shine pet photos | modern pet photography

Many of you have inquired about sweet Jeffrey, the dog that was saved from near death by the Paw’d Squad. Well, here’s an update!

I went to adoptions on Saturday to photograph some dogs and see how Jeffrey was doing. And I ended up walking right by him — he’s completely unrecognizable! After 2 months of lots of medical care, love, and a wonderful foster home with his very own cat, Jeffrey has blossomed. He’s gone up from a measly 45 pounds to 80 pounds! And Jeffrey even has some families interested in him, so hopefully the next time I blog about him he’ll be in his forever home.

Carole from the Paw’d Squad says on December 20th:
“Jeffrey wants to wish everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS! He is now up to 75 pounds and is looking more handsome every day. He still has blood and bone marrow issues….but he’s getting there

Thank you all for your kindness and support. We couldn’t have done it without you!”

Here’s Jeffrey before:

And here’s Jeffrey now: (Click on small photos to enlarge)

Thank you for supporting Jeffrey with your kind thoughts, networking his story, and for your financial support. In these crazy times, it’s so reassuring to know that there’s still so much goodness in the world.

PS: Jeffrey has his own facebook page! Add him as a friend to keep track of his amazing progress.

I went to Pawd Squad yesterday to meet some new baby Rotties and found out some great news: LaLa found a home!

I photographed this sweet Pit girl in the very beginning of May, and she’s been looking for a home ever since. Despite whatever people may think about pit bulls, LaLa is the gentlest, sweetest girl ever. All she wanted was for someone to pet her and love her. Once you started petting her, she’d lean her whole body into yours and just didn’t want you to stop.

I also have to give a shout to Tina, the woman who pulled LaLa out of the North Central shelter, right before she was to be euthanized. The “before” photos are from Tina’s blog — you can see videos of how scared LaLa was at the shelter and how far she’s come under Tina’s tender loving care.

Well that’s one less dog needlessly killed in a shelter. And that’s just fantastic.

Here’s the fourth installment of my “Extreme Dog Makeover” series.

I take photos of dogs every weekend for a group in town called Pawd Squad. Oftentimes, another volunteer takes snapshot of a dog before I get a chance to take a portrait. While their photos are really great, sometimes they lack that “doggy essence” that really conveys what the dog’s personality is all about. And this, my friends, is is where I come in!

Meet Jefferson! He’s the sweetest, most handsome young guy who loves car rides and puppies! His bio at the Pawd Squad says:

Hi there! My name is Jefferson. I was running the streets when a Paw’d Squad volunteer found me with this rope tied around my neck. She started crying when she saw my burned back and got me up to Paw’d Squad headquarters right away. I’m really a nice - I love other dogs and car rides and people and I really don’t understand why someone tried to burn me. Maybe they didn’t like me because I’m cross ‚ eyed. Now don’t get me wrong, I can see real good. It’s just a little hard to focus sometimes so if you throw a ball, I’ll run after it — I just might not see where it lands right away but I promise I will find it and bring it back to you.

Jefferson has been in foster care for TWO YEARS NOW! He’s seen countless other dogs and puppies get picked every week, while waiting patiently for a home of his own. Yeah we all know puppies are cute, but  goofy, smiley, cross-eyed dogs are cute too! If you’d like to meet Jefferson or fill out an application, please head on over to the Pawd Squad page.

Here’s the third installment of my “Extreme Dog Makeover” series.

(See extreme dog makeover, part 1, and part 2)

Just to refresh, I take photos of dogs every weekend for a group in town called Pawd Squad. Oftentimes, another volunteer takes snapshot of a dog before I get a chance to take a portrait. While their photos are really great, sometimes they lack that “doggy essence” that really conveys what the dog’s personality is all about. And this, my friends, is is where I come in!

Meet Brass, a totally loveable little baby Rottweiler mix. Brass is a pretty mellow, chill little guy who didn’t really enjoy getting his photo taken (AT ALL!). He much preferred sitting quietly, or playing with the other pups.

Here’s his bio from the Pawd Squad website:

He is a sweet, quiet puppy who is content to lie on a dog bed and chew on a toy while the other puppies in his foster home are running around and wrestling. That’s not to say he doesn’t like to play; he does. Brass is just happy to BE. With his long floppy ears and short legs, we doubt that he is a purebred Rottie. Whatever he is mixed with definitely made a very cute, good natured pup.

And here’s the best part — Brass is still looking for his forever home! (Can’t believe this one hasn’t been snatched up yet) If you’re interested, visit the Pawd Squad website.

Here’s another great example of an “extreme dog makeover” and what a difference a good photo can make. (See extreme dog makeover, part 1)

Meet Midori, the most beautiful, delicate little chihuahua you’ll ever meet. Her family just handed her over to a Pawd Squad volunteer and never looked back. Needless to stay, Midori was absolutely devastated. The photo to the left is a snapshop a volunteer took of her not long after she was turned over. She looks so sad and scared , like a little lost dog. I attempted to do a photoshoot with Midori a little bit later, and she was still extremely shy and scared. Her foster mom had to hold her while we did the shoot, and her expression still was one of distrust and fear.

Fast forward to a few weeks later. Under the loving care of her foster mom, Midori transformed into the most beautiful, happy little dog. So we did yet another photoshoot, and she completely worked the camera. She is so graceful and elegant, like a little ballerina. We had a GREAT shoot, and my favorite photo is to the right.

But the best part of this story, is that Midori has been adopted into a great home! Don’t you just love happy endings?