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A request
The reason for this blog is to help get specific dogs adopted from TAS but equally important is to try to normalize the idea of shelter dogs being just as good and just as desirable as any other dogs including those which are regularly merchandised by backyard breeders, puppy millers and those few remaining pet store owners who still feel a need to sell live animals. The single greatest stigma shelter animals still face is the belief that shelter animals are substandard animals. Anyone who has had enough experience with shelter animals knows this is untrue but the general public hasn't had the same experiences you've had. They see a nice dog photo in a glossy magazine and too many of them would never think of associating that dog with a dog from a shelter. After all, no one abandons perfectly good dogs, right? Unfortunately, as we all know, perfectly good dogs are abandoned all the time.
The public still too often associates shelter dogs with images of beat up, sick, dirty, severely traumatized animals and while we definitely sometimes see victims such as these, they are certainly not the majority and, regardless, even the most abused animals can very often be saved and made whole again.
Pound Dogs sometimes discusses the sad histories some of the dogs have suffered. For the most part, though, it tries to present the dogs not as victims but as great potential family members. The goal is to raise the profiles of animals in adoption centers so that a potential pet owner sees them as the best choice, not just as the charity choice.
So, here's the favour I'm asking. Whenever you see a dog picture on these pages you think is decent enough, I'd like you to consider sharing it on Facebook or any other social media sites you're using (I know many of you do this already and thank you for that). And when you share it, please mention that the dog in the photo is a shelter dog like so many other shelter dogs waiting for a home. If we can get even five percent of the pet buying public to see shelter dogs differently, to see how beautiful they are and how wonderful they are, and to consider shelter dogs as their first choice for a new family member, we can end the suffering of homeless pets in this country.
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OMG -who knew that that bizzaro mix would produce such a cute dog!!! Love him!
Where is the little sister!!!???!!! *drums fingers*
;)
Hello! If there's any chance of adopting Magoo, I'd like to submit my family to the undoubtably large pile of applications. He's beautiful.
Hi Anonymous (greer.thomas), I edited your comment because I don't want you getting a whole bunch of spam from publishing your email address. The best way to get more info on Magoo is to call TAS South at 416 338 6668. Ask for James if he's available but otherwise the other staff should be able to assist you as well. Cheers.
Hi Kit, Magoo's sis is coming up but she's got some eye issues which still need resolving so it may be a few days yet.
Thanks for posting her. She's gorgeous!
Hi Fred,
My friend has been sharing Penny and Magoo...and I am completely in love with them both. Unfortunately my condo has a silly dog ban in place so I cannot even foster, let alone adopt, one of these gorgeous dogs. I was fortunate enough (after many years of deliberation) to be able to bring my current dog into my life shortly before the ban took effect so I know how great an impact (positive, at that!) a dog can have on one's life. I will continue to share these photos so someone else can know this joy.
On a different note, I was wondering whether you are the photographer working on getting these dogs out there. If you are, please let me compliment you on the photos! I'd love to see an entry on how you got involved as a volunteer in this capacity, here or elsewhere. I'm also in Toronto, with a burgeoning interest in pet photography as a hobby. I've noticed a lot of local professionals started with, or donated their time subsequently to helping shelter animals, but I'm never clear as to whether they did something else first or just showed up one day, camera in hand, and said "hey...I'd love to get your dogs out there!"
Since I cannot adopt or foster right now, I'd like to help in other ways and figured this way would be a good start.
I'm glad you like the photos. Yes, I'm the photographer. I started as a typical volunteer walking the dogs, etc. but started photographing them when I noticed their adoption pics online weren't very good. Afterward, I offered the pics to TAS for the site and they accepted. It's been like that ever since.
I think most of the pro photogs volunteering at the shelters basically just showed up with camera in hand. I know TAS-N has a really good photographer up there. I'm not sure what the status is at TAS-W and TAS-E. But even if the dogs have all their photographs covered, there will always be loads of cats to take pictures of.
Just an FYI, Magoo is now 6 and loving life. He roams the city of Calgary and plays in the mountains too.