Celebrating The Year of the Dog! Hopes are high that Haslemere Hounds community arts project could be the biggest fundraiser yet for good causes.

Hot on the heels of Haslemere Hares and Haslemere Hogs, the launch last month of a limited edition of 100 life-sized fibreglass hounds – and smaller ‘pups’ – for sponsorship and decoration has already proved to be a runaway success.

Adding a bit of stardust, inspirational ‘bionic girl’ Tilly Lockey has signed up to paint a Haslemere Hound, as has ex-world darts champion Scott ‘Scotty Dog’ Mitchell, whose creation will sit outside Haslemere Comrades Club in the High Street.

Artists from infants upwards are all busy making sure the Haslemere Hounds they decorate are standout champions in time for a mass exhibition at Haslemere Museum on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19.

All the pupils at Shottermill Infant School have been involved in the creation of Hieroglyph Hound.

Headteacher Jilly Storey said: “If there is one thing Shottermill Infants loves, it is a whole-school art project.

“We supported Haslemere Hogs and Haslemere Hares and before that we painted a cow for the Surrey Hills project.

“Every child in the school completed a design and then we held a ballot to choose the favourite.

“Abigail’s design was the most popular by far and she was very excited when the result was announced.

“She wanted to do a design that involved learning about something new and she remembered trying to write her name using hieroglyphics. Every child helped to decorate, with reception doing the black base, Years 1 and 2 adding their own hieroglyphic .

“I helped out by sewing an Egyptian headdress and collar.”