Dec 23, 2013
It’s on the lips of everyone you meet today – questions about this weekend’s Ice Storm. “Did you lose power? Have you got back your power? Did you see the trees? How is your car?” It certainly caused havoc, inconvenience and for some who are still waiting for the lights to come back on, at this point, it is far beyond that. To all of the crews who are working feverishly around the clock to get everyone back on the grid and all of those who are still affected and patiently waiting, thank you! (Toronto Hydro is updating their twitter feed regularly as the work progresses. You can follow them here.)
Here at Posh Pets‘ HQ, we lost power for approximately 6 hours yesterday. We consider ourselves one of the fortunate ones. In that time (during daylight hours), our home became uncomfortably cool. We can only imagine what it is like for the people and pets in the homes across the city where they are still without power and have had to go through 2 nights in darkness, no heat and not even the opportunity for a warm cup of tea or a hot meal. We sincerely hope that friends and family have opened their doors and that everyone is safe!
Venturing outside yesterday for about 20 minutes was enough to convince us that we needed to stay inside. Trees were creaking, power lines sparking, branches falling…it was hard to even walk without risking a nasty tumble. However, we did find some beauty amidst the chaos.
The first thing we noticed were the blades of grass poking out from under the snow were each covered in ice. Individually. It made for a very dimpled surface on the grassy areas.
The sheer weight of having every branch, every acorn, every leaf covered in a thick layer of ice was causing trees to split and branches to sheer off. The sound when they fell was incredible!
Nothing was exempt. These railings can take their time to melt and lose their icicles, but people’s cars cannot.
The sight of ice glistening in the daylight does have its own beauty.
Even the animals had to learn to cope. This little guy had only a frozen dinner for supper last night.
As bad as the weather outside might be, our pets still have to go. This beautiful senior (she’s 13!) and her human were being extra careful on the slippery sidewalks and ‘grass’.
Everywhere you looked, the City was enveloped in a layer of ice and fog.
So, there you have it – a tiny little summary from our part of the world. We hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing, things are slowly getting back to normal. Everyone, please stay safe (and snuggle with your furry faces)!
Dec 13, 2013
It was a cold one out today when I arrived at Toronto Animal Services! So, we explained to all of the dogs that we needed to be quick…and everyone put on their best smile (and we got some crazy, gorgeous ears this week)! There are a few missing from this week’s post because they are not quite available for adoption yet, but we’ll post them soon on the Posh Pets’ Facebook page. Please contact Toronto Animal Services directly if you are interested in meeting any of these furry faces…
Nov 17, 2013
This week was a big week for Posh Pets, with so many furry faces to meet and photograph at Toronto Animal Services – North! Looking for a forever friend? Then, contact TAS directly and arrange a meeting with one of these lovely guys or girls. As always, I will be featuring them each day on the Posh Pets Facebook page along with ID numbers and a little about them. Come and follow along!
Nov 12, 2013
Hard to believe it has been a year since we first brought Baxter home and into our lives. And now, we can’t imagine a day without him.
Even though it went by so quickly, a lot has changed in a year. First, Baxter has put on a little weight. He is still our long-legged beauty, but we are trying to watch the pounds so that he doesn’t lose his athletic shape. He does love to eat and with the changes in how we are feeding Lady Jane, he does sometimes manage to get an extra few mouthfuls of food. He is very good in that he never attempts to steal her food from her. But, once she has walked away (and Lady Jane never finishes her bowl), he will try one of two tactics. The first consists of sauntering ever-s0-casually in the direction of her bowl, as if to say, “I’m just taking a walk”, hoping that we don’t see and then he can have a bit of a feast before he is noticed. If we see him, all I have to say is no and he obediently backs off. The second is downright hilarious. He will choose this route if we are near her bowl, and he therefore knows that he will be noticed should he try his first method. In this case, he will simply take off at great speed, run by her bowl and, as he passes, dive in for one mouthful as he continues at breakneck speed around the corner. We call it drive-by eating.
Baxter has also learned our routine. He is a patient little guy and doesn’t often wake us up in the morning. However, if we sleep in a little longer than usual, I will usually feel a gentle pat on my face as if he is checking to see if I missed my alarm. He also snuggles up at night or burrows down in the covers if he wants to feel safe. I love to feel his fur against my legs and Baxter does enjoy being cuddled, snuggled, picked up and generally told that he is loved.
So, today we celebrate! One year of laughter and cuddles and fun! Crazy antics and friendship. Treats and belly rubs. And mostly, love. (Baxter will have a few extra mouthfuls tonight in honour of his Gotcha! Day!)
Nov 8, 2013
For this week’s theme we were encouraged to capture “the kitchen” as it was our pet’s “favourite place” because they know “delicious food will be served there”. Images of them eagerly waiting their meals were encouraged. So, here is a behind the scenes look at how dinner is served in the Posh Pets‘ household.
As most of our blog readers would know by now, we have two cats. Lady Jane is 16.5 years old and rules the roost. Baxter is a laid-back 3 year old who views Lady Jane as his entire world. Through this relationship, they have taught each other things. One of the pieces of knowledge that Lady Jane has imparted is that we do not drink in the kitchen. This is a tradition that began with Ripley who, in his later years, loved water. So, we ended up putting an extra bowl in the home office which brought him such joy! In fact, he would rarely drink out of the very full, very fresh water provided in a lovely bowl in the kitchen. After he passed, Lady Jane quickly took up Ripley’s legacy and pretty much only drinks from the water bowl in the office as well. She has since taught Baxter this behaviour, and we now have a water bowl in the kitchen that rarely gets used in favour of the one down the hall.
Unfortunately, Lady Jane was very recently diagnosed with renal failure. We are trying to make changes to her diet and she is reluctantly taking her medications. As a result, she has recently also decided that we rarely eat our breakfast, lunch and dinner in the kitchen. We now will consider them in the office. Given her condition and the fact that we need to ensure she gets enough calories (she has lost quite a bit of weight), we have acquiesced. So, here is Lady Jane patiently waiting for her supper to be delivered to her (not in the kitchen…see her water bowl there).
Because of Lady Jane’s condition and the fact that she is a very picky eater, she is getting fed multiple times a day. Baxter, on the other hand is still being fed only at breakfast and supper. He is being a very patient, somewhat obedient boy, and he never pushes her away while she is eating. He is, however, a little confused as to when he will actually get fed. So, now when I prepare any type of kitty food in the kitchen, he tries to figure out if it is his turn as well. Which means he needs a better look at what is happening on the kitchen counter. He knows he is not allowed on the kitchen counter, so he simply hops up on the piano just outside the kitchen wall and peers around to watch me rather intently. If he sees me preparing two bowls and things generally look good, he will hop down and eat his meal (which was always just outside the kitchen anyway).
So, there you have it! Our kitties waiting for their dinners…none of which actually happens inside the kitchen! So, we sort of completed this weeks assignment. 😉
This is the Beautiful Beasties blog circle, so there are lots more behind the scene’s antics to be had. Please start with this link to Petlense Photography’s Lina Tay and see what goes on in her house!
Nov 4, 2013
Everyone likes to receive nice mail. As in, printed material delivered by the post office. In this digital age, I think there is still something about holding print and paper in your hand.
So, I was very excited to finally receive the latest issue of Country Living. And I would be lying if I didn’t admit that part of the reason was because Posh Pets‘ very own Baxter was featured in it. Yep, he’s a published model now, earning his keep! So, go ahead, purchase a copy and look on page 66 – you can tell all your friends that you knew him first. (Thankfully, Baxter hasn’t let it go to his head – he still such a cuddly sweetheart.)
Oct 31, 2013
Are you an animal lover that enjoys a happy ending? Then I have a story for you!
For anyone who follows the Posh Pets‘ blog, it becomes pretty clear that I have a special spot in my heart for rescue and shelter animals. Each of those little furry faces are precious! And so, I volunteer with various organizations, taking pictures of their adoptables in the hopes that someone special will see their beautiful faces and give them a home. Truth is though, although each week many of the animals become someone’s pet, I often do not know what became of them. I choose to believe that they live out their lives in a home surrounded by love, warm, dry beds and full bellies…
So, it really warms my heart when someone reaches out to me and let’s me know how “my” adoptables are doing. That happened this week.
First of all, let me introduce you to this gorgeous guy…
I looked up my records and so I know that I first photographed him on the very last day of 2012, so December 31. As you can see, we had snow on the ground at Toronto Animal Services and I remember that we scooted outside briefly to photograph a lot of different doggies that day. But, just look at that face! He was beautiful and searching for the right home. Well, I am happy to share that he found it.
Sarah, who wrote to me this week, shared this…
Hi! My name is Sarah.
I was browsing your site and was very excited to discover that you actually photographed my dog Washburn (used to be Brock) back in January of this year when he was doing his, I think, first of two stays at TAS.
My heart skipped a beat at seeing his adoptable photo.
It was always in the back of my mind to contact someone that had contact with him about how much he’s changed both mine and my boyfriend’s life. When I saw his picture on your site I kinda clicked the contact button without thinking. We originally saw his picture on the TAS site when we were on our way to an adoption event and had thought he would be too big for our little apartment. (He was listed as a Shar pei/mastiff mix) Little did we know he was more pug than mastiff and a perfect little man. We haven’t looked back since he came into our lives.
I want to thank you for taking the time to give exposure to dogs like our little Wash. Without people like you these special animals would have a harder time finding their forever homes. I doubt I’d be able to do what you do as I would have to take everyone home with me 🙂
You’re simply amazing.
Awwww…Sarah, thank YOU! It was just about the nicest e-mail to receive. Sarah also included some lovely pictures of Washburn to show us how he is doing now. This is one happy furry face!
Photo Credit: © Sarah Sullivan
Image provided by Sarah Sullivan
Know any other animal lovers that could do with a little pick me up? Please share this story with them…you and they will be glad you did!
PS: If any of “my” other adoptables are out there…please feel free to reach out and say hi.
Oct 25, 2013
We returned from Italy last week to my favourite time of year. In case you haven’t noticed, Autumn is clearly upon us here in Southern Ontario and this season’s leaves have been spectacular! Especially, if you can photograph doggies in them. So, I was very excited to learn that our Project 52 theme for this week was “Fall/Autumn”.
What a gorgeous day it was on Sunday when I got to spend time with the beautiful Kona. She had such fun showing me all of her favourite places at the cottage…
She also treated us to her best imitation of a wolf howl (in response to my withholding the treats). Fall is just such a beautiful time of year…I can honestly say that it is my favourite season!
Next in our blog circle is Princeton New Jersey dog photography, Barking Lab Studio. Please travel around the circle and see what Fall looks like in New Jersey!
Oct 23, 2013
Well…the Posh Pets‘ gang is back! After spending 3 weeks in Italy (which was wonderful!), it is soooo nice to be home! In part, because it means that I got to see all of my furry faces at the shelter this week.
These bright, happy furry faces are available for adoption from Toronto Animal Services – North Region. Give them a call if you are interested in a meet-and-greet! Please take a look and share…
Sep 19, 2013
Today I am so happy to share this long overdue blog post featuring Zolo and her amazing Posh Pets session!
The first time I met Zolo, I fell in love. Hard. Of course, she is one of the cutest little doggies, but what struck me about here was her gorgeous personality. This is a girl who is beautiful inside and out. So, as you can imagine, I was thrilled when her mom asked me to photograph her!
Our session started in Gairloch Gardens in Oakville, Ontario. Then we moved onto the Bronte Outer Harbour Marina, taking images along the way. The red door belonged to a kindly person who let us use their property just because knocked on the door! It is hard to resist the sweet face of a puppy! Zolo is a minature golden doodle and is the consumate poser. Just look at her!
As you can imagine, with all of this gorgeousness, Zolo’s mom had the hardest time picking the images from her beautiful Gallery. But, we got there eventually, and now, Zolo’s family can enjoy her beautiful images on their walls!
Just a reminder: The beautiful Autumn season is upon us! If you are thinking of booking a Posh Pets Session to enjoy the beautiful Fall colours, contact me right away. We don’t have many Fall dates left, and the colours should be beautiful this year!
Sep 10, 2013
Wow! Lots of furry faces to photograph at the shelter this week! We photographed them all yesterday when it was nice and cool, before the heat wave hits today.
They are all available from Toronto Animal Services – North. Although some may not be quite in the adoption pool yet, feel free to call TAS directly if you would like to meet anyone from these pictures. The furry faces will also be featured on the Posh Pets Photography facebook page throughout the week.
Everyone have fun and stay cool – we’ll see you next week!
Sep 6, 2013
With Labour Day, this week was a short one! Which meant the shelter was super busy on Tuesday when I went in to meet the furry faces. Given how busy the staff were, I focussed on the gorgeous kitties and here are the results. Every one of them would make an awesome family pet – all friendly and cuddly, most wanting belly rubs.
If you are interested in meeting one of these beautiful felines, please contact Toronto Animal Services – North directly.
