Think of it this way: It truly is a dog's world.

CocoWalk's ArtWay66 Gallery and Photo Studio proves this with its latest exhibit, which features portraits, paintings and sculptures of some of the most popular dogs in Coconut Grove.

Local artists such as Johnny Valdes, PRoman, Cristina Restrepo, Alexander Calderon, Jose Riera, Nuria Carrasco, Sheri Friedman, Marcela Di Santos and Stefan Vonfout contributed to the show that opened Saturday.

More than 100 animal lovers and their pets who attended the opening were treated to complimentary cocktails, appetizers and -- of course -- dog-friendly treats.

Dog owners were also invited to have portraits of their pooches taken at the event with 20 percent of the portraits' proceeds being donated to Paws 4 You Rescue, a local animal rescue organization.

The portraits also will be judged next Friday for CocoWalk's first Dog of the Month contest and will be featured in upcoming CocoWalk advertising materials.

''Coconut Grove is a popular area for dogs and their owners, and so hosting an exhibit catering to them was very important for us,'' said Valdes, owner and artist/photographer of ArtWay66. ```It is a lot of fun getting to know all of the different breeds that frequent CocoWalk. Each dog has such a unique personality, and you can really see that in the artwork.''

''We enjoy welcoming dogs and their owners to CocoWalk every day, which is why we chose to implement the Dog of the Month contest,'' added Cynthia Bettner, marketing director of CocoWalk.

``The opening night of ArtWay66's show was the perfect time to launch the contest because it brought Coconut Grove's dog haven community together to celebrate our beloved four-legged best friends. We are really excited to find out the winning dog next Friday at the judging event at ArtWay66.''

The It's a Dog's World Art Exhibit and Show will be on display at ArtWay66, located on the second floor of CocoWalk at 3015 Grand Ave., through Nov. 30.

For more information, call 305-726-1466 or 305-444-0777, ext. 14, or go to www.artway66.com.

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