Let me introduce you to this sweet little girl – we’re so happy to have her in our extended family!

I’m a little exhausted tonight, working hard under the guise of some crazy motivation I’m feeling. But as I make it through lots of edits, I wanted to share this little glimpse from my Mother’s Day visit to the shelter.

The job is dangerous, I tell ya… It’s not all adorable and games. Okay, maybe it is.

So without further adieu, let me introduce you to three sweethearts currently wagging their tails in Brewster.

Dakota… well, she’s a mover and a shaker. And she moved and shook herself over the fence during our shoot. I mean, there was a bird, after all… wouldn’t you chase it? This is where pet photographer acrobatics come in handy and I jumped the fence right after her since the shelter is on a busy road. Some begging – on my part – may have also occurred.

Bull is a gentle giant, knows all his commands and manners, and almost *accidentally* ended up in the car.

And last but not lease is Lilly. She has such a cozy face and personality, and will certainly relax the minute she enters her new loving home.

Give a call or stop by the Animal Rescue League if you’d like to visit any of these happy pups!

Woody is a ~one year old Catahoula mix from Louisiana. He’s the softest damned dog… both his fur and his sweet personality. So relaxed (except maybe that time he got bored with the interior of the car). And don’t you just love his different color eyes?

Tim and Alicia have fallen instantly in love, and have been great to take Woody to all their favorite ocean spots as he gets used to this new sandy life. I have a series of these shots that just make my heart melt… and Woody looks so at home.
Woody was adopted through the small volunteer group, Mutts4Rescue, based in the south and in Portsmouth, RI. He made the trek to New England with a group called Rescue Road Trips.

Congratulations once again to Tim, Alicia and Woody! We’re so happy to see your family and hearts grow! XO

On our way in from the three-hour hike (one hour each way, plus one hour to bunker down against the dunes, basking in sunshine and snacking on some wine and cheese), we tipped our hats to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) rescue team that was heading out to a stranded dolphin. Unfortunately, we alerted them to a second stranded dolphin that was still breathing at the farthest-most point of Chequessett Neck. News of these strandings in Wellfleet has been in our papers and television reports for the past week, and teams of amazing folks like IFAW are doing all they can to help in the most natural way.

IFAW is an incredible worldwide organization that is headquartered right here on Cape Cod. I’ve been following them since I was a teen, and I consider it such a great honor to be able to personally greet and thank members of their rescue team. You can follow them on Twitter at @action4ifaw.

Abner was found as a stray and unfortunately seems to have gone without training in whatever home he did have. Fortunately, he’s still young and will be able to learn rules and manners from a loving new home, willing to give him some attention.

I also want to mention that Tally is still available as well – an adoooorable treeing walker coonhound! Stop on in or call the shelter to say hi!

The local group has been so wonderful with planning activities and events for the community. You can check out their Facebook page HERE to keep current on all that’s going on!

As a side note, this past Sunday was my Mom’s birthday, and as a huge thanks for all her help at the shelter I gave her an official Animal Rescue League fleece vest! I love it!

Meet Noah and Ringo! This was a surprise session (and susbsequent framed prints) for Noah’s mom as a Christmas gift – I was crazy excited that my photos and gift certificates were being unwrapped around New England on the big day! Ringo and Noah’s moms both work for the Animal Rescue League of Boston in Brewster, so I was pretty happy to get out and meet their own dogs on a beautiful, foggy beach day. Both rescues, of course!

We explored Chapin Beach in Dennis, MA. Noah was the guest of honor, and a pretty great model I should say too!

Ringo needed some photo love too, of course. Such a handsome boy, with those soulful eyes of his.

Thanks so much for letting me be a part of a cool surprise, Becky! It was great walking the beach with you guys, and I’ll see you again soon!

At a time when one year is winding down and a whole new year is beginning, I’m feeling SO blessed to be where I am. I’m living in a gorgeous area, with a husband and two dogs who warm my heart every day. Our nearby family is bursting with stories, be it memories or new beginnings, that always make me smile. I’m healthy and active, and I get to watch the world re-embrace things like gardening, handmade goods and local sourcing. I’m fortunate to have my corporate job in this economy, which affords me the ability to buy things I need (ok, want) for my photography. And surely I’m surrounded with the best clients EVER in my photography business… happy dogs, happy people, rescued dogs and rescued people. People who love dogs, people who love people who love dogs, people who opened businesses or work with rescues based on their love of dogs. It is a wonderful community, and I thank you all for your support!

In the spirit of new beginnings, I want to share a few photos of the dogs who will actually be spending Christmas at the shelter. This isn’t to bring you down at all, but instead to take a moment to be thankful that these guys ARE in a shelter! They made it. The very best is yet to come for them, and for the humans whose hearts will soon be melting when they meet these dogs.

*Please note: The following seven dogs just arrived at the Animal Rescue League of Boston‘s Brewster branch and are still undergoing evaluation. Dogs do NOT make good Christmas presents. If you’d like to visit and give these guys some love next week, that’d be just wonderful. If you still need a gift for a loved one, try a Cold Nose Photo gift certificate instead!

We started our morning in Sadie’s home and neighborhood of Boston’s Bay Village. As much as I like to think I don’t “pose” dogs, I must admit that I find it extremely difficult to pass by cool doors such as these:

Let’s not forget Sadie’s new friend Carmine! Well, technically they aren’t quite buddy-buddy yet, but they’re getting there!

I didn’t even think of it at the time, but the name Carmine goes quite well with this little mafioso pose on the right, eh?

We took a stroll through Boston Public Gardens where we found some remaining foliage, a busy footbridge, and an adorable bench to sit on.

Back on the homefront I just had to grab some photos of Erik and Karen too – they’re adorable! We shared a nice lunch from nearby Mike & Patty’s, and chatted about our similar goals and thoughts about life. I can’t wait to meet up with them again soon!

Thanks for a wonderful morning, my new friends, and for so graciously providing Sadie with the love that she needs right now. More photos to come soon!

We walked around the South End for a while, and then hopped in the car to nearby Jamaica Pond.

This is Gretta!

Honey and Gretta are both rescues themselves, and Kristine is also a frequent foster for other dogs coming through the shelter. Here is Honey!

It was wonderful to catch the last of the foliage season, and as you can see, the dogs had quite a fun time splashing in the leaves (unprompted!).

And we wanted a few shots of Gretta in the role she so was so loving and loyal to. Kristine, I hope you like this brief glimpse, but there are many more to come! Thank you for all that you do for our furry friends!

Misha is a five-year old Siberian Husky who loves stuffed toys and plays well with other dogs and kids who won’t tug on her tail.

Charlie is a four-year old Beagle mix who knows quite a lot of commands. He has lived with children and other dog buds, and he loves to be cuddled and rubbed!

Stop in to the Animal Rescue League and give these guys a little scratch! The adooorable Tucker is still there waiting for you as well!

These dogs are living a wonderful life with the help of their human, Ellen, who devotes so much of her heart and time to working with local rescue group, Friends of Plymouth Pound. You may recognize a couple of these beautiful dogs from the recent FPP event I attended in September, and I was very excited to hear from Ellen soon after to schedule a session.

Jasper is as playful as she looks with those two-tone eyes, prancing around the beach and hopping up on the dinghies without much prodding.

Tucker recently went blind, but his spirits are still going strong – including his love for eating tomatoes fresh off the vine! Yep, that’s right – he’s blind and he’s picking only the ripened tomatoes.

Jelly liked to dash around through the beautiful October (OCTOBER!) goldenrod flowers, acting quite the supermodel while she did.

And Lily loved to stick close, even on her rare moments of freedom from a leash (pet photographers bring scrumptious treats). Like another husky mix I know, she was such a lover, staring into my eyes.

Thank you for a wonderful morning walk, Ellen, and I can’t thank you enough for all that you do for these creatures! I know our paths will continue to cross for many years to come. Have a blast unveiling the big holiday surprise!

We positively fell in love with 10-month old Bella, and I’m still pretty surprised my husband Gary didn’t run off with her at the end of the day. She has big cow-like markings and the most gorgeous gray eyes.

Gary took it upon himself to teach Bella how to roll-over, and boy did she get rewarded with belly-rubs!

She came a little too close to the camera here, but I had to include the shot. She’s a very relaxed and lovable little girl.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Cypriss, a very smart boy who knows how to sit, give paw, lay down and more. He’s about 7 years old and loooves tennis balls! Check out his big grin!

Cypriss is such a playful guy, but will also settle down quite nicely and snuggle up. Did you notice he also comes fresh with his new fall-foliage collar?

Definitely stop by the shelter on Route 6A in Brewster while you’re out and about on these beautiful, crisp fall days! These furry friends are waiting to melt your heart!