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.)
May 7, 2013 |
I’m really ashamed I’ve been so out of touch with this blog! It’s been nearly a year since my last post :-O
In that year I’ve been super busy with pet photography for private clients as well as for a few local rescues that have dogs, cats, and birds up for adoption! I’ve also managed to steal away a few hours to create some more fine art photography. Three more kittens and three more dogs have been through my home since my last post, and today I wanted to share some of their stories.
Mac, Looney, and Gizmo were semi-feral strays that needed socialization very badly. The three brothers were my first and, so far, only experience with such scared babies. For the first few days that I had them they stayed huddled up in the crevice between my tub and sink. They only peeked their heads out when I brought out the food. At every feeding I placed their food farther and farther away from their little cubby hole and closer and closer to me.
Mac was the big boy, he was the bravest, or the hungriest depending on how you looked at it. He was always the first one out to eat, and he was also the first to purr when I touched him.
Gizmo was my personal favorite. He was a tad more shy than his big brother, but he was the next one to come out and eat and play on any given day. They never really played with me directly, but if I rolled a jingly ball around Mac or Gizmo were sure to take chase. Many of you may have already seen this photo of Gizmo – many people assume this is a kitten with its mother, but that’s actually Mac that Gizmo is hiding behind.
Looney was truly terrified of people. When Nick and I discovered that Mac & Gizmo were boys we guessed our third kitten must be a girl, so Looney actually started out as Luna. He only came out to eat at every other feeding and he never played unless I was out of the room. (I would peek under the door when I heard bells and watch their fuzzy, little feet) The day before I had to return them to the shelter Looney purred in my lap, and I was satisfied with that.
The same day I returned the kittens to the SPCA of Westchester, I picked up JoJo. That was the only time I let go of foster pets without crying over them – I had someone else to focus my attention on right away!
JoJo was 1 year old and was suffering from really bad hip dysplasia. She had the ultimate wiggle butt, it was adorable yet sad at the same time. People who met JoJo in my neighborhood thought it was so precious how she would just plop down on the pavement and roll onto her back. I think initially she did this to avoid pain, but when she realized that falling at people’s feet resulted in belly rubs it became her signature move!
This girl has the happiest forever home story ever: JoJo ended up landing a doctor! He wasn’t just any old doctor either, he was the veterinarian who was doing her acupuncture every week. She is currently living happily ever after with Dr. Mike, his wife, and their 3 kids.
That brings me to Kuna. Poor girl was dumped in a shelter with her sister – later on I discovered the very same people abandoned Kuna’s father as well a few weeks later – and Ali Wazmer, a local trainer working in association with Karuna Bully Rescue, got her out of there!
I’m not gonna lie, Kuna was a wild child, plain and simple. It was obvious that her previous owners didn’t spend a minute doing anything with her, and she was just so starved for attention and love. We gave her love and she gave it right back, as you can plainly see!
Stephanie and Jason decided to give Kuna her forever home. She is now known as June and enjoys long hikes with her new mommy and daddy.
Well that brings us up to date on happy endings! Stay tuned for a write-up and photos of my current foster doggie Gracie Lou! In fact, why don’t you subscribe below to be sure you don’t miss out =)
