As a photographer who specializes in dogs and their people, much of my work focuses on connection. The everyday moments, the closeness, and the trust between dogs and the humans who love them. Those images are easy to share and easy to engage with. But they are not the whole picture of why I do this work.
I feel a strong responsibility to give back to the shelter and rescue world through photography.
Over time, the content I share has changed. I am sure there are people who have stopped following my work because of it. My account is no longer only beautiful photos of happy dogs surrounded by people who love them dearly. It also includes shelter dogs who are sad, depressed, and completely shut down in their kennels. That shift has been intentional, even when it is uncomfortable.
This is not about telling sad stories for the sake of emotion. Shelters are complex places. They hold resilience and hope, but they also hold the consequences of human failure. Dogs who were abandoned, overlooked, or misunderstood did not choose to be there. As someone whose career is built around celebrating the bond between dogs and people, ignoring those dogs does not feel honest.
Photography is the skill I have, and it is how I can contribute.
When I photograph shelter and rescue dogs, I am not trying to define them by their lowest moments. I am trying to show them clearly and respectfully as they are right now. Some are fearful, some are shut down, some are still hopeful, but all of them are individuals who deserve to be seen. A photograph can change how a dog is perceived and, in some cases, change their outcome by helping them get noticed, shared, or adopted.
At the same time, I continue to photograph the relationships that come after rescue. Many of the dogs I work with today were once shelter or rescue dogs themselves. Documenting those bonds is not separate from my shelter work. I would consider it being connected to it. Those images show what is possible when a dog is given time, care, and commitment.
Supporting shelters through photography is part of how I align my work with my values. Every image of a dog settled into life with their person exists because someone chose to do better.
I do not photograph shelters to make people feel sad or guilty. I do it because I believe I have a responsibility to use my skills where they are needed most. My work is about dogs and their people, including the dogs who are still waiting and the ones who have already made it home.
Telling the full story means showing all of it, not just the parts that are easy to look at.