have to stop and look for it. I had done a drawing of the Blackbird Cafe a while back because it’s a cool place. Well, sadly, it burned down recently—such a drag, but I started getting messages from people requesting prints of the drawing. It was really cool to see what that drawing suddenly meant to people and the importance of appreciating and celebrating the things we have.

"Dog in a Coffee Shop," by WACSO

What sorts of characteristics make you want to draw a certain dog? Physical traits? Personality? Setting? Owner?

I’ll draw any dog; they are all awesome. Think about it: You can be having the crappiest day of all time and see a dog and smile—what else can do that?

Why do you like drawing dogs in general?

The dog drawings just seem to make people happy. They make me happy drawing them … I laugh most of the time I’m drawing.

How long does it take you to do a drawing?

It’s hard to say how long a drawing takes; I lose track of time, but I’ll usually do dozens of drawings of a dog before I get the one I like best. Sometimes the best version is the first one I draw and sometimes it’s the last.

How do you decide what form it’s going to take (i.e. single-line drawing, detailed, with or without color, etc?)

I will usually do a few different styles; one-line drawings, a more refined style, add color, etc …, and see which I like best when I’m done.

"Shaggy Dog #3," by WACSO

Do you approach strangers and ask if you can draw their dogs? Are they usually game, or do you ever get resistance?

I’m a pretty shy person. I don’t mind talking to the dogs; it’s owners I have trouble with.

Where can people find your work?

Become a fan of my Facebook page! It’s now dedicated to just my dog drawings. I try to put up a new one every couple of days. You can also check out my Web site, which has all of my drawings.

What do you like about the Twin Cities?

The Twin Cities are fantastic—love it here. Tons of dogs, tons of places to walk dogs and the people are cool. I even dig the winters—all those dogs in boots and outfits crack me up.