Gypsy
Once I met my shelter dog, I was hooked. Jasper and Albie are teaching me more patience. Ani taught me to look beyond the exterior to the beauty inside a tough, frightened little girl. All grew my heart so big with love, that in a moment of bliss with our pups on the couch the other night, I exclaimed to my husband, ‘They’re a wealth of riches!’ What’s better than being surrounded by these beautiful souls who love us and who we love so much?
It’s Change A Pet’s Life Day, and Traer Scott’s stunning book, Finding Home; shelter dogs & their stories, illustrates in moving words and gorgeous photographs the many faces and stories of shelter dogs she’s encountered. I’ll be giving away a signed copy of Traer’s book, which you won’t want to miss. I promise you, this will be one you’ll treasure for years to come.
Meet some of Finding Home’s dogs…
Layla
Layla was never abused or mistreated. She was a very loved dog, whose family lost their home. Hope escaped the euthanasia needle twice; hers is a tale with an epic ending! Nala was surrendered because her family didn’t have time for a dog. Find out who she met and what happened next! Molly was surrendered after ten years with her owner because the woman was forced to move into elderly housing that didn’t allow dogs. Did this sweet senior find her forever? Each of the 35 dogs featured in Scott’s book has a story and with all, it took a village.
Molly, the senior Golden
Some were helped by an incredible woman, Heather Gutshall, who founded Handsome Dan’s Rescue (HDR), one of the most notable rescue groups in the country. Handsome Dan’s was inspired and built around Vicktory Dog “and notorious snuggler, Handsome Dan.” The Vicktory Dogs were the survivors of severe abuse at the hands of NFL quarterback, Michael Vick and his cohorts, and their illegal dog-fighting business. While HDR doesn’t have a physical shelter, it is a network and rescue resource, working with many shelters helping to place pitbull-type dogs in danger of being euthanized in other facilities.
HDR is also dedicated to providing enrichment for dogs having a tough time with shelter life. A dozen volunteers are each assigned a particular shelter dog in desperate need of socialization and training. One of the special training courses several of the dogs featured have taken, which seems particularly effective, is called Pits and Pals C.L.A.S.S., which stands for Canine Life and Social Skills. The course is taught by Gutshall and helps prepare the dogs for adoption.
A percent of all proceeds from Finding Home will be donated to Handsome Dan’s Rescue and the Providence Animal Rescue League.
Traer Scott
Behind most thoughtful books of artistry lies the story of the artist.
Traer’s story…
Traer Scott is an award winning fine art and commercial photographer and author of six books. Scott’s 2006 book, Shelter Dogs, launched her career, capturing the hearts of dog lovers, garnering rave reviews, selling over 50,000 copies and raising tens of thousands of dollars for the ASPCA. As Scott shares in her Introduction, “So much has changed in my life since then. I traveled the world with a camera for several years; digital replaced film; I published five books; my darkroom became a nursery; I became a mom; my best friend of sixteen years died. But there are many more things that have not changed: I am still married to the man I love; I still live in the same terribly unfinished historic house; I still wish my hair were straighter; and I still marvel at how fortunate I am to do what I love every single day.”
Her work is exhibited around the world and has been featured in National Geographic, Life, Vogue, People, O, on the New York Times Lens Blog, Behold and dozens of other national and international print and online publications. Traer was the recipient of the 2010 Rhode Island State Council for the Arts Photography Fellowship Grant and the 2008 Helen Woodward Humane Award for animal welfare activism.
Nala
Traer’s passion is to help be the change for shelter dogs; to, through her haunting photos into the souls of the animals she shoots, help us connect with the beauty that is the shelter dog. Euthanasia rates are falling every year; we want that to continue until there’s no such thing as killing a healthy, adoptable animal. I’ve written about the myth of pet overpopulation several times on Bark & Swagger, after meeting and interviewing Nathan Winograd, the father of the no kill movement.
Callie
Change A Pet’s Life Day: The Giveaway!
It’s so easy to enter! You must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. And, you must be a part of the Bark & Swagger Family by joining our email list. If you already are, enter away!
The giveaway will run from January 23 at noon EST through Friday, January 29th at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!
What’s your dog’s story? Share it here!
Photos by Traer Scott Photography©.
Learn more about Traer Scott and her work.
