Portraits of dogs & cats currently waiting to be adopted at FORA in Krugersdorp
Having had a short scroll through my website, you’ll probably notice that there’s a theme to the work I create: dogs. Dogs, especially rescue dogs, are incredibly close to my heart and I make a point of donating my time as often as I can to photograph dogs (and the odd cat) at shelters who need some assistance with getting more eyes on their residents.
The dogs and cats in this blog post are all awaiting adoption from FORA (Friends of Rescued Animals) a large animal shelter based in Krugersdorp, located nearby to another shelter I’m also a big fan of, CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare). In fact, quite a few of the dogs here originated from CLAW and have been taken in by FORA who have a far larger set up and are better equipped to accommodate more dogs.
The vast majority of dogs at FORA are mutts, mixed breed pooches in literally all manner of shapes, sizes and temperaments. The dogs you see here were specifically chosen for this shoot because they have been at FORA for a LONG time, I’m talking years here folks and they deserve the best possible chance to be spotted and adopted.
This guy in particular caught my eye. His name is Clyde and he’s been at FORA since he was a puppy. He’s now eight years old and I’d love to see him live his senior years out with a family of his own.
If any of these dogs or cats capture your attention, please click through to the FORA Facebook page here and get in touch with them for more information about setting up a meet and greet.
Sometimes I photograph cats. Not the easiest of subjects to work with, however armed with some fluff on the end of a stick, I managed to catch a few of the FORA kitties for portraits.
There are over 400 dogs at FORA waiting for homes, so the selection of dog photographs you see here is not even the tip of the iceberg. As fast as dogs and cats get adopted, more come in to take their places. The sooner these dogs get adopted, the sooner more dogs in need can get a second chance.
Giving back and doing what I can to help shelter dogs find homes is incredibly important to me and it’s thanks to the clients who book family and dog shoots with me that I’m able to donate my time to help organisations like FORA.
If you’ve just looked through these dog photographs and feel completely perplexed as to how you would choose which dog to adopt, here’s my advice (I’m a ninja level expert at shelter dog adoption having adopted six): visit a shelter with an open mind and an open heart. Pick the dog that you connect with and whose personality you like. Make sure any kids or other dogs get along with the dog you’ve chosen (you’ll have the opportunity for a meet and greet) and when you get your shelter dog home, be patient. It can take weeks for an adopted dog to settle in a new environment, especially if they’ve never actually been in a home before. I promise you, the effort you put in and the love you show a shelter dog will pay off ten fold.
Get in touch with FORA here.
Collars and leads supplied by Benji + Moon.