smalldogs' photostream  

Bean

This is a much older shelter dog shot. I adopted Bean out of the Hayward shelter over 10 years ago. I was visiting there one day and saw him literally cowering in the corner. I knew I couldn't keep him, but I wanted to find him a home.

So I went back, adopted him, and brought him home. He was very good, but he was so tall and lanky compared to Stiggy & Buzz; I named him Bean :)

After a month or so I found a great home for him. A friend's mother (very old mother) had recently lost her dog (she died) and she wanted another, but was looking for a special dog.

When they came over to meet Bean, he was in the backyard. She asked for a chair and asked to be alone with him for awhile.

So she sat there in the chair for over 30 minutes, until he was trusting and confident enough to approach her and lick her hand.

And that's when she took him.

By the way, Bean was a purebred dog who was no longer wanted. If you're hell bent on a purebred, you should check the shelters AND the rescues.

All rights reserved

Uploaded on Dec 5, 2009

9 comments

will sing for a new home

tra-la-la! daily reminder to visit your shelter & rescue. if you can't adopt, foster. if you can't foster, volunteer.

All rights reserved

Uploaded on Dec 5, 2009

4 comments

no. 37

banging the adoption drum till Christmas (and past that), your daily reminder that thousands of animals are waiting for good homes in shelters and rescues across the country.

I distinctly remember photographing this dog, and I remember that while I was processing the photo, the emotional stress of the shelter project had gotten to me. I just bawled and bawled and then I called the OC shelter (where this dog was living) to desperately try and find out if he had been adopted. They couldn't tell me for sure, but they thought he was.

When I started the shelter dog project, it never occurred to me that it would be hard, emotionally. I went in eagerly and blindly to photograph all of these dogs, some who had merely days to live. I can't believe I didn't see this coming (as many of my friends and family also said in the days after), but when it did hit me, it hit like a 2 by 4.

I can't imagine how hard it is to work with these animals every day and not die of a broken heart.

big to break your heart.

All rights reserved

Uploaded on Dec 4, 2009

20 comments

ack! forgot to upload a shelter shot yesterday, so there will be two today.

here's my blog post about the start of the series. check out the set for more pictures.

adopt a pet, save a life.

All rights reserved

Uploaded on Dec 3, 2009

26 comments