LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A painting dog in Longwood, Fla., is trying to help a fellow four-legged artist - a famous Virginia potbellied pig that is suffering from cancer.

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Painting Dog Helps Sick Pig

Q-Boy, a Sheltie, has been painting with his paws for about four months. The dog has completed 13 paintings and raised about $3,000 for Sheltie rescue efforts.

His latest paintings are being created to help Smithfield the painting pig, who had surgery last month.

Smithfield lives in Midlothian, Va., near Richmond. In the five years since he first picked up a brush, Smithfield's paintings have brought home about $20,000 for a variety of charities.

He has even found time for worthwhile projects such as promoting reading among children and has spread his fame with appearances on "Live with Regis and Kelly" and the cable networks Animal Planet and Nickelodeon. There was even a short clip of him with Oprah.

But a few weeks ago, Smithfield was diagnosed with nasal cancer. He underwent surgery at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at North Carolina State University.

Now, Smithfield's owner, Fran Martin, a teacher and a single mother of two teenagers, is facing a $5,000 bill for his treatment.

So Q-Boy pitched in by completing a painting started by Smithfield. Q-Boy's owner, Kathy Cochran, came up with the idea, and has been contacting Sheltie and pig groups on the Internet to alert them about the auction, which ends Saturday.

One of the paintings is currently on the online auction site Ebay.

Because of his efforts, he will be featured in an upcoming issue of Sheltie International magazine, Cochran said.

Martin said she is overwhelmed by Cochran's offer to help.