Four service dogs have been selected by artist Sam Allen to be featured in a mural at Memorial Park. The Weekend Sun is running a series of six ‘Service Dog Mural’ stories. Today’s Service Dog Mural #1 story is about artist Sam Allen and how he came up with the concept for the artwork.

At Memorial Park, four remarkable dogs will soon be immortalised in paint – not for their tricks or trophies, but for their service.

Mural artist Sam Allen is preparing to unveil Our Best Friends, a public artwork celebrating the quiet, powerful contribution service dogs make to the Tauranga community.

From search and rescue missions to conservation work and guiding the blind, each dog represents dedication beyond companionship.

The idea was born during Allen’s travels to Nepal, where he witnessed a festival honouring dogs, with a full day devoted to gratitude for their loyalty and service. Similar reverence in Japan reinforced the concept.

“It’s something everyone connects with,” Allen said. “No matter your background, people love dogs. It brings us together.”

Dogs that ‘work’ (

After posting a call for nominations on local Facebook pages, Allen received more than 350 responses. While many nominated their own beloved pets, he chose to focus on dogs that ‘work’ to serve the wider community.

The mural will centre on four service dogs, primarily depicting the animals, with only subtle hints of their human partners. Importantly, Allen plans to incorporate raised elements so the mural can be experienced through touch as well as sight.

While the dogs may be the heroes of the mural, it was photographer Nicholas Charles who first captured them through the lens.

Charles, predominantly a portrait and events photographer, was tasked with creating the studio reference images that Allen will use to paint the four assistance dogs. Although dogs aren’t his usual subject, he said the shoot was enormous fun.

“I’m predominantly a portrait and events photographer, but I do take on all kinds of work.”

His specialty lies in controlled studio environments, and for this project he used off-camera flash – carefully manipulating light to create dramatic, detailed images suitable for large-scale artwork.

The majority of the photographs were taken in studio conditions at The Light Lab, the studio Charles opened in 2022 at Tauranga Historic Village.

Two purposes

For the mural project, the images serve two purposes. Primarily, they are reference material for Allen’s painting. But as a ‘thank you’, each handler will receive personal portraits with their dog – something many had never experienced before in a professional studio setting.

“It was something different for them,” Charles said. “Most of these dogs are used to working environments – bush, reserves, rescue sites. Coming into a studio was a new experience.”

That said, the dogs handled it with remarkable composure. Accustomed to discipline and control through their work – from search and rescue to conservation detection – they proved calm and highly responsive under the lights.

In addition to studio portraits, Charles also photographed some of the dogs in the environments where they work. The search and rescue and conservation dogs were taken into nearby bushland for contextual portraits, helping ensure the mural reflects not just the animals but the landscapes in which they serve.

Big dog party

Coordinating multiple highly trained working dogs in one space had its challenges – “like herding cats,” Charles joked – but the overall atmosphere was one of enthusiasm. Handlers, photographer and artist alike enjoyed the process.

When the mural is unveiled, viewers will see painted figures on a wall. Behind those brushstrokes, however, is a carefully constructed photographic foundation – light shaped, moments captured, and working partnerships preserved.

“We’re going to have a big dog party at Memorial Park when the mural is finished,” Allen said.

Next week: The Weekend Sun will showcase the first of the four service dogs chosen for the mural.