SOME of Malmesbury’s ginger dogs have become a part of an internationally famous art project.

The Red Hot project was launched by Malmesbury resident Thomas Knights in 2013.

The 33-year-old photographer wanted to dispel what he saw as negative stereotypes of ginger men.

Having started as a photographic exhibition, Red Hot soon morphed into something much greater, with the Red Hot 100 photograph book being released as well as a popular calendar.

The exhibition was taken all around the world the project became linked with an anti-bullying message.

Now, Thomas, wanting to diversify the brand with art director Elliott James Freize, is releasing a one-off Red Hot Dog calendar, the stars of which are dogs from the Malmesbury community area.

“I moved out of London and back home for a few months last year and suddenly found myself on regular dog walks with my black Labrador, Juno,” he said.

“Because of Red Hot, I am now finely tuned to notice red hair, and all of a sudden I was seeing it everywhere, but not how I'd been used to in London.

“Ginger dogs were on every walk, they were beautiful and varied and the idea came to me in a flash.

“I love dogs, so thought it would be really fun to do a dog calendar.

“Red Hot Dog will seem funny to many people after quite a serious Red Hot II art book concept, but quite honestly, that is the idea.

“There has always had a comedic element to what we do, you have to be able to laugh at yourself, even if you take what you do seriously, especially in these strange an unsettling times we live in.”

Many of the dogs featured in the calendar were enrolled after Thomas met them on his regular walks in north Wiltshire.

Others were included after their owners responded to an appeal for red hair dogs on a Malmesbury Facebook page.

One of those was the 8-year-old Labrador Lola whose owner, Nikki Smethurst, jumped at the chance to get involved in the calendar.

“I’ve got two red Labradors and a red-headed husband, so I thought it linked up nicely,” she said.

“Red Hot are doing a really good thing, I think its fantastic.

“I have no idea why anybody has issues with people with red hair, I think it’s really stunning.”

The money raised from the calendar will go going towards the Dogs Trust, a charity Thomas is proud to be supporting.

“We contacted the Dogs Trust and they agreed to be our partner for the project,” he said.

“They never put a healthy dog down.”

Shipping internationally, the Red Hot Dog 2017 calendar retails at £20 and launched in the past week.

Red Hot are looking to move into new territory and Thomas is hoping to develop it into a lifestyle brand.

To find out more about Red Hot or to buy a calendar, visit redhot100.com