I don't usually proselytize. Today that practice ends with the creation of this album. For those of you that actually know me, you know how passionate I am about animal rescue. I own a rescue pit bull and a [once] stray cat.
I have always "talked the talk" but have never really been able to "walk the walk" beyond my own rescues and donating to various local rescue groups from time to time. Fostering other dogs would be too difficult because of my own animals, and I dont have the emotional strength to volunteer at places like New York's "Animal Care and Control" centers.
To those amazing people that do volunteer at "kill shelters", your work is nothing less than heroic. Your ability to care for and love cats and dogs "in the moment", as they sit on the "euthanasia list" is remarkable.
But a few weeks ago I found a small "no kill" shelter in North Jersey.
I filled out a volunteer application to do what ever they needed done, but it only seemed logical that I try to leverage my
experience as a photographer as a way to capture the spirit of their adoptable dogs and cats by taking their portraits.
The hope is for others to see their portraits and see beyond their identifiers as "strays" or "owner surrenders", to reimagine these cats and dogs as a vital part of their own lives. A second chance.
So I set up a tiny "studio tableaux" at the shelter, in between a sink and a leaky washing machine, and started my new job.
I will update this album as I continue to shoot the residents of the shelter.
Remember dont buy, rescue! If you can't rescue, volunteer or donate.
If you are interested in any of the dogs I have photographed, you can ask for more info here Bergen County Protect & Rescue Foundation
A few Facebook friends/groups that really "walk the walk"
Pibbles & More Animal Rescue, Inc - PMAR
Second Chance Rescue NYC Dogs
New York Bully Crew
Bully Project
Rebound Hounds ResQ
Social Tees Animal Rescue
Bruised Not Broken
Rex Hughes
Koal Pibble
Suki Sin
peace love and pit bulls
Krissy Korndoerfer Derrig
Best Friends Animal Society - New York City
Mighty Mutts
dailybridgerton
theartofmadeline
amandla
stormborns
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk