Feb 5, 2017
I was invited to join my friend Lisa, from Printz Photography, for a shelter pet photo session at Saugerties Animal Shelter last week. It’s always so much more fun to work together on shelter sessions for two reasons:
- You only have to do half the work
- You only have to bring half the gear
Well, I guess those reasons just make it less stressful, the fun part comes with being in good company. Special thanks to Nicole for making this all happen and for her excellent pet handling skills! You’ll find her mushing on Meatball below.
Feel free to copy and paste any or all of these photos into your favorite social media stream… the more reach these beautiful souls get, the more likely they’ll find a home. Check out Lisa’s photos here on her Facebook page.
Sep 7, 2016
Have you ever taken a break from something you never really wanted a break from? When we adopted Gracie Lou we went on a mandatory foster break… we just didn’t have the room. Now we’re renting a house from the best landlords in the world and we’ve got a dedicated foster room that’s currently crawling with kittens! So glad this break is finally over!
A skinny, super-friendly tabby was found wandering the parking lot at Mid Hudson Animal Aid, her five kittens were left on the side of the road nearby, all closed up in a plastic bin with some air holes cut out of the lid. The shelter staff estimated the kittens were only two days old, and that their mother was barely an adult cat herself at only one year old. All six of them were covered in fleas.
Momma cat was named Quinoa, and the kittens were dubbed Wheat, Spelt, Rye, Millet, and Barley. I’ve taken to calling them The Grainy Bunch.
Quinoa was treated with an oral medication that would safely rid her of the fleas without harming her babies. The kittens were all given baths in Dawn dish soap, which is the only safe option for such young kittens.
I got the email on a Friday morning. I’d been craving kittens for so long, but we weren’t planning on fostering until September. Nick and I had a trip planned for the last week in August and our crew of four is enough for my friend/pet sitter to handle. The shelter was already overflowing with cats because of an emergency situation that brought them 50 cats on top of their usual residents, so despite the inconvenience of our trip we’d still be buying them some time to find another foster parent. I was thrilled to go pick them up later that same day.
As the time for our vacation drew nearer I was getting sad about leaving them… I assumed the next foster parent would want to keep them through adoption. When I found out I was getting them back, I’d never been happier to be wrong!
The Grainy Bunch came back this past Sunday and kitten growth never ceases to amaze me; I swear they’ve doubled in size since last week!
All the photos here are at 3 weeks old, and it’s impossible to keep up. If you want to see their newborn photos, I posted them in the notes for one of my recent podcast episodes. If you’re into kittens you’ll probably like my podcast too, so check it out.
It’ll still be a few weeks before Quinoa and the rest of the grainy crew go up for adoption, but kittens go quick, so if you’re interested in adopting get your applications in at Mid Hudson Animal Aid ASAP. It takes time for applications to get processed and pre-approved adopters will get first pick.
P.S. Please feel free to share this post or any of the photos on your social media feeds. Thanks for any help you can give in finding these cutie patooties a home!
Nov 14, 2015
Within minutes of walking through the door I was belly crawling all over the house. With big dogs I might be able to get away with kneeling, but with cats the camera just has to be touching the floor. It was while I was squirming, belly-down, for a better angle that John said something about people thinking he was a crazy cat person for hiring a pet photographer. If he’s crazy, though, then what exactly am I? I’m not sure, but to me, being on the floor with my camera and some furbabies is normal, and I love it there!
This is just a note to all the self-professed crazy animal people out there, you should know I’m crazier than you, and just maybe I could make you feel sane for a day AND photograph your pets. Ya know, feed two birds with one scone. (Totally stole that from another blog, but isn’t it great?!)
Anyway… meet Lily and Olive, two gorgeous cats who posed for me last weekend. The more I photograph cats the more I notice that they are the artists that create my art. Just the simple fact that cats love to be in, under, and on everything makes for some really interesting compositions. Although I had a hand in finding the best angle, Lily and Olive picked out their props all by themselves.
Here are a few of my favorites from my latest kitty photo session:
Lily Chillaxin’ on the patio.
Olive Striking the pose – love that tail!
Left: Lily Right: Olive – Both kitties managing to find their own take on how to pose with the chairs.
Jul 26, 2015
If you read my art blog posts, you know that I recently wrote all about finding both the bitter AND the sweet in every situation. The bitter truth is that Darcy had to say goodbye to her old girl, Ruffles AKA The Queen, and then, quite suddenly, a rare genetic disease took Spike away too, leaving two holes in her heart.
It’s obvious there is always room in Darcy’s heart for more love, but when Ruffles and Spike passed away they left her with more room in her home too. Darcy invited me over to meet her two newbies, Baron and Daisy. Two more dogs have been rescued, and that’s the sweet part that runs alongside the bitter pain of loss.
Congrats on your new bundles of fur, Darcy, they are lucky to have you, as were Ruffles and Spike <3 I hope you enjoy your sneak peek.
Left: Baron being a perfect gentleman – he acts far older than his mere 18 months! Right: Daisy being an adorable goof!
Left: Holly Right: Pooh bear – It was so nice to finally get a new background behind these pups – two separate snow storms swept through the day before both of our previous sessions!
Left: Daisy relaxing after a romp around the yard with the community ball. Right: Rocky caught mid-kiss, he’s so silly!
Left: Ruffles Right: Spike RIP sweet angels <3
Jun 24, 2015
The sky was threatening as I drove towards Alice and Fred’s home a couple of weeks ago. Every turn I made seemed to point me towards even darker clouds, and I hoped that a sudden downpour wouldn’t cut our photo session short. Although overcast skies are always welcome on photo session days, there’s always a chance the weather will turn ugly with little notice.
I was greeted with happy faces, wagging tails, and knowledgable noses that sought the chopped hot dogs I carried on my hip. Maddie, Lexie, and Allie were just as thrilled to see me as I was to meet them. Gotta love the simplicity of a dog’s happiness!
Once I had my hands buried in soft, golden retriever fur, I totally forgot about the weather. Luckily, not a single drop of rain fell, and we had my favorite kind of outdoor light: steady and soft.
Here is a sneak peek of some of my favorite photos from the day:
Every family has at least one photobomber. Thank you Allie, for this adorable shot!
Left: Lexie Right: Maddie These two girls are sisters, twins, as Fred called them.
Here’s a better look at Allie’s adorable face. She’s the spunky youngin in the trio.
Mar 30, 2015
My girl’s most recent doggie photo shoot.
Gracie was curled up on the couch, probably exhausted from the trip, and confused about why she was in a room with strangers. She was such a sweet angel, my birthday foster, and just minutes after we got her home we were about to lose her.
Gracie was no one’s first choice as a foster dog, much less a forever dog. She had been in foster care for 9 months and her foster mommy was unable to continue caring for her. Karuna Bully Rescue decided Gracie’s rehoming was a priority and froze all rescue intake until the situation was resolved. The problem was, this girl required some extra care, she had a bad case of anxiety.
A few days earlier I had decided I was ready to start fostering again. It was either foster Gracie, or go through the long process of being approved by another rescue. So, being the impatient person that I am, I decided to inquire about her. She was fearful of men and unfamiliar dogs, and usually reacted loudly to close contact with them.
I remember scrolling through her photos, her ears looked different in every shot. Sometimes they were floppy curious, other times one stood up like she was part radar device; they were very animated and quickly became my favorite thing about her.
When I told Nick about her he agreed to take on the challenge with me. Nick is a go-with-the-flow kinda guy, so I knew he’d be on board, just like I knew Gracie would not have any man-hate issues with him; animals just naturally trust Nick, it’s a gift he has. Nevertheless, we both went to meet Gracie, just in case.
It was only 50 degrees, but in March that may as well be summer. It felt amazing to be outside in nothing but a hoodie. A cool breeze came in off the Long Island Sound and the few clouds in the sky soared over our heads as we got out of the car.
Jen was sitting up against a tree on the grass, and Gracie sat in between her legs. Two of Jen’s friends came along too, and they sat on each side of her.
Gracie wasn’t ecstatic to meet us, but she didn’t freak out either, and she gladly took our treats. Nick and I sat down in the grass and completed the circle surrounding Gracie.
We all hung out for a couple of hours. Jen showed me a tube of cream cheese and explained how she used it to instantly reward Gracie as soon as she sees something scary. Gracie only barked once while we were in the park, it was at a guy about 100 feet away. It wasn’t bad, or crazy, nothing like what I expected from what everyone had prepared me for. This would be easy!
Jen started loading bags and bags of Gracie’s things into the back of our car. Blankets, toys, a brand new bag of food, and finally she led Gracie onto the back seat. I felt a rush of excitement that everything had worked out, and we were getting a new doggie to play with.
As I watched Jen hug and kiss her longest foster dog goodbye, though, a pang of guilt swept over me. As a foster mom who has cried over giving up every one of my dogs and cats, even one who was with me for less than two weeks, I knew the pain she was going through.
Gracie Lou snuggled up on this very comfy set.
Gracie was quiet the entire way home. She laid on the back seat, head between her paws, sad eyes glancing up at us. We soon discovered she was the silent and deadly type… her nervousness came out in gas form and we had to keep the windows cracked for most of the trip.
When we got home it was time for kitty introductions. Callie immediately ran to a high shelf to watch her braver sibling, George, approach the new beast. Gracie stared intently at George, drooled, and smacked her lips. For the first time ever, I was terrified that my new foster dog was envisioning a snack in my cat. Everyone had assured me that she was good with cats, but I never loosened my grip on her leash.
A little while later, the cats were hidden away and Gracie was curled up on the couch. Looking at her there, I couldn’t imagine why this sweet girl hadn’t been adopted yet. Her problems didn’t seem so bad.
That’s when I got the text: someone wanted to adopt Gracie.
“Nooooo!” The voice in my head screamed, “she just got here!”
After all the discussions, preparations, and the trip out to get her and bring her home, now suddenly someone was interested?!
Luckily, after all was thought over, everyone agreed to let Gracie settle in with us. We all knew she didn’t need the extra stress of yet another move so soon. The potential adopter never reappeared and Gracie got a chance to do more than settle in.
Around the house I kept her leash on for the first two weeks, I wasn’t 100% convinced that she wouldn’t eat the cats. Not until Callie swatted Gracie on the nose one day when she got too close, and Gracie jumped back 5 feet and whimpered. Turned out Gracie was more afraid of the kitties then they were of her.
I started to take her on long walks around the lake I live on. Armed with a bag of cubed mozzarella cheese and roast beef we set out to get Gracie Lou socialized in the neighborhood
It wasn’t long before we came across another dog; I knew she was going to react, but I was not prepared for how intense her fear actually was. There was no time to give her tasty treats when she went off. Barking, lunging, and yanking me toward the other dog, all I could do was hold onto her, and scream my apologies at the wide-eyed man walking his black lab.
I talked to Jen and Liz, my amazing foster coach, at Karuna Bully. They gave me tips and advice. Liz even sent me a training book (Click to Calm by Emma Parsons) and set me up with a local trainer on behalf of the rescue.
Gracie’s favorite toy is this ball she found on the side of the road during one of our walks and brought home. “Ok I posed for the camera, Dad, can we play ball now?”
Even with all the help, though, I started to feel desperate for her adoption day. Things didn’t seem to be getting better, her reactions were getting worse, and I suspected they had a lot to do with my own fear.
When we met with Ali, a local trainer and rescue-mom extraordinaire, a strange thing happened: Gracie didn’t react once. Not one time. Not to any of the three dogs Ali brought out of her car. Not from far away and not even from 5 feet away. This is literally the only experience I’ve ever had of her meeting new dogs calmly.
I started getting up earlier for our walks, but surprises always turned up that neither Gracie nor I could deal with. A new dog I’d never seen would turn a corner and she’d go berserk. Then one day she reacted to a woman, making my caution bar go up another notch. She was terrified of bicycles, and motorcycles, and random cars too.
Our walks got shorter as I decided it was not fair to try and train her with unsuspecting strangers. I enrolled her in a reactive dog class, but it only lasted a few weeks before it stopped running, and I learned to keep Gracie close to home.
Even through all of these struggles, though, Nick and I were falling deeply in love with her. Maybe it was the way she climbed onto us to snuggle. Or the way her kisses to the nose and ear lobes often turned into gentle pibble nibbles.
Maybe it’s the fact that she needs both Nick and I home in order to play with her toys, just one of us won’t do. When our family is complete, though, she’ll often bring a toy up to us and push it into our hands until we agree to tug on it. She’s adorably insistent.
It was six months later when we decided she was already home. After having her for so long we realized that if anyone tried to adopt her we would most likely end up disappointing them… so we didn’t let it get that far.
And here she is, on the day we decided to officially adopt her, right in between us… which is her favorite place. “I can has middle?”
I can’t believe it’s been two years since we brought her home. Happy Gotcha Day, little pibble.
Obviously, her story isn’t over. We still have challenges to overcome, and I’ve just been avoiding the problem for too long now.
Sometimes I still wish I could have adopted any one of my previous fosters. I would walk around the lake everyday and each one of them was always so happy to greet everyone from dogs to people. Then I realize they all had their own problems… no one’s perfect and this goes for dogs too.
Gracie’s already overcome so much. The first time I ran the vacuum, she was so terrified she went into a corner and peed. (Which, I’m proud to say, is the only accident she’s ever had!) With 2 or 3 training sessions, though, the vacuum became her pal and she now follows it around the house, tail wagging, hoping it’ll spit out some treats.
She would barely let me touch her feet when she first got here. We had to work up to it, but now I can give her a full pedi in one sitting!
These little successes give me hope that Gracie can overcome any fear she has. So now it’s time to address my own fears and get involved with a trainer.
I have successfully introduced her to dogs before, the problem is that it’s a slow process, and I can’t just walk right up to new dogs with any measure of success. My ultimate goal would be for Gracie and I to get up to the point where we can just pass other dogs calmly on the opposite side of the street.
Time to stop talking and do it, which is part of the reason why I’m putting this story out here. Now that you know what I should be doing, it gives me a stronger sense of obligation.
Like I said earlier, I don’t want to practice on unsuspecting passers-by, but I want to introduce Gracie to as many dogs as possible. If you want to help, you have a relatively calm dog, and you live in Putnam or Westchester County please get in touch with me. Gracie and I would really appreciate your help!
Feb 8, 2015
I barely had my toe in the door before Luna attacked me with puppy hugs and kisses. If she could talk, I’m sure she’d have been saying, “Ohmygod, ohmygod, YOU’RE HERE! I don’t really know you, but YOU’RE FINALLY HERE!”
Luna Strikes the pose, indoors and out!
This is why I love dogs. It’s the unfiltered joy they show, and their ability to fully love a complete stranger just because they’re there. It’s a contagious kind of happiness that makes it impossible not to smile.
Luna running with her newly captured squeaky as her proud Mom looks on.
After our long hello, we headed out to play in the fresh snow. Luna Romped around, chasing her new squeaky toy, and catching the snowballs I threw into the air. Then we headed indoors for a few studio style shots.
Luna, I think this is when she started tuckering out.
Her energy may have seemed endless, but she was quick to tire out. In fact, here’s some photo proof from her Mom, taken about an hour after I left.
A snapshot 1 hour after our photo session, courtesy of Mom, this is one pooped pup!
I thought you’d like that! Hey dog modeling is not easy… the sitting, the staying, the excitement, and with all those extra treats it’s like doggie Thanksgiving; the food coma is inevitable.
As a side note, Luna’s Mom has the funniest potty-training device I’ve ever seen. It’s actually a toy meant to train human babies to learn the alphabet, but it works well for Luna too, and will most likely send any visitors into a giggle fit.
You may have heard of hanging bells on your doorknob to show your dog how to make some noise when they need to go out, well this is a new take on that. The electronic toy hangs on the door, pre-loaded with the “P” block, and when Luna nose-pokes the block the toy says “Pee, Pee!”
I think I might have to head on over to Toys R Us… I’ll catch you all later!
Dec 3, 2014 |
He was wide-eyed, his mouth opened a tad more than necessary to express his disbelief, and I was thinking if there was a strait jacket nearby, he would gladly wrap me up in it and deliver me to the nearest asylum. He was the new manager at my friend’s condo development and he was trying to sell me on a lease.
“Sorry, I couldn’t move here,” I said, “you don’t allow pets.”
“Oh, well we’re going to be changing that policy soon,” he replied with a big smile, “what kind of pet do you have?”
“Two cats, a bird, and a dog.” I said, and that’s when I got the ‘ooo-kkkkay crazy lady’ look and that was the end of that conversation.
If you have 3 or more pets I’m sure someone has given you that look before. It’s the same look I give people when they tell me they have 3 or more kids, ha ha, we all judge based on our own level of tolerance.
I can’t imagine how many times Darcy has gotten this look, even I was guilty of the same shock when she booked her first photo session with me last year. Now, I have to publicly apologize because this lady takes better care of her furbabies than most people do of their 2-legged children!
Walking into Darcy’s immaculate house sends a different kind of shock pulsing through me; I am a total friggin’ slob, I think, there are 3x as many pets here but I could eat off of this floor!
Ruffles was the star of our photo session. Just look at the smile on her face as she looks up at her mommy – it’s beyond obvious that she adores Darcy. At 11 years old she still has the energy to run across the ginormous yard at top speed.
Left: Ruffles with a big ole smile Right: Ruffles running to her favorite person
Holly the ham never frowns at my camera, she always gives me that happy grin… I’m sure the treats don’t hurt though!
Holly hamming it up for the camera.
Candy and Spike, the shepherd siblings, are always face-first in the snow. These two really crack me up! While Candy is busy circling trees, Spike is bouncing around the yard like a jackrabbit. Until you throw Spike’s “baby,” then it’s a race through the snow and an invitation to play.
Left: Candy poses with Darcy Right: Spike stops his snow sniffing for a cookie
Pooh Bear is Darcy’s constant companion – wherever she is, he better be able to follow! Even if the snow is taller than he is, he. will. make it.
Last, but certainly not least, is Rocky. He’s the handsome shorty with all the muscles. This boy has a mouth like a manatee; you wouldn’t even know he has teeth when you give him a treat. Squeezing those cheeks again is high on my list of priorities!
Left: Rocky patiently waiting for his next cookie Right: Pooh Bear treks through snow taller than him
(Oh and P.S. all of these dogs are rescued, even the “purebreds.” So I don’t want to hear any more excuses about why you bought your pet, k? Darcy, you are my hero.)
Nov 12, 2014 |
When I first arrived at Danielle and Joe’s house for our doggie photo session, Moose greeted me just like they told me he would. With a full-body wiggle propelled by his tail, Moose trotted back and forth from the front door to the bottom of the steps just outside the entryway. When he disappeared down the steps again, I peeked around the corner and there he was, with a loafer in his mouth, proudly standing over a small pile of shoes. “Hi new hoooman,” his goofy grin said, “look what I made for you!”
Left: Moose with a big smile Right: Sadie striking the pose
Moose’s little sister, Sadie, was adopted about a year and a half ago after about 5 years of rehabilitation in a foster home. She is more on the cautious side with strangers, and she is especially wary of men. In fact, it was only a few months ago that she finally warmed up enough to her new Daddy that she was comfortable enough to give him a bit of couch cuddling. “This was a big event in our house,” Danielle said, “and a very happy one!”
That’s why we were all surprised when Sadie came over and greeted me before the bribery cookies even came out of the jar. She made me feel like a very special girl in that moment. I’m a sap for any and all rescue stories and Sadie sure has made it into the happily-ever-after category.
Moose is proud of his family
It was the perfect fall day: crisp and cool with the sun poking in and out. Moose and Sadie chased balls around the yard and eagerly awaited the inevitable shower of treats their parents held nearby. The treats were well-deserved rewards for being such good pups on photo day.
Oct 18, 2013
I’m super excited to be doing Halloween photos for Pets Alive West this year! Join us with your dogs on Oct. 26th to get a fun photo of your dog and support a terrific cause. Gracie Lou (my stunning model) and I had a fun pre-halloween photo session and we thought you would like to see what we have in store for you this howl-o-ween.
You can come anytime between 12pm and 4pm on October 26th to get your dog’s photos taken. A small donation of $10 will get you 1 high resolution digital file, $18 will get you 2, or get the most bang for your buck and donate $25 to get 3 fun photos! You will be able to print your photos and share online, and Pets Alive will be able to help more animals– it’s a win-win if you ask me!
Get directions to Pets Alive West in Elmsford, NY. I hope to see you and your pets there!
