I'm a big fan of quotations; on my 12th birthday my parents gave me a copy of Barlett's Familiar Quotations and I used to spend hours randomly flipping through the pages to find quotes that fit my mood.  My love for quotations has never left me; every morning when I leave the house before my husband wakes up, I leave him a note with a quotation (since, truthfully, the content of the note is pretty much the same every morning).   In my search for quotations (thank you, internet!), I found one that really resonated with me:

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I truly believe that photographing adoptable pets helps them find homes faster; PetFinder is an amazing resource, and does a great job in matching up adoptable pet with people looking to adopt.  Truthfully, people click more frequently on listings where there are photos, particularly photos where the pets look happy.  And when pets find their fur-ever homes, I believe the pets breathe easier (as do their humans, with all the heath benefits pets provide to their owners).

Photographing adoptable pets at the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter is an important part of my life, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to donate some of my time and talent to the dogs and cats looking for fur-ever homes - it helps the pets, it's relaxing for me, and Salt Lake County Animal Services has a wonderful, dedicated group of staff and volunteers who actively work with the animals with training, enrichment, and quality play time.   Volunteering at the shelter helps fill my life with warm fuzzies (and I'm not just talking about the layers of dog and cat hair I bring home with me).

And speaking of warm fuzzies, here are a few from my latest visit:

Sir Miles (I'm sure he really made the Queen's Honours List - he was very regal!)

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Then there was Dobby.  I can only assume, with the big ears and googly eyes, that this Dobby was once a house-elf who had received a sock, and is now looking for a family who can truly appreciate him.  You have to love staff who are Harry Potter fans!

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This next guy may or may not have been named Aladdin (that was the name I was given, but I was also told he was a Lab - which clearly he is not).  I just called him Mr. Handsome.  

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And then there is June.  My husband and I have imposed a two-dog limit on our household (in part because our two dogs are more than a handful, and when we are both home, each of our dogs is able to receive double-handed scratchies, which they demand on a regular basis; also, there isn't any more room in our bed for another dog!) - otherwise, I would have been very tempted to bring June home with me.   However, there is no need to worry; it is my understanding that June was adopted shortly after this photo was taken.

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And in my book, that is success!

If you are interested in finding your own fur-ever friend, check out Petfinder or your local animal shelter.  And if you live in Northern Utah, and have helped an animal breathe a little easier by giving her (or him) a fur-ever home, contact me for special discounts on photography sessions for adopted pets! If you'd like to capture memories of your furry friend (adopted or from a responsible breeder) that will last you a lifetime, tell me a little more about yourself and your pet(s) and what makes them so special!