I Photographed 16 Rescue Dogs In Hopes That This Will Help Them Find Forever Homes

I'm a pet photographer from Brisbane Australia, and I am truly fortunate to be able to work with several local dog and animal rescues providing photography for their adoptive dogs.

Unfortunately, the number of dogs looking for new homes only increases year after year, and social media is flooded with photos, usually taken with a cellphone, of sweet furry faces pleading for a new family. But because of the sheer numbers, many dogs get lost in the sea of social media posts and overlooked, especially those that on the surface may not stand out.

My goal when photographing all dogs, but especially rescue dogs, is to capture images that showcase their unique personalities. Be it sweet and shy, loud and boisterous, or wacky and goofy, every dog has something special that I try to bring to light and make them stand out from the crowd, and I'm proud to say this has been super effective.

More info: leighhorwood.com.au | Instagram

16 PHOTOS

#1 Jack

https://www.boredpanda.com/rescue-dogs-professionally-photographed-leighhorwood/

Although pet photography is becoming more and more well known by the general population, people are still often surprised by my answer to the question ‘What do you do for a living, Leigh?’. The story behind how I got into pet photography or even photography in general is a little strange, I suppose.

I’d owned a camera for years, and had taken a few snapshots here and there for fun, but had never really found a passion for it. But one day, I came home to find my house had been robbed and among other things, my camera, which had only been gathering dust, had been taken.

#2 Fergus

Fergus and his brother Duke were rescued in the worst possible conditions imaginable and their photos tied up and skinny went viral. With a little bit of love and some good food, he turned into this chubby face looker.

#3

This lil' guy was the only chill one in a litter of 7.

Anyway, for some unknown reason, the first thing I replaced was my camera with the same one that had been stolen. But this time, for reasons I’ll never understand, I was all in and spent all my spare time driving out to far-off locations to take landscape photos. This soon turned into event photography, which I did for a while. However, by the 334th time someone drunkenly slurred into my ear at proximity ‘Heeeeeyyyy, can u take a foto of meeee’ I knew I had to find something else. And when I thought about it, all I wanted to do was hang out with my dog. So then I hatched a plan where people would let me hang out with their dogs! What a brilliantly clever scam! And here I am today, with possibly the best job any dog lover could think of.

#4 Ladybug

This sweet lady named Ladybug doing her best 'Paint me like one of your French girls Jack' pose is perhaps the sweetest soul I've ever met.

#5 Benji

Benji was a lovable goofball with probably some of the funniest faces possible by a floppy-faced canine.

Taking photos of people’s furry best friends is amazing and I love having the opportunity to meet, photograph, and hang out with so many different breeds and pooch personalities. But I knew there were so many dogs out there that didn’t have a home and maybe needed a little help being seen.

Having a rescue dog myself, I follow many independent rescues online and I know firsthand that adoption photos online are often…. lacking. Now that’s not a slight on the rescue groups at all, they do an amazing job and give up sleep and financial freedom to help dogs in need and the sheer amount that comes through their doors each week is staggering. But I knew if I could get them into the studio and show their dogs a little love and kindness, I could provide them with images for their adoption profiles to help them stand out from the crowd.

#6 Toby

Toby was one of the first dogs I ever photographed and I wanted to adopt him myself. That was a sign of my constant struggle not to be a dad to 300 dogs

#7 Duke

You would not believe the condition this boy Duke was in when he was rescued by Dare Inc. The photos of him skin and bones chained up under the stairs went viral online.

I’ve met so many rescue dogs over the years and there is no way to define them. Some that I meet are hyperactive and running up the walls, some are super sweet and just want some love, some are cheeky and mischievous and some are just big loveable goofballs.

One trait that is very often shared with all of them, however, is at first they are quite shy, especially if they’ve been living the past few weeks, months, or even years in a rescue with many other dogs. They walk into a strange environment and are greeted by a strange man (or so I’ve been told) who holds a gadget over his face that causes bright lights to flash in their eyes. If that doesn’t sound like an alien abduction on paper, I don’t know what does.

#8 Rosie

Rosie was an ultra-lovable ball of pure energy who was at risk of turning into a cyclone of craziness at any moment.

#9

Now you can very quickly find their vice, be it treats, or toys, or squeakers and noises, and all of these help a lot, but the one thing that really brings them out of their shell is simply time. I try and give every dog, be it someone's beloved pet or a rescue, time to relax, get to know me, and realize this is a safe and fun space. With just a little bit of patience, their personalities start to emerge and you are treated to meeting their true personality.

Unfortunately, some dogs I meet are currently in rescue because their previous parents… weren’t the best humans and mistreated them. These dogs can have understandable trust issues, some may flinch if you raise your hand while others may try and take a chunk out of your leg if you get up from the floor too quickly. These types of dogs just need a little extra space and patience to develop a level of trust with me. I don’t fault dogs who snap at me, they sadly just don’t have many positive experiences with humans to draw from. All I ever ask of a dog is to be a dog and whatever they want to give me is completely determined by them.

#10

One of my favorite images ever, this sweet lady wasn't going to be homeless for long.

#11 Olive

Olive had perhaps some of the best head tilt games I've ever witnessed.

I usually try and provide rescues with 4 to 5 different images of their dogs so that when people see them online, they get a better understanding of who they are. If they are super sweetheart couch potatoes, I’ll try and get an image of them stretched out in their best Titanic ‘paint me like one of your French girls, Jack’ poses, if they are super high-energy, a photo of them chasing the ball or leaping into the air, and if they are goofy and loveable, you really can’t lose with a crazy-faced treat-catching pose. I don’t have a specific set agenda for what images will work best, it all depends on what they reveal to me as we get to know each other in the studio.

#12

Who could ever resist a litter of Border Collie puppies?

#13 Zumi

Zumi had the lankiest legs you've ever seen! Future 6-foot fence escape artist in the making right here.

I know you’ve probably heard the phrase ‘adopt don’t shop’ before and I certainly would never suggest that rescuing a dog is the right thing to do, I’ve had both bred puppies and rescues before and they’ve all held a special place in my heart. But if you’re looking for a new furry-faced member of the family (I’m not talking about grandpa) don’t rule out a visit to your local animal shelter, there are so many dogs out there that are looking for a new home who might not be exactly what you imagined for yourself, but once you meet them, you can’t imagine life without them. My current boy Toki is a rescue border collie and although I’ve had many dogs over the years, I can honestly say he’s my fur soul mate and the best buddy I’ve ever, and quite possibly will ever have.

#14 Odie

Mr. Serious here, otherwise known as Odie, was a giant who just wanted someone to love him. 2 minutes into meeting him made it impossible not to.

#15

Even if you’re not currently looking for a dog, check out a few independent local dog rescue groups' social media pages, follow along, offer support, and maybe even throw them a few dollars in donations now and then. Having followed and worked with a number of these small rescues, I’ve had the opportunity to see how selfless and beautiful these human beings are, and they give up so much of themselves just to make sure that each dog gets the love they deserve.

#16

The little guy just told me a joke... It was about me... He found it funny... me, not so much.