Animals play a positive role in the health of individuals, families and communities. The spike in pet fostering and adoptions during COVID-19 is an example of this. As people have been forced to shelter in place, many yearn for the unconditional love and companionship of animals to help them combat feelings of loneliness and cabin fever. The demand to foster or adopt a dog or cat has been so great during this period that rescue organizations across the country have reported receiving more applications than they have animals available. This has been a welcome problem for these groups at a time when they are struggling with fewer donations and reduced staff.

Humans have been interacting closely with the animal kingdom for tens of thousands of years, and the effects of this on human psychology and social behavior have been profound. In “Fantastic Beasts,” the human-animal bond can be seen through a series of photographs depicting the muse-like relationships between artists like Ed Ruscha and Frida Kahlo and animals. These remarkable images have been collected for the first time in ArtDesk, a free, quarterly publication of the Kirkpatrick Foundation.

The full collection consists of these 14 rare photos. Do animals inspire you to create?