The title of this post may be a little misleading in that this particular day at the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas wasn't sweltering like this summer has been infamous for. In fact, it was quite "cool" with a steady mist in the air. This short and sweet break from the record-breaking temps was a nice relief for the dogs and their energy levels proved it. The pups were so energetic and wanted to take full advantage of the temporary drop in temperature. All of the dogs were out of hiding and ready for their snapshots! They each posed in hopes of finding their forever homes and a cool place to nap once the temperatures climb back up. If you are interested in any of the sweet dogs you see here, please contact the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas.
I love Abbey's eyes. I don't know how to describe them other than they look like molten lava. Gorgeous...
Chase was out in one of the horse fields having some play time in the pretty yellow flowers. I couldn't resist getting several shots of this happy fellow...
Bags for Wags Tournament
Saturday might not have been the prettiest day out, but it sure was a great day to raise money for a good cause! Hundreds of people ignored the mist and rain and headed out to the Thirsty Beaver Saloon where the 2nd annual Bags for Wags Corn Hole Tournament was taking place. I don't know exactly how many teams participated - all I know is that you could go cross-eyed reading the ladder! :) All of these dedicated teams participated to help Bags for Wags raise money to support the Coalition to Un-Chain Dogs. Between the tournament, drink specials, BBQ, silent auction, and raffle, over $6,800 was raised!!! This blew away their $3,500 goal! Congratulations!!! Bags for Wags was formed by three guys looking to give back to the Charlotte Community by assisting local animal organizations with their fundraising endeavors and helping educate the public on the need for spay/neuter and improved welfare of animals. Last year they held their first tournament with 30 teams participating and raised over $3,200 for the Humane Society of Charlotte. This year, they focused their efforts on the Coalition to Un-Chain Dogs, a group of animal lovers that has unchained over 500 dogs over the past 4 years at no cost to the animal owners who typically can not afford to build a fence.
I'm so happy to have donated and participated in this great event! Thanks to the sponsors and everyone that came out to help our fellow four-legged friends!
A raffle and silent auction helped raised money while providing some awesomely cool stuff! I was lovin' the hand-painted corn hole boards and the mini PBR fridge!
Now on the the "Wags" part of the day! When I first arrived, it began to rain and everyone, including the dogs, piled into the bar for cover. A couple of the dogs made themselves right at home...
Once the rain let up, it was back outside for some socializing and posing. Not too many dogs were hanging out but I tried to photograph as many as I could!
I love the drool!
This sweet boy was an unfortunate victim of dog fighting. He is now fighting back in his own way! Although he lost his leg, he has found a loving home and has learned to be a well-balanced, social, and affectionate doggy.
Kitty time at the HSI
I love cats. In fact, I've owned more cats than dogs in my lifetime. Fortunately, my jobs lets me spend time with both! However, cat photography seems to be a bit less popular and the majority of my time is spent in photo shoots with dogs. That being said, I was thrilled to find out that the Humane Society of Iredell had plenty of cats that could go for a good photo shoot. I was happy to oblige. Humane Society of Iredell has a great facility up in Mooresville, NC. The building is clean and is staffed with awesome volunteers that have the animals' best interests in mind. The cats have multi-level cages and have a private room where they can socialize with one another and visit with potential owners. If you ever get the opportunity, check out the facility and spend some time with the wonderful kitties! PS - they have dogs available too! They are all placed in foster homes but can easily have a visit arranged.
I'll start out with an adorable little kitten named Hope. She is just a little 12-week-old bundle of energy! She absolutely was cracking me up as she zoomed from corner to corner in the room. She would flatten her tail along the top of her back and looked like a chipmunk as she ran to and fro. Total cuteness...
Her favorite game must be tug-o-war! Check out these outtakes of her pulling with all of her might. Her chipmunk stance is on the lower right.
This beautiful kitty is Gloria. She is just 11 months old and has the biggest eyes I have seen on a cat in a long time. She loves to cuddle and if you're not careful, those eyes will lure you in to give her treats...
Skye is the next kitty I got to photograph. She is a fluffy 3-4 year-old Persian blend with lovely silver/smoke fur. She will need a peaceful home where she will be free to do her own thing.
If I didn't know better, I would say that this next kitty is Gloria's twin. She shares the same stunning eyes, beautiful markings, and hard-to-ignore personality. This lovely girl is appropriately named Princess...
The last girl I visited with was Laverne. This grey kitty is only 8 months old and loves playtime, being held, and lots of kisses and toys. She is a lover...
On a technical note, I used my new 50mm f/1.4 lens for these pics. I would have been out of luck if I didn't have it in my arsenal! This room was very dark with only one fluorescent fixture providing the light. I had my lens wide open and fortunately managed to avoid using any flash. Because the room was so dark, I wasn't able to stop action at all and I still have to practice with the very shallow depth of field. However, this lens rocks and I can see myself using it for all types of situations - low light or in the middle of the day!
The Dog Days of Summer - Part 3
Time for a couple more doggies from the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas!
These two guys are Andy and Amos. They are brothers that were brought to the rescue together from a high-kill shelter. They have been at the rescue for quite some time and really need a good home. With some patience, these boys will become great companions...
Next we have Sarah! I instantly felt connected to her - maybe because we share the same name, or, maybe because her birthday is the same day as mine. Well, for whatever reason, she is a doll! She was rescued from a shelter where she was going to be put down due to space limitations. Fortunately, she is now safe and is looking for her forever home. She is good with other dogs and is very well mannered. She loves to cuddle and will wait patiently for her head rubs!
Bowling For Fur
This past Sunday, I got to hang out with a great group of people and volunteers from the Humane Society of Iredell (HSI). They hosted an awesome event, Bowling for Fur, at Victory Lanes in Mooreville. The day was filled with bowling, food, raffles, and of course, pet adoptions. I was on hand to offer a gift certificate in the raffle and grab some quick shots of the pups on display. I was even allowed to bowl and I didn't do *too* shabby ;). Many thanks go out to the the sponsors, volunteers, NASCAR drivers, and supporters that came out to make this event a success. I had such a blast and couldn't keep the smile off my face the whole day! I can't wait to do volunteer work for this great organization!
HSI is not supported by government, county or state funded, nor are they supported by the Humane Society of the United States. They are a volunteer-based organization that rely solely on donations and support from people like you. If you would like to adopt a furry friend, volunteer, or donate food, blankets, towels, crates, leashes, etc, please contact the Humane Society of Iredell.
On to the doggies!
This first gorgeous girl is Lilly. She is still pretty young and just the cutest lady!
Next up is BB. She is a little scruffy dog and, yes, I LOVE me some scruffy dogs! Not to mention her underbite and Gremlin-style ears are to die for! :)
This next girl is Sarah. Her foster mommy spoils her with pretty dresses and Sarah just eats it up! Can't you see the love these two have for each other?
This is Sarah's "sister" Daphne. She also gets to dress up and hang out at the adoption events with the volunteers.
What is a pet adoption post without a success story? Well almost two years ago, Chaddy, the kitty pictured below, was rescued from HSI and placed in the best home EVER! He gets to hang out in public just like a dog and even has his own tricked-out stroller. He travels to races and has even had his picture taken with some of the greats in NASCAR! He gets the best clothes and is sporting a HSI volunteer shirt in these photos. Oh, what a life!
Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash
I love giving back to those that give back to those that give back. Ok, let me rephrase that. I love giving back to places like Dogtopia that give back to community servants such as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police K9 Unit.
On Saturday, July 17th, Dogtopia hosted a Charity Dog Wash to help raise money to purchase Police K9 First Aid kits. Doggy baths were the main event but guests also had the opportunity to browse vendor booths, enjoy a bake sale, and participate in a raffle. For the full spa experience, the four-legged guests even had the opportunity to relax with a canine massage!
Dogtopia's goal was to collect just over $1400 - enough to purchase 6 kits for our furry duty dogs. Thankfully, partly due to an *awesome* last minute donation from Meow and Fetch Pet Sitting, the goal was reached!!! I'd say the day was an overwhelming success!
Many thanks go out to the thoughtful people and dogs that came out to support the event! Your generosity is greatly appreciated by so many people and police K9s. Also a big thanks to the vendors and volunteers that helped at the event including, all the doggy washers, Char-Meck Animal Care & Control, DoodyCalls, Filters First, Hounds for Heros, Ben & Jerry's, and Pawws and Relax.
Now here is the star of the show! This is Officer Joe Hoskins (who, by the way, is the coolest cop I've ever met) and his totally rad K9, Scout. Scout is 8 years old and will soon be retiring from his police duties. He will happily spend his retirement living with Officer Hoskins where he will be deeply loved. Can't you just see the pride, love, and respect these two have for each other? I heart this...
While the pups waited their turn for their baths, they enjoyed yummy homemade ice cream treats provided by Hounds For Heros. This gave me some great material for some cute tongue shots and funny faces!
Almost 100 dogs showed up to get pampered and they all waited patiently in the lobby for their turn in the spa...
Doggies got treated to a shampoo, towel-dry, fragrant spritz and bandana. They all turned out gorgeous!
Here are some more doggies that came out to support the Char-Meck Police K9 Unit...
If you pup isn't shown here, that doesn't mean I don't adore him or her! Check out this link to see more pics!
Thank you to everyone that came out to support such a good cause! Hope to see you again next year!
The Dog Days of Summer - Part 2
I'm soooo excited to write this blog post - I can barely type!!! Why, you ask? Well, two reasons. Number 1 is because most of these shots were taken with my awesome new 50mm f/1.4 lens - in fact, these are the first pictures I have taken with it. I must say, I love it already!!! I can't wait to play around with it some more and see what all that baby can do. Reason number 2 is because you, my friend, are in for some major Great Dane Rescue cuteness overload...like out of this world cuteness! Now on to the pics... I'll start out with a kicker! Who can resist this furry little face with those oh-so-adorable eyelashes!?!
I'm not really sure if these little ones are going to be up for adoption, but I just couldn't resist posting their pics!
This sweet little man is Charlie. He is about 12 years old and was brought to the rescue as an owner surrender. This poor guy is so confused why he is here and just wants to curl up in someone's lap and feel safe again...
Next we have Sammie and a handsome white poodle. Sammie is the sweetest girl and has given birth to several of the black doggies I have photographed at the rescue. She isn't too good around other dogs but is a real cuddle bear with people. The white poodle is currently nameless but was definitely someone's baby at one time in his life. He loves to sit on your lap and will give you instant attention when the treats are pulled out!
Here they both are with their cutest faces and best smiles...
Luke is a Boxer/Hound mix of sorts and has a heart of gold. He will be awesome with a family that can give him tons of playtime because he loves his toys!
This next set of puppies will really get your heart racing. In total, there will be 6 little Hound pups available so get ready to make room in your house...
These last couple images remind me of why I volunteer at the Great Dane Rescue. No matter what breed, age, size, or shape, all these poor dogs want is for someone to take them home, give them a warm bed, plenty of food, and lots of kisses. I hope I help that happen.
The Dog Days of Summer - Part 1
As most of you know, it has been a hot few weeks here in the south. Luckily enough, most of us are blessed to have a comfortable home with a thermostat and chilly air conditioning. However, not everyone is so lucky...especially the animals that get left behind. This past Sunday, I spent some time volunteering at the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas. This time it seemed different - it seemed strangely quiet and I didn't see all of the dogs as I glanced around. Well, with temperatures closing in on 100 degrees and the humidity hovering at 50-60 percent, most of the dogs were hiding in their houses in what little shade the high noon sun could provide.
Please don't forget these helpless animals this time of year. They would give anything to be able to sprawl out on your living room floor and chill under the ceiling fan and A/C vent. Here are just a few of the pups that need a comfortable home...
This sweet boy is Waylon. Despite the heat, he was ready to play with me and then settle down for a good chest scratching. He was definitely my favorite of the day!
Next is Christian (on the left) and WillowBear. Christian is a new arrival and WillowBear has been at the rescue for quite some time. WillowBear will be a gorgeous dog with some grooming and care. She is a sweet girl with great manners!
Next we have some Great Dane puppies!!! They are super cute and will melt your heart!
