UPDATE: GABANNA HAS BEEN ADOPTED! =)
Last weekend I began volunteering at the Pennsylvania SPCA. I will be photographing the dogs there for their Petfinder classifieds. A bonus to this is that I get to meet many adorable pups, take them for walks, and play with them! It seems like such a small thing to do in the grand scheme of things, but if the doggy glamour shots help find them homes I will be happy. So if you know anyone who is looking to add a new pup to their family, please forward this on!
One of the first dogs that I met was a 5-year old Boxer mix named Gabanna. As I walked in the aisle I stopped at her pen, intrigued by her unique, beautiful markings. She looked up at me with calm, hopeful eyes. My heart melted… Look at that face and tell me yours doesn’t do the same! She perked right up as we took her out for a walk… she was thrilled to be outside and has wonderful leash manners.
Gabanna is quite smart and regularly attends training classes at the PSPCA. She has mastered sit, and lie down, and is now working on roll over. She plays well with other dogs and loves children. In fact, she recently attended a local school event and was loved on by 30+ children. She soaked up the attention.
Gabanna is a sweet girl and deserves a loving home. Do you want to be the lucky family that adopts her? You can visit her at the PSPCA in Philadelphia…
Gabanna is a local celebrity, as she made a guest appearance on “The 10 Show” on NBC 10 in February.
Note: She typically doesn’t shed so much! She was shedding her winter coat… but it’s certainly nothing a little Furminator action can’t take care of.
Another pup that I got to meet is a 6-12 month old Pit Bull Terrier named Coconut. She is so friendly and affectionate. She loves to be loved on and petted. And those ears made me smile the second that I saw them. How fantastic it would be to have a face like this waiting for you at home. You can meet Coconut at the Pennsylvania SPCA…
If you’d like to keep up with success stories from the Pennsylvania SPCA, their events, and their program’s accomplishments… check out the PSPCA Tails blog!
Brandi - What you are doing is so wonderful! I volunteered at the LA/SPCA when I lived in New Orleans. It was a great experience for me – loved it! You have a wonderful talent to share and I’m glad you are able to use it to give back to the community 🙂
Li W. - Great photos! I recently had an orientation with the rescue league here in Boston to photograph for petfinder also, and tag along on some rescues, but they’re taking forever to get the formal paperwork in place so I can finally start! I’m getting impatient. The lighting indoors is great – natural?
Emily Beaty - Awhhh… they’re both SO adorable!! I hope they find good homes. That’s awesome you’re volunteering there. 🙂
Kim Wolf - Everything looks so great, April! Thanks for all your hard work, the animals really appreciate it. And thanks for including our blog in there, too!
leesia - i love the first image and the second-to-last with the wide-angle — what beautiful babies! i hope they find homes soon.
melissa - Your pics look awesome! Surely these will inspire prospective owners to adopt! I wish I had more time to do something like this – hmmm…maybe I can make time…
Shelley Paulson - These are great! I’ve been thinking about doing this too. We have two different shelters close to home and it would be a great way to give back. My biggest concern is that I’ll end up with a house full of dogs – ha ha!
I have to tell you, I look forward to every one of your posts. Your work brings me joy!
Rachel - I do the exact same thing at my local shelter. It feels really good to help out!
Stephanie - Oh Coconut is so cute. You got great angles on her. Surely she has found a home after her supermodel debut with you 🙂
Lauri - This is such a wonderful way to use your beautiful talent for these animals! I’m sure your work is going to help them all find loving homes that much faster. Having just adopted my own little Derby, I can vouch for how rewarding it is to adopt! Gorgeous images. 🙂
ps. Did you approach the pspca with your volunteering idea or are you doing this as part of a volunteer organization? I would love to become involved around my area. Any tips?? 🙂
claire - april, you did a phenomenal job with these photos!!! seriously, they’re some of my favorites of yours – beautiful!