With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it was time to stop into Pets With Parents for some photographs. Hopefully, by my next trip there, all of these dogs and cats will be long gone and in their new homes with loving owners.

It was puppies galore on this visit. Oh how I love the itty-bitty wagging tails and puppy breath! We’re on a two dog limit at my house or I may have tried to adopt them all. Every dog and cat that I photographed was super sweet. While George and I were there photographing, we got to see a couple trying to pick their new best friend. They brought a few of the puppies into the playroom, where I photograph, to get to know them. It’s so fun to see these silly little puppies shaking their butts, giving out kisses and sniffing around the new people. Cute little puppies looking for their new parents, this is why I love my job. I get the opportunity to photograph many of the pets in Columbus that need homes. And I also get the chance to meet people who are looking to add a cat or dog to their family.

For more information on all the adoptables from Pets Without Parents, please visit their Petfinder page at petfinder.com/pet-search?shelter_id=OH64 or their website at petswithoutparents.net.

And if you happen to be a pet photographer who stumbled onto my blog, be sure to check out HeARTs Speak, a fantastic organization that I am a member of. They connect Rescues/Shelters with artists with the intention of breaking down the myth that animals from Rescues and Shelters are inferior in some way. Professional photographs greatly improve adoptability and ultimately, will increase the number of animals adopted and reduce the numbers that are killed. You can find more information on their website heartsspeak.org or their Facebook page www.facebook.com/HeARTsSpeak.

While January is considered my month off from photographing to work on projects for the new year, I still try to make it out to Pets Without Parents as much as possible to take photos of the adoptable dogs and cats. George and I went last week, but a lot of the animals were at the vet for checkups, shots and to be spayed or neutered. We decided to go there again this week when we knew most of the animals would be there, waiting for their photographs so they can find homes. Between this week and last, I photographed over 25 dogs and cats who are looking for furever homes.

Lately, the cats have been giving us a run for our money while photographing them. This time around, Cole, decided he did not want to sit on the table for his photo. When the animals are not feeling so cooperative, we give them a break to play and check us out a little more. Most of the time that warms them up, especially after a good belly rub. George was holding Cole and well, little Mr. Cole didn’t want that either. Next thing I know, Cole had wrapped himself around George and was crawling up his back! Of course, I just wanted to get a few shots in, so I had George bend over and pretended he was just another flat surface. I grabbed my light, flipped that around and started photographing a much calmer cat. Sometimes I wonder if the volunteers and staff watch us and wonder what in the world we’re doing. But, anything to get a good photograph to find these pets new homes.

If you have room in your heart or home for any of these cuties, stop by Pets Without Parents to visit with them!

I wanted to get in one trip to Pets Without Parents for the month of December. Hopefully all of these pets will find homes in time for the holidays. With Christmas right around the corner, it’s a great reminder to adopt a dog or cat instead of buying  one. There are so many great reasons why adoption outweighs buying. Here are a few.

1. You’ll save a dog or cat’s life. Many shelters euthanize animals every year because there are too many that need homes and too few homes. With that said, Pets Without Parents is a no-kill shelter, so animals in search of a home stay there until they find their new parents.

2. You’ll save some cash. Purchasing a dog through a breeder or pet store can be extremely expensive. Spencer was less than $200 when we adopted him and he was already neutered and had his first round of puppy shots.

3. You’ll get a healthy pet. Most shelters have the animals taken to the vet within days of their arrival. They’re checked out for any major issues and if they have not already been spayed or neutered, they will have that procedure done and also receive any wellness shots that they will  need.

4. You’ll have a best friend forever. I’ve talked to a lot of pet owners who have rescued their current dogs. Every single one of them say that they feel like their pet knows they gave them a better life! And who doesn’t want the unconditional love of an animal!

Don’t forget to check out the beautiful dogs and cats below, that are in need of a home! I’ve started buying accessories for the dogs’ photos. Be sure to check out Saphire’s cute scarf I picked up the other week. Also, the amazing necklace my friend made that little Miss Opal tried out!

]]> http://www.danielleneil.com/blog/adopt-dont-shop/feed/ 2 http://www.danielleneil.com/blog/ohio-photography-shelter/ http://www.danielleneil.com/blog/ohio-photography-shelter/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:03:02 +0000 Danielle http://www.danielleneil.com/blog/?p=3182 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

I can’t believe it has been almost one month since my last visit to Pets Without Parents. October and November are extremely busy for me, as clients try to get their portrait sessions while the fall foliage is still out and before the snow starts up. Friday, George and I headed down to the shelter to photograph some great animals. And while we were there, two dogs went to their furever homes!

There was a cat that caught my eye during this visit to the shelter. Twiggy was left at Pets Without Parents on Halloween. She spent almost a week at the vet hospital. She was extremely malnourished and was just skin and bones upon arrival. Even her whiskers were broken off. Twiggy had been declawed, so at one point she had a home and then ended up on the street to defend herself as best she could. She has to be hand-fed every four hours with special food because she’s unable to eat by herself. It will be some time before she is feeling better and ready to be adopted. But the amazing staff and volunteers at PWP don’t mind in the least taking care of her. They actually told me that she looked great when I was there to photograph her, compared to when she came in. I’m excited to keep up on her progress till she is ready to find her new home.

As always, there were many beautiful and special dogs and cats there for adoption. Please share these cute and cuddly faces with anyone you know that may be looking to adopt a pet.

I can’t say that deciding to volunteer with these groups was my idea. One of the main goals of a group I belong to, HeARTs Speak, is to create a community for artists who’s goal is to donate their time and services to help save these animals’ lives. One of the members, Teresa Berg, was featured on CBS News recently, because of her work with adoptable animals. To see Teresa’s interview – click here. I met Teresa back in 2009 when I attended the Unleashed Pet Photography workshop that she was co-teaching. Teresa shared with us her work with rescues and when she began photographing these adoptable dogs, their adoption rate increased 100%!

If you are a pet photographer, I highly suggest helping a rescue or shelter that does not have a professional photographer volunteering their time. It is such a rewarding experience! I also recommend checking out the HeArts Speak website and consider applying for membership if you plan on working with shelters or rescue groups. These artists are more than happy to share ideas and tips with each other, in our quest to find these animals homes.

I recently received another email from a family that adopted one of the dogs I photographed. When I read emails like this, I know that it is worth every minute that I spend photographing the dogs and cats.

And while we’re on the subject of adoptable animals that need homes – the photographs above, are of  Abby Jo from Noah’s Too – The Rescue foundation. What a sweet girl she is. When I photographed her, she had only been at Noah’s for about 24-hours. Hopefully she’ll be able to find her furever home soon! Here is a link to Abby’s information on Petfinder.