Charlie and Archie's Day Out!

I've been a terrible blogger lately and I know I owe you all lots of photos!
Today I have a story with a happy ending to share along with the pictures!

This is Charlie:


And this is Charlie's brother, Archie:


Charlie, who is a 14 year old bichon, was out on his daily walk with his dad and Archie when he seemed to trip and fall. Unfortunately it wasn't just Charlie being clumsy; he had a stroke. But Charlie (and his dad) were determined and even though Charlie was completely paralyzed on one side, they worked on physical therapy for him. Soon enough, he was walking again but the tops of his little feet would get twisted around so he was walking on them. With a little protection on his feet, shoes that kept the tops from getting scraped up, he was back to short walks with dad and Archie.

When I saw him a few days before our photo shoot, I was amazed at how well he's getting around! He's not quite back to 100% and he seems to get tired after a bit but he's walking right and even trotting some when he sees something that gets him excited!

Charlie and Archie, happy at the dog park!


And not to leave Archie out of the story, Archie was a rescue that his dad found in our neighborhood. I hate that people dump their pets but Archie got a great dad out of the deal!

Archie wants a treat!


Charlie! Look at that grin!


I love Charlie's cotton fur that looks like the clouds in the sky!


Archie, worn out after playing with the other doggies:


And after a nice cool drink. Love the drool... and his muddy legs! Archie got right in there with the big dogs, playing in the muck by the pond!


Charlie wants to know if the camera is tasty!


And I couldn't resist... this is our bichon, Professor, with Charlie! They are buddies!

Video coming soon!

I designed and ordered a Flip Slide!!


That means I'll be able to shoot and share video soon! Yay!!

I know I'm way behind on posting photos... promise to get some up asap! I went to NYC earlier this month and got to shoot pugs! Weeee! : )

I also found a home for Bella, a doggie I found at the national park where I work and brought home. I'll have to tell you her whole story soon too!

“Saving just one animal won’t change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one animal.” Richard C. Call

Founded in 2008, Friends of Jacksonville Animals is an amazing organization. I have had first hand experience with their "adoption promotion" with Chester but they do much more as well, from giving medical supplies to the shelters and helping families who would like to adopt an animal who needs heartworm treatments to providing beds and toys for the animals. They are like my favorite character, The Lorax, in that they truly speak for the animals.

So when Glenys, a rescue advocate as well, approached me and asked if I would be willing to donate a gift certificate for a fundraiser at her office benefiting FOJA I was more than happy to oblige! I love any opportunity to help out my furrie friends and I knew any money raised for FOJA was going to do just that. The fundraiser was yesterday and today I received a wonderful email from Glenys!

I want you to know that all 9 dogs that FOJA brought here were adopted yesterday along with one (super cute) orange/white fluffy kitty. We raised about $3145 for them via the raffles and silent auction. They said that this was their most successful event ever as they normally only bring 6 dogs and if 2 get adopted, they felt that they did well. Well, we set a new bar for them! Thank you sooooo much for your donation. You will have to post the picture of the pet that won your wonderful gift certificate at the silent auction!

I saw photos of one of the pups up for adoption (I think Glenys was trying to get me to bring home a 5th dog!!) and he was seriously CUH-UTE! Black and white and just a baby at 6 months old. Thank goodness he found a home and I didn't have to go get him myself. Whew!

Now I wait in anticipation to meet the lucky winner of my gift certificate and his/her people!

Sneak Peek of Sadie, Basco, Charlie, and Skye!

Sunday morning I met the most wonderful family: two caring humans and four, yes that's right FOUR, doggies!

I knew the day was going to go well when this was my very first shot:

This angle might not be everyone's cup o' tea but I LOVE the "I have a big head and a teeny body" look!

The whole fabulous family from left to right: Dad, Skye, Sadie, Mom, Charlie, and Basco.


Sadie's mom told me she was her first dog. She was working in a store, the kind with automatic doors, and one day in walked Sadie. By the end of the day she was still there so off she went to her new furever home! Who could ever leave a face like this??


This is Basco. BAsco. Not BOsco. Basco's daddy likes tobasco sauce... hence the super fun name! Basco was left by his previous owner in his mom's grandmother's neighborhood. After being fed for a few days, he finally allowed his new pawrents to take him home. He is such a sweetie pie - I just can't imagine how anyone could ever abandon any pet... but their loss was his gain!


Next we have Charlie. Charlie the chihuahua was named after Charlie in "All Dogs Go To Heaven"! He's just a tiny bit smaller than his namesake but just as loved as Charlie was by Anne-Marie! ; )


Boy was Charlie fast! I won him over with peanut butter treats and he'd let me pet him too but every time I pulled out the camera and blinked, he'd be gone! He finally slowed down enough to hang out with the 'rents!


And the newest member of the family, 7 month old Skye! Skye is a gorgeous and super playful blue-nosed pitbull. She has so much energy and loves to run, jump, chase toys, play in the sprinkler, and much more! I think we *almost* wore her out but she still held on to the chicken I brought for her! I promise it wasn't muddy when I gave it to her! hee hee...


This was so crazy to watch! Skye's dad has a rubber ring toy that Skye will grab and then her dad can swing her around and around! It's too bad I can't put this all in the corners of a book and flip the pages. So funny!


And I'll leave you with a "blooper". Skye doesn't hold on to the rubber rings forever... and you get a lot of momentum going when you are swinging around like that!

Oops! No puppies were harmed in the taking of these photographs...
: )

Newest Family Member

On Saturday April 10, 2010 Fate intervened.

Just the day before I received my usual emails about local dogs/cats in need of homes. I've been on a couple mailing lists of that sort for awhile now. One of the emails included a flier showing 6 dogs at animal control, 3 of whom only had 48 hours to live. Friends of Jacksonville Animals was going to be showing the dogs at the Southside Petsmart the next day, hoping to find them homes. I admit to looking at the doggies, closing the email, and proceding to work the rest of that Friday. After all, I already had three dogs and two cats.

Saturday I had an eye appointment in the Town Center. I planned, still not thinking about the dogs awaiting death, to stop at the PetSmart there to pick up a few items for my photo shoot the next morning. However, I also had a hair appointment the same day and ended up not having enough time to run into PetSmart. After my hair appointment, my brain went on autopilot and I was halfway home before I remembered that I needed dog treats for the photo shoot! But I decided to come on home, gather up Max, and take him with me to the store. He loves to go for car rides!

I'm sure you can guess which PetSmart just happens to be closest to my house. Yes, Southside.

As we walked up, I actually saw a dog being adopted. I remembered the email about now and so I asked if she was one of the dogs in danger. Sure enough! Yay for that puppy! Max and I continued into the store and the woman whom I had asked about the pup asked if I was there to adopt one myself. I explained how many animals I already had and she quite understood! I went into the store and picked out my treats. But then I saw the dogs so I had to at least go give them a scratch behind the ear. One particular puppy was out and wearing a little cape that read, "Please adopt me". He was very sweet and seemed to like Max and was literally a puppy at about 10-ish months old. I still managed to go make my purchases and get in the car and start my drive home.

About halfway home, something in me snapped and I began to cry. Those puppies were so young and hadn't had a chance to live and they were going to be put down the next day! I called my husband, who is just as big a softie as I am, and he listened to me blabber on about the dogs. I got home and even opened the email with the flier again. It said the group would be there from 10 am until 2 pm. It was already 2:15.

I called the store and the person who answered thought the group might already be gone but he was kind enough to check for me. They were still there and planning to stay until 3! So, yes, I got back in my car and sped off to the store. I got there at 2:45. Jones, who we have named Chester after that Looney Tunes cartoon with Spike the Bulldog and Chester who always wanted to play, was still there. He was one of the three in danger, only one who had been adopted so far. I didn't have to think twice. I began filling out the paperwork to take him home with me. And thank goodness the other dog in danger was adopted out right then too or I might have had even more dogs in the house!

Anyway... meet Chester!
The first day I brought him home, playing with Max in the backyard:


Sniffin' things with the boys:


The next day... on the way to the dog park for the first time (at least that we know of):




Following Max around. We like to joke that *I* didn't get a new dog... Max got a new dog!


First bath after getting dirty at the park!


Worn out


Me and Chester!


Can you blame me for loving this face??


Chessy's butt... but it's such a pretty brindle bootie!


We discovered that Chester likes to "attack" water while trying to clean off the dog tracks all over the patio! The photos don't do it justice... hilarious!


Play time!


He loooooves his rope toy!


And, goodness, he can JUMP!


A rare moment caught on camera!


So... no more sending me emails of homeless animals. I just can't bring any more home but neither can I just let be. And I don't think I'm allowed at PetSmart on adoption days anymore (that just happens to be where we got both our cats from Lucky Cat Adoptions too)! But I love Chester even when he's driving me bonkers and I am soooo super happy that we saved him! I definitely recommend adoption if you are looking for a new furrie friend... plus if you adopt from a shelter and mention this blog post I'll give you a free 8x10 with your photo session! : )


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Sneak Peek for Kona and Sugar!

Sugar and Kona are two very lucky labs!
Kona was adopted by her family just last year... as a puppy. And Sugar was brought home just a few weeks ago... at the mature age of 10! Both girls were from Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (glancing at website and running away before I'm tempted to add a 5th dog to my own furrie family). They now belong to a fabulous furever family and have three kiddos to run and play with all day long! Yay!!

And now to introduce.... the girls!!



Look at those happy faces! I bet you can't even tell which is Kona the pup and which is Sugar the elder. I'll go ahead and tell you... Kona is the chocolate lab (although she might be mixed with a bit of weimaraner with those gorgeous eyes) and Sugar is the beautiful yellow lab!

Kona certainly has tons of energy. She had a great time with this kitty kuz!


I love tongue photos!


And apparently Kona is a burier... her mom had been wondering where all the bones she had given her went! She decided to share her secret hiding place while I was there:


Sugar is just like her name... sweet! Who could resist that adorable face?!


The girls' mom told me that the pups are "the heart of the family" and you can tell that each and every one of them loves Kona and Sugar so much!! Although Kona is getting a bath in that last shot... : )


And last... one of my favorites... Hugs!



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Gordo's Sneak Peek

Last weekend I met Morris Gordo the cat!
Gordo was a bit on the shy side and even after petting him, giving him a handknit catnip mouse, and even feeding him some treats he still wanted to squish himself under the entertainment center like this:


But with more time and coaxing, Gordo decided maybe I was kinda okay enough to go into his tube. These tubes are fabulous! I know my two kitties love their tube too. Gordo's even matches his gorgeous fur!


Here Gordo gives me a pensive look. Or at least I think he looks pensive... maybe he looks like he is plotting!


"At last! The windowsill! The perfect place to be protected... sandwiched between the couch and the window. No one will bother me here... wait! Is that beeping black thing back?!!?"


And definitely one of my favorites... Gordo gets up the gumption to almost sniff the lens!


Hopefully Gordo is back to his relaxed self and is enjoying the capnip mousie I made to complement his beautiful orange fur! Thanks Gordo for letting me come spend some time with you! : )

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Oscar's Sneak Peek!

Oscar Dill La Renta is a well-traveled two year old Corgi mix best known for his perfect first position (that's ballerina speak for his turned out toes)!

I actually met Oscar back in August at Citigate's Bark Park Grand Opening. I definitely noticed his cuteness and his ballet moves back then so when I got an email from his mom about doing a photo session, I was excited! And then when she said she'd like to try going to the beach for it, I was ecstatic! This was to be my first time shooting at the beach! Weeee!

We went bright and early because pups aren't allowed between 9 am and 5 pm but the light was beautiful and Oscar had so much fun playing in the sand and jumping through the water! Here are a few of my favorites from Sunday!

Posing for the camera:


Jumping for joy through the water:


Oscar says it's manly to turn out your toes!


And the whole family enjoying the gorgeous day at Neptune Beach. What a fabulous morning!