When I tell people that I am a pet photographer they often assume that I hang out with show dogs and super pure breeds. If you browse through my blog you would know that nothing is further from the truth. To want your dog captured by a professional so you can have a forever portrait to cherish, well..it takes a different kind of human. Not the one who seeks glory and wants perfection, but the one who provides love, affection and stress free environment and expects absolutely nothing.
Working with SPCA I meet a lot of fantastic people who are willing and ready to help, who put in their time and share the love. The owner of Molly and Lulu is one of them. His name is Les and he is at Surrey SPCA almost every morning walking the dogs. He does not see himself as a hero and I know he would be embarrassed to know that I am writing this, but he, among lots of other volunteers, deserves a lot of credit!
Meet Les, as far as humans go he is one of the best ones!
He is holding his 14 year old Molly that has been with him since her puppy days. She is a Lhasa Apso that gets badly stressed out when groomed, so Les lets her be the way she is..
Molly is the most interesting looking dog I ever have a chance to photograph, I decided not to beautify her and just let her be the way she is and the way Les wants to remember her.
Molly has to be carried around a bit since she is quite old and has difficulty walking in a tall grass etc. She almost gave us a heart attack when she decided to jump of the picnic table we put her on..yikes! But she is ok, quite tough little dog!
Lulu is with Les since April, here is what he says about her “Lulu is an abused rescue dog 5 1/2 years old from the Surrey shelter that we held in foster and ended up adopting. We think she is a poodle / spaniel cross. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body but she is absolutely terrified of anybody but Tricia and myself so hopefully we can figure something out. She is definitely treat orientated but when she goes into her own frightened mode even treats don’t help .She is white with almond patches on her , is a real sweetie and is actually quite a character…..”
She was really scared of me so the only way to take some photos was using my 70-200 mm lens, that way I could see her quite clearly..
By the end of the session she was getting quite close to me, but still would not take a treat or let me touch her. She will not let anybody walk her but Les, she chose him as her sole human. Hopefully she will come around and be able to enjoy life a bit more.
My hat off to all of you who give your time and love to all dogs. Join our Paws for Cause on Sept 12 in many communities in BC to help to raise money for shelters!
I will be at the Surrey event this year.
