Chaz, Molly & Chloe - Angel Session

About a month ago, I had the honor of squeezing in an Angel Session for Chaz, a handsome boy that was recently diagnosed with cancer. Chaz's mom won a free Pet Portrait Session at a fundraiser for a local rescue organization and wanted to book it right away for her sweet boy. Chaz's tumor is located in his lower intestines and, because it's untreatable, his vet is unsure of how much time he has left. We made sure we scheduled his photo shoot for the very next day. We spent a beautiful afternoon together surrounded by his 4- and 2-legged family. I introduce the adorable and unique-looking Chaz...

As sad as an Angel Session sounds, this photo shoot was actually very uplifting and fun! I'm so glad we booked the session when we did because Chaz still had plenty of energy to run with his pack.Molly is Chaz's sister and made the move from Yuma, AZ to the east coast with him.Chloe is Chaz's other sister and the youngest of them all. She was rescued from the Humane Society of Concord.Chaz made sure he took advantage of the extra attention during his session...So handsome...Chaz also made sure he had lots of fun! He showed off his running and playing skills despite his underlying health issues. Such a fighter!I almost *never* post "family" shots on my blog but I just HAD to share this one! This about sums up the day we had! :) Such wonderful energy!

Best wishes to Chaz and keep smiling big boy! XOXO!

Moose, Mugsy & Pepper - Take 3

Moose, Mugsy, and Pepper are becoming regulars at McGraw Photography. I photographed them twice last year so I was happy to spend a couple hours with them again last week for take three! This time, we spent a pretty morning on the beach in Myrtle Beach, SC. Sunrise came nice and early and all three of the pups were ready to head out and get their paws in the sand...

I'll start with Pepper because she only spent a little while with us. She was recently diagnosed with Cushing's Disease and, because of that and her age, she has difficulty walking on the tricky sand.Despite her shaky legs, she managed to explore most of the beach.Pepper is such a cute ol' gal and I love her sweet smile!Now the other two, Moose and Mugsy, were a different story. No...don't let this picture fool you. They were ready to let loose out there!Out on the beach, they started with wrestling and playing...and then running, running, and more running...Moose is so fast that his rear goes faster than his front!Every once in a while, Mugsy would stop and look up for a second. Those moments were few and far between. ;)I caught Moose's attention briefly with a treat.And then it was time to stalk the birds...More treats anyone?I'm so glad these pups' mom has a sense of humor! I think she is starting a tradition of featuring a goofy picture of her dog on each year's Christmas card. I think she has a few to choose from this time! ;) Haha!

Callie and Stella - Rescue Duo

Callie and Stella are adorable little rescue mutts that made the trip up to Charlotte from Forest City for their own doggy photo shoot. These two are so precious and as soon as I saw them, I knew we picked the right location to show them off. We meet at the McAlpine Creek/4-Mile Creek Greenways where they got to explore fields, boardwalks, and, in Callie's case, the swamp. Lol!

Callie is a Beagle mix that was left abandoned at a neighbor's house. Callie's mom watched her for weeks and when the neighbors didn't come back to get her, she claimed her as her own. Who could leave such an adorable face???

I love Callie's folded ears! They totally reflect her curious personality!When I was introduced to Stella, I was warned she is very shy around strangers. Haha! Not in my case. She warmed right up to me when she realized I was the treat lady.Stella is a tripod dog who had to have her rear leg removed after an altercation with another dog. She has no problem getting around and still loves other dogs!Callie and Stella's mom wanted to join in for some of the pictures. I love how attached these two rescue pups are to their mom. So adorable!I think this is right before Callie decided to check out the stinkiness of the swamp...Stella didn't venture off too far. Her mantra is, "never go too far from the treats."Thanks, ladies, for a wonderful session. Many kisses...

Dave & Lucy - Puppy Mill Story

This story is one of hope. I'm very excited to share the story of Lucy, a puppy mill rescue that was recently given another chance in life. Lucy's rescue story started on September 11th when police and the Humane Society of the United States raided an Edgefield county puppy mill in South Carolina. Nearly 300 animals were seized including over 200 dogs, dozens of fowl, and nine horses. Conditions were horrible and many of the animals were living in wire cages with no solid flooring, drinking green or muddy water, suffering with matted fur and disease, and living in their own feces. To top it off, bones, ashes, and rotten carcasses were littered throughout the property.

The Humane Society of Charlotte took 76 of the rescued dogs and have slowly been putting them up for adoption as they've become ready. One of those dogs was Phyllis, a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix that had probably mothered many, many puppies.

When volunteering at the shelter a few weeks ago, my friend Casey decided to tag along in hopes of catching a peek at some of the puppy mill dogs. The minute she saw Phyllis, she fell in love. Phyllis was still stinky, in need of a long bath, and very shy, but she was just as sweet as can be. Days later, Casey returned to the shelter and declared Phyllis (now Lucy) as her new fur-kid!

At the time of our photo shoot, Lucy had only been in her new home for two weeks. She had already made huge strides in house breaking, walking on a leash, and making friends with her new 4-legged brother, Dave. Obviously still very shy and timid, she has been working with a trainer to learn how to become a regular dog. If she has come this far already, in a year from now, I know she will be a well-adjusted, spoiled little girl.

Here is Lucy (on the right) with her new brother, Dave. Lucy may look scared in some of the pictures but she was actually quite comfortable with the camera. She simply hasn't gained any self-confidence as of yet and you can see that in her posture and body language.

Lucy had quite a bit of matted hair and so much had to be removed. She will look gorgeous once it all grows back in and she is nice and fluffy again!

Lucy has already developed a strong bond with her mother. Through training and patience, she is quickly learning how to be a dog for the first time in her 4-year life.I can tell Lucy is already making huge steps. It says a lot when a dog will let you photograph them from close above. With slow, careful movements, she didn't even cower away. I'm so proud of her!Judging from this image, I'd say that Lucy has nothing but wonderful days ahead of her...Dave, of course, had to step in and work it for the camera. He is going to be a good example of self-confidence for his little sis.

Best of luck to Lucy on her path to dogginess. I'm so glad she has found a warm, loving home and I can't wait to watch her blossom into a wonderful family companion.

***

Here is a video showing more of this recent puppy mill raid (if the video doesn't appear below, view it on YouTube). Even though this occurred in South Carolina, North Carolina has a similar puppy mill problem. Please make sure you research who you vote for in this election and make sure they are supporters of animal welfare and take a stand against puppy mills. Here is one animal-friendly voter guide that I found for North Carolina: http://ncvaw.org/2012-voter-guide/

Dean - AKA Deanie Weenie

I'm a little obsessed with Dean. This little Weimaraner has stolen my heart and I've fallen even more in love with him as I edit his images. I have honestly thought about dog-napping him but that would probably be frowned upon. ;) So why am I so in love with Dean? This guy is 12 years old but has the smile of a puppy and the heart of an angel! Plus, he is a huge UNC fan! I mean, when I arrived for his session, he was enjoying a UNC football game, sportin' his Tarheels collar, and his name is DEAN!

Like I mentioned, Dean is 12 so he might move a little slower than he used to. However, he still loves to play ball, catch his frisbee, and go for an occasional swim in Lake Norman. As a matter of fact, as long as I had a ball in my hand, he was more than happy to model for me. I even left my squeaky tennis ball with him in hopes it would bribe him to come live with me. Maybe one day? A girl can dream, right?Dean means business when it comes to playtime. And you better not forget his Chuckit...He looking at me like, "woman, are you going to throw that thing or what?"Happy boy...I'm so excited that Dean's dad wanted to join in for some of the pictures. They have been together for all these years. Dean suffers from a pretty bad case of separation anxiety and, fortunately, Dean's dad can bring him to work. They are best friends...I really am in love with this dog. Doesn't he just make you melt?!?Thank you so much, Dean, for such an amazing session. You were beyond a joy to work with and I really can't wait to see you again. I had a hard time saying goodbye before...next time is going to be that much harder. XOXO!

Morgan and Sam

Morgan and Sam are quite the special pair. They are the two oldest pups in a pack of five - yes, five! They are buddies and love to chill together while the other three "kids" do their young-dog thing. Sam, the oldest, has an *adorable* gray face (I'm a sucker) while Morgan is a super cozy, fluffy, black fur-ball. Back in August, these two had a surprise session for their mom's birthday/Christmas gift. She was away for the summer working on a ranch in Jackson, WY (my favorite place in the world) and missed her pups dearly. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to sneak in a session without her knowing.

Their dad *might* not have been able to wait till those special holidays to unveil the surprise though. ;) Well, now that the secret is out, I'm happy to share their beautiful faces with the world. Sorry I made their mom cry when she saw the pictures but I hope she cherishes them forever. <3

Morgan is such a sweetie pie with the cutest smile and to-die-for ears. Is this not a face that gets what it wants?Like I mentioned, I am a sucker for gray faces. So when I saw Sam for the first time, I melted a little on the inside. I heart older dogs! We had our session at Latta Plantation and spent most of the shoot along the lakefront. Morgan was, um, a little obsessed with the water and stared longingly at it... Just the thought of going near the lake got her super excited...And then she was pooped...

I just want to grab her and cuddle with her fluffy fur!Now Sam wasn't as excited about the water as Morgan was. However, he agreed to pose his handsome face in front of the lake for me!Sam was much happier hanging out where there wasn't risk of him falling in the water. He was all smiles on the dock.I just want to give his little face kisses!Thank you for such a wonderful session! I'm so glad I got to spend an evening making some wonderful memories for Morgan and Sam's mom! {{{HUGS}}}!

Trails for Tails 2012

Yesterday marked a special day in history! Yesterday was the first annual Trails for Tails event benefitting Road To Home Canine Refuge and Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love. All the funds raised help with the costs associated for the care of rescued dogs while looking for loving homes. Everyone came out bright and early to participate in a 5K trail run and 1-mile Dog Walk at the US National Whitewater Center. It was a little chilly but everyone, including the dogs, had smiles on their faces!

Before I go into the details of the day, I want to thank each and every one of the participants, their pups, the volunteers, sponsors and vendors. Wow! You all really made this first-time event very special. Thank you for all you have done to support animal rescue.

Participants started registering for the 5K and Dog Walk at 7am. They got all kinds of cool swag including a t-shirt and goody bag.As people and pups started to arrive, I got to meet some of the 4-legged participants! :)Race time!!! I absolutely love the US National Whitewater Center and it is one of the things I'm really proud of in Charlotte. Their trail system is awesome for both running and mountain biking.These girls were ready to run and had fun with their outfits...Even Scooby Doo did some pre-race warm-ups!And they're off! As the 5K trail run was finishing up, the dogs got started on their 1-mile walk around the USNWC. So many dogs showed up and they had a blast circling the water at the venue.After the walk, everyone relaxed, waited for the race results to come in, and checked out all the wonderful vendor booths. Naturally, I hung out with more pups!Mecklenburg County Animal Care and Control announced a new program they are starting for their adoptable dogs. It's a running program that allows volunteers to take one of the adoptable dogs out on runs with them. The pups will wear an "adopt me" vest and the volunteers will be given cards with the dog's info. It's a win-win for everyone! The volunteers get to train and give back to the community while the dogs get exercise and exposure in the public. I love it!!! Missy (I really hope I'm remembering her name correctly) is one of the pups on the new running program. Don't you want to take her on a run...or, better yet, adopt her?The 5K race results are in!They had the cutest medals to give to the winners of the 5K and pet contests...

Thanks again to everyone that came out Saturday morning! If you don't see your pup here, check out the entire gallery in the events section of my website: http://mcgrawphotography.zenfolio.com. Pictures will be up shortly! :)

Maya & Gabby - Furfriends 4 Life

I apologize in advance because this is quite a long post. I just couldn't narrow down the images for the sneak peek! I have a feeling you won't mind. Once you cast your eyes on these two BFF's, you will want to see more! ;) Maya, an Australian Shepherd, and Gabby, a black Chow mix, quickly bonded when they met. That was good news because their moms have been best friends for years and their furkids needed to get along! Now they have fun play dates and even get to hang out at Lucky Dog in Cornelius. So of course, when Gabby and Maya's moms decided to do a photo shoot, they had to be together!

These two were amazing for the camera and really made it hard for me to cull out the "bad" images (hence the large sneak peek). I hope you enjoy...

Maya is full of energy and absolutely loves to play. Like most Australian Shepherds, she was very attentive, smart and responded well to treats and toys. I could just melt in her eyes.Gabby is gorgeous. That's all I can say. Not really, but look at her cute face!Gabby is full of energy just like Maya. She had a blast exploring the fields at Fisher Farm and protected us from hikers and joggers. :)Love this of the two of them together. Gabby's head tilt makes it!And even more of these two buddies...It's beginning to look a lot like Fall!And I'll finish with one of my favs! Many thanks to Gabby and Maya's moms! I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! There is A LOT more to come! ;)