Why I’m photographing dogs at Pawsitively Strathmore in support of rescue
Shamus Changed How I Saw Rescue
Shamus is part of the reason rescue matters so deeply to me.
When I first found him, a local town hall had listed him as a lost dog. I later learned he may have been only a day or so away from being euthanized.
He was a reddish-gold Labrador Retriever with the sweetest spirit. I remember looking at him and wondering how no one seemed to be searching for him.
The scars on his legs made me wonder about his life before me. Had someone tied him outside? Had someone forgotten him? Had someone left him behind?
I will never know his whole story.
But I do know this: once someone saw him, everything changed.
And once I understood how close he had come to never having that chance, rescue became personal.
Around that same time, my niece was volunteering at a shelter. I remember thinking that maybe I should do something too. Not because I had all the answers, but because I had seen what one chance could mean.
Rescue Takes More Than Love
People often describe rescue in simple terms: a dog needs a home, and someone adopts them.
But anyone who has spent time around rescue knows it takes much more than that.
Rescue takes volunteers. It takes fosters. It takes people cleaning kennels, walking dogs, transporting animals, answering messages, sharing posts, helping at events, and sitting with the ones who feel scared or unsure.
It also takes food, medical care, training, supplies, and safe places to land.
Some organizations rely heavily on volunteers. Many also need paid staff because animals need care every day. Dogs still need to eat, walk, heal, and feel safe whether it is convenient or not.
And sometimes, dogs wait.
They wait because they are older.
They wait because they need training.
They wait because they feel shy.
They wait because they do not show well in a kennel.
They wait because people make assumptions about their breed.
Sometimes, they wait because they are black dogs, and black dogs still get overlooked.
The Dogs We Overlook
I have always felt drawn to black dogs.
Part of that comes from knowing how easily people overlook them in rescue. But I also think people sometimes make assumptions before they know them.
A black dog can seem harder to read. People may think they are harder to photograph. Some even see them as more intimidating simply because of the color of their fur.
But when you know them—when you really see them—they are no less soft, no less joyful, and no less worthy of being chosen.
That is part of why photography matters to me.
Why One Photograph Can Matter
A photograph cannot do the whole work of rescue.
It cannot train a dog, heal an injury, pay a medical bill, or create a foster home.
But sometimes, a photograph helps someone pause.
It can show the softness in a dog’s eyes.
The silly tilt of their head.
The hope still living there.
The personality that may not come through in a kennel or a quick glance online.
I still remember the first time someone told me that a dog had been adopted because of my images and the story I shared in a blog.
That moment settled deep.
I felt proud, yes. But more than that, I felt grateful. Grateful that something I created helped someone see that dog more clearly. Grateful that an image and a few words could become part of the bridge between waiting and home.
Sometimes a photograph helps someone feel a connection before they ever meet the animal in person.
And sometimes, being seen is where everything begins.
Pawsitively Strathmore
That is why I’m honored to be part of Pawsitively Strathmore on Saturday, May 23, from noon to 4 p.m.
This neighborhood event brings people together in support of rescue and animal welfare efforts.
Donations and vendor fees will support organizations including SANS — Spay and Neuter Syracuse and Fixing to Help CNY. The event will also collect gently used pet supplies for local shelters, including beds, collars, leashes, bowls, blankets, towels, and linens.
There will be food trucks, local vendors and artisans, opportunities for pet adoption, local author Jaylynn Ross, and professional pet photography by myself.
I’ll offer quick dog portraits during the event for a $20 donation, which the Greater Strathmore neighborhood Association will collect to distribute to the organizations.
Due to the nature of this event, bring only well-behaved dogs with leashes not longer than 6’ (retractable leashes will not be permitted) to the event for the photo shoot.
Each $20 portrait donation includes one social-media-sized image of your choosing from a small gallery delivered within a week of the event. Additional images will be available for purchase for those who wish.
But the heart of the day is simple: showing up for animals and the people working on their behalf.
Why This Event Matters to Me
Strathmore is a place I feel connected to.
I photograph often in and around Upper Onondaga Park, and my sister lives in the neighborhood. So joining a local event that brings together rescue, community, and dogs feels especially meaningful.
Events like this remind us that rescue does not belong to one person or one organization. It takes many hands and many small choices.
Not everyone can adopt.
Not everyone can foster.
Not everyone can give in large ways.
But rescue has always depended on many small acts: walking a dog, donating towels, sharing a post, volunteering at an event, offering a skill, attending a fundraiser, or simply choosing to notice the animals still waiting.
Sometimes Showing Up Is Enough
Shamus taught me that being seen can change everything.
This weekend, at Pawsitively Strathmore, I hope we can help more animals feel seen, supported, and remembered as worthy of care.
Small actions matter more than we realize.
One afternoon in a neighborhood park can become part of something larger.
Sometimes, showing up is the beginning.
