Maybe you’re interested in having one of these cuties call you “mom” when the next Mothers’ Day rolls around? Stop in for a visit to the Animal Rescue League of Boston‘s Brewster location!

Unfortunately, I don’t have all the dogs’ names since I snuck in on a Sunday again. They were all pretty sweet, though, some even surprising us with their manners and commands. The lil’ girl in the bottom right was quite abuzz, but she calmed right down as soon as she could be close to me. Or the camera. I couldn’t really tell which she liked better.

My own bud, Brewer, came bouncing up to me with a card around his collar on Mother’s Day, and a new plant he found (I think with human help) at the local garden shop. He and I both are starting to feel our spirits lift back up after saying good bye to Bromley.

I hope all you dog and cat moms had a wonderful weekend!

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

Believe it or not, even the shelter slowed down for the last month or two, with less dogs for me to play and photograph with. That’s a good thing! Here are a few of the newest arrivals. I didn’t have their names and papers yet, since they’d just arrived, so you’ll have to check out the personality in their eyes! (and visit the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Brewster branch)

This fella was hysterical; kept tucking his chin back to his neck to show his best double-chin. What a little weirdo!

This guy, Luke, proved extremely difficult to capture because he just wouldn’t slow down! Part of why I love visiting the shelter is that I’m able to let each dog run around in a huge grassy yard for about a half-hour each. They have fun, get some energy out, and receive an endless supply of rubs and scratches.

This little sweetheart could not get enough love. He would just jump up on my chest with his paws relaxed and his chin resting, staring into my eyes for minutes on end – standing on his hind legs! If I so much as see this guy one more time, he’s coming home with me (thanks to my mom for the shot!).

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!

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!

Energetic Othello:

Soft and gentle Snider:

Tally, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, much taller than the beagle she looks like here:

Stately Jefferson:

Shasta, definitely looking like a true Rastafarian!:

and bashful Robert:

I’ve been just barely squeezing in time at the shelter these days – due to an unexpected craze of pet photography this fall season, no less! – and I’m going to put an end to that feeling before it goes too far. The shelter is where I get my bearings, where I reset my goals and why I’m doing what I’m doing. Rather than visit when I have a free hour, I’ve made sure to mark the days in my calendar (and at my day job) through the rest of the year.

I even have a shoot coming up in Boston next weekend with someone who adopted after seeing my photos! THAT rocks.

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!

Marsh is a young female and so full of mushy love.

As with many of the shelter dogs, she enjoyed running laps around the back yard that I use for photos! We gave her many rubs and embraces in the afternoon sunlight.

This goofball is Tucker. What an absolute bundle of action and spunk! It’s pretty hard to resist his adorable face, and his size is just a perfect dog-is-a-dog-but-sometimes-I-want-him-on-the-couch-shhhh size. Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the dogs’ paperwork with me right now, so you have to take that as my professional opinion ;-)

Literally all four dogs sparked Gary and I to think “ohmigod, we know the perfect person to adopt this little guy!” So, my friends, you might not want to answer your phones this week. OR look at the photo below on the right.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

What a great area for off-leash dogs, rumored to be THE place to be around 5pm any weekday. Not only was I able to capture vibrant images of this blank and white “speck”led dog, but many of his friends along the way as well.

All session photos can be found HERE.

As a side note, yes of course I travel to Marshfield! I consider the South Shore very much my beloved “workplace”. We share a gorgeous coastline, a love of dogs, and a barefoot mentality… Anyone looking to book a session along Route 3 enjoys the same session rate as my fellow Cape & Islanders.

Thanks so much to Kay and Speck for a beautiful Sunday evening walk on the beach!

I could not have been more impressed with the turnout and the quality people who came to reunite with the friends they’ve made year after year. Every dog we met was adopted through the group, and at one point two people (and dogs) were united over the fact that the gentleman had fostered the woman’s dog for six months!

Friends of Plymouth Pound is made up mostly of foster homes, so if you’re interested in becoming part of this organization, definitely reach out to them at the site above!

You’ll find a full collection of images HERE.

I look forward to meeting a few of these dogs again soon! In fact, I had a session with Speck – in white below – the very next evening on the beach in Marshfield, so stay tuned for more!

We’re also discussing a weekend playdate on the beach, where I’ll capture photos of all the adoptable dogs in foster homes. Thanks to Gayle and team for including me on Saturday, and I look forward to being a part of this event for many more years to come!

Don’t you just want to grab this guy’s cheeks?

Or maybe tire this guy out with just one more tennis ball toss?

Maybe you’re looking for someone who’s all ears when you come home from a long day of work?

Ooops, I mean this guy:

These pups and more can be found at the Animal Rescue League of Boston in Brewster, MA!