Since I’ve started volunteering, we try to make it to the shelter once a week, on Saturday mornings. Usually, my routine is to take pictures of dogs who desperately need to be adopted, while my partner helps walk and play with the others. But this past Saturday proved to be totally different from the norm, and I didn’t take as many pictures as I had hoped. However the pictures I did manage to take, speak a thousand words or more.

One of the animal control officers had been chasing these two particular dogs for at least a week or two. They were strays, dirty, matted, and had been on the run for what appeared to be quite a long time. In fact they had been without human contact for so long, that the animal control officer who caught them, had to use a net and a catch pole to safely put them into the transport cages. Once they were back at the shelter, it was noticed that the little gray male was very nippy, and was labeled as a biter.

I came inside for a minute, and noticed two other volunteers trying to work with the little gray male. They were both on the floor, one holding the dog and the other holding a pair of clippers. I asked what they were doing, and they replied that they were trying to remove the mats in his fur. I could see it wasn’t going so well, so rather intrusively, I grabbed the clippers and started grooming. I was told that he was a biter, and that I needed to be careful, but I didn’t see that side of him, and I certainly wasn’t scared of him.

It was the most heart wrenching thing I’ve done so far, but I could tell that with every swipe of the clippers, the little guy relaxed more and more. As I groomed, I noticed that the mats were down to the skin, and in some places were starting to pull away by themselves. The fur was coming off in sheets, and was just about as dirty as I had ever seen. But just as the fur was coming off, so was the little guy’s attitude. It was the most amazing thing to see this dog start of timid, afraid, and apparently nippy, to relaxed, and relieved over the course of his ‘grooming’. It was nearly like he just went limp with relief as the hair was coming off.

After I got him cleaned up, we gave him a good bath and then put him in his kennel to relax a while. Up until this point he’d been in an outside setting, and didn’t know what the comfort of a bed and blanket were. It was very hard to leave him there at the shelter as my day came to a close, but I knew that I had made him feel much better that day. I don’t know if he’s been adopted or not at this point, and I suppose I wont inquire about his status. I’m just going to trust that the other daily volunteers were able to see what a transformation this guy made, and got him placed in a new home.

In the first picture below, you can see how much hair and mats came off of him, and this was only halfway through. In the second picture below, you can see what he looked like in the middle of his grooming – can you imagine what he looked like a the beginning? And in the third picture, he’s in his kennel enjoying his bed, but was still a little concerned with his new surroundings.

UPDATE!!! I received word this afternoon that Benji’s been accepted into a local rescue group!! He leaves the shelter tomorrow!

You may remember Buddy, well this is his sister Nikki. Her owners were so pleased with Buddy’s photos, that they just had to bring Nikki in – and I’d say it was totally worth it. Buddy and Nikki are so cute together, and what a little princess Nikki is. We did break out a few cheesy props, but this girl deserves it! What a cutie!

Dr. Epstein of The Animal Hospital on Teasley Lane in Denton, took part in the Extreme Mutt Makeover challenge this past weekend. Chelsea, a ‘mutt’ who was rescued from a local animal shelter, and saved from certain death, was given a new chance at a great life! Dr. Epstein took her in, and for a number of weeks, cared for and nurtured Chelsea back to health. She also taught Chelsea basic manners and obedience commands. In fact, Dr. Epstein did such a good job with Chelsea, that the duo took 5th place at the challenge held in Fort Worth! I had the opportunity to volunteer my services to Dr. Epstein and Chelsea, and let me tell you HOW MUCH fun it was! Chelsea was such a GREAT dog, and did a wonderful job as a little doggie model! Here are a few of my favorites from her session!

My friend Summer, over at On The Ball K9 Training, came in last week to talk shop a little, and she brought along her Belgian Malinois, Modi! I had a bit of ‘trigger itch’ that I needed to scratch by shooting something, so I took 5 minutes out of our conversation and set up the background and lights. Modi was a PERFECT model, let me tell you! If only my own dogs were as nicely trained as she is!

I’m so happy I can finally release these on the blog! Buddy came in for a session a few weeks ago, and let me tell you, he is the cutest dog EVER! Unfortunately Buddy was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of K9 cancer, and at 12 years old, Buddy isn’t a candidate for the harsh treatment that will significantly reduce his quality of life. His owners have lovingly decided to allow Buddy to live out his days as the happy-go-lucky boy that he is. Its a hard thing to swallow, but Buddy has had a GREAT life, and continues to do so despite the cancer. I had SO MUCH FUN with Buddy! In fact, some of these will be VERY LARGE gallery wraps for the studio! I dare you to look at the pics below and not finish this post with a smile on your face! Bet you can’t do it!