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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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Bit of a random question - was she found with a pink harness on? I just happened to see signs posted in my parents' neighbourhood about a white boxer last seen at Ninth Line & Upper Middle (border of Mississauga and Oakville). I know it's a stretch, but maybe that's her?
Hi Fred,
I've been following your blog for awhile, and I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your posts. Your photos are lovely and really capture the personalities of the dogs. I'm just starting to get into photography myself, and I'm wondering if you can talk a bit about your camera. Your photos are so crisp and clear whereas mine are... not so great.
Damien
Hi Damian, sure, ask away. What did you want to know?
Hi Fred,
What kind of camera do you use? What kind of lens? Do you edit your photos before posting them? How do you get the dogs not to freak out when you get the camera in their face? how do you get them to look straight into your camera? how do you get the focus on the entire dog and the background to be blurry? Sorry for all the qs! I like your photos a lot.
Hey Damien, I use a Canon 7D, mostly two lenses, both fixed focus: 28 mm and 50 mm. Photos are sometimes Photoshopped mostly for colour correction. Shallow depth of field to blur background. But all that tech stuff is easy. The tricky part is getting the dog to pay attention. If your presence doesn't do it then use anything that works and if nothing works then you may just have to wait until the dog gets more comfortable with you and settles down.
That's a great camera! Thanks for your answer, Fred. Really appreciate it.
Hi there! I just wanted to let you know how well Madison (her new name is Jane) is doing. She shares a home with Tiger the boxer (3 yr old), and they are inseperable. She is as playful as ever, and much more trusting (of men, specifically) than when we first met her. This is her first summer with us, and she has turned into an excellent swimmer.
Thank you for posting about her last year, a friend saw her on your blog and passed on the link. Keep posting so that more of these awesome animals find happy homes. I will email you a recent picture of her.
Cheers,
Marta