Article by Sasha Qadri for ITV's Border News and Lookaround, 2006

''They're minted in New Zealand, sold in Russia and are legal tender in Cambodia. If you're as baffled as I am then here's another clue – it’s the Year of the Dog....

Sally Logue’s career as a pet portrait artist started off really just by chance. When she first met her husband he asked her to draw something for a picture frame he had so she drew his dog. That was 16 years ago and it snowballed from there. Today she's known internationally taking commissions from all around the world. Last autumn she got her most unusual commission yet when she got a call from New Zealand Mint

''I thought it was a bit of a wind up really, it seemed so far fetched. I had a phone call from New Zealand Mint as they were interested in using some of my dog portraits on coins to mark the Chinese Year of the Dog''

Across the other side of the world a contact at the New Zealand Mint had seen Sally's website and liked her work. They'd been commissioned by a Russian Banking organisation to produce a series of commemorative coins to mark the Chinese Year of the Dog, coins which the mint were licensed to issue through Cambodia. Sally spent over an hour on the phone to New Zealand going through the 100's of dog portraits on her website trying to find dogs which would have particular appeal to Russian collectors.

After a long search Springer Spaniel Tara (Penrith) and Black Lab Trevor (Cumwhitton) and Newfoundland Jack (Whitehaven) were three of the lucky ones to make the cut. Tara chosen because of her likeness to Russian Spaniels because of her long ears and Trevor tracked down 5 years after Sally initially painted his portrait.

And so the finished product with the King of Cambodia on one side and one of Sally's portraits on the other is now a reality. They're each made form 1 oz solid silver and retail at £31 each and since they were such a success Sally has now been asked to do the same for the Year of the Pig. So anyone out there with a pet pig, you're in demand.''

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