Sep 5, 2014
“Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.” – Sydney Jeanne Seward
I loved this dog.
It has taken me a while to write this post. A week to be exact. Seven days. Almost 168 hours since we’ve said good-bye. And I still can’t believe that MacLeod is gone. Because he didn’t live with us – he belonged to my family – it is still easy for me to imagine him snoring loudly in his sleep at my sister’s or parent’s place. At 15 years of age, he did do a lot of sleeping. And snoring.
But, it wasn’t always that way. MacLeod and his sister, Anthea, came to our family when they were both wiggly, little shih tzu puppies, both from the same litter. Like any puppy out there, they were both unbelievably cute. And although I loved Anthea and her love of exploration, it was MacLeod that was my favourite.
MacLeod, aka Mackie, Big Mac, Maxster, Mister Magoo, was a character. He was your everyman’s dog. He had no airs about him, took you at your word and had a ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ way about him. He loved people, playing, balls and getting dirty. All the while being gorgeous.
Somehow, over the years, I had become “Auntie Karen” to MacLeod. When he would hear those two words, he would get beside himself with excitement, whining and crying in anticipation. So much so, my family would not tell him I was coming to visit until I was less than 10 minutes away. When I would finally arrive, he would be there, ready to greet me at the door. And then, he would look up at me, turn his mouth up at the corners and give me an honest-to-goodness ‘grin’. After the initial fuss, he would turn his attention to my belongings and go through my bags in hopes of finding a treat, a new ball or something else wonderful that he was sure I had brought for him. And, when I finally settled in a chair to rest, there he would be – climbing on my lap and resting on my leg.
Time, of course, marches on. To see him get older, and less playful was hard. But when he got sick, I was heartbroken. My friend wasn’t the same. Getting up to greet me was difficult – laying back down was harder. There was no more joy in the thought of playing with a ball. And no more grin.
And so last week, my sister made the decision that the time had come to let MacLeod go. And we gathered, as we have for all our family’s pets, to say our good-byes. I had promised him I would be there when the time came, and I made good on that promise by holding his paw gently as he found peace.
While it is still hard to believe he is gone, I am so happy he came into our lives and that he allowed us to share him for a little while. Thank you Mackie. Please know we will miss you always.
I loved this dog. I still do.
Apr 21, 2014
They say the camera does not lie. And yet, I look at this photo of Lady Jane taken just yesterday, and I am stunned by how good she looks. She was always a pretty kitty and even at 17 years old, Lady Jane was a beautiful old girl. But, what this image doesn’t show is the sadness that surrounds it. For, it was taken during the brief space of 5 minutes yesterday when she had stopped vomiting, we had already contacted the emergency vet to say we were coming and were about to place her in her carrier for her final car ride. I got her to relax on our bed (truly one of her favourite places) and took a few final pictures. Within 10 minutes of this image, we were on our way.
Lady Jane was a wonderful girl and such a trooper. Cats often are. She had been diagnosed in early October with Chronic Renal Failure and her vet had warned us not to expect more than a couple of months. We were understandably shocked and it took us some time to process the information. We knew she had been losing weight, but I don’t think either my husband, Dean, or I were prepared for the severity of the issue. But our vet kindly answered all of our questions, sent us home with lots of information and medication to stabilize her, and we determined to simply cherish the time we had left.
And you know, we got into a rhythm with giving her her medication and ensuring that she ate properly. It was at that point that we realized that Lady Jane had probably been feeling unwell for some time, because the medication helped her to rally. In the 6 months since her diagnosis, Lady Jane has done things and explored area she had never done before. She learned how to climb onto the desk in my husband’s office so that she could sit on the windowsill and watch the world go by. She no longer used the stool beside our bed which had been placed there to help her old bones get up more easily – she bounded from the floor and back off again. And then sometimes, she leaped from the bed onto the dresser. Her greatest success was when she propelled herself from the couch onto our dining table. Most of these things would certainly would have been unacceptable in our house (no getting up on the dining table!), but the fact that she had the desire and the ability to do it astounded us. For a cat who had lived most of her life on one level (she had been a little portly in her younger years), it was a joy to see her enjoy herself.
And then there was her personality. When we adopted her brother Baxter 18 months ago as a companion to Lady Jane, we could not have picked a better boy. Baxter has confidence, without a hint of aggressiveness. His patient encouragement combined with her feeling much better, and Lady Jane had come out of her shell. She travelled easily and adapted to new environments. She greeted visitors when they came into our home. She stepped outside onto the balcony and felt the sun on her face. It was like she had a bucket list of things to do and we had the joy of seeing her cross things off the list.
We almost convinced ourselves that she would be with us a long time. Our friends would ask how she was doing and we would answer that she was doing remarkably well. Deep down, we knew the disease would eventually get the better of her, but given her newfound love of life and adventure, it seemed a long way off. And, we were not prepared for how quickly it would happen. It seems like on Friday the medication stopped working which translated into Lady Jane being extremely picky over her food. We had been very fortunate that throughout everything she was a great drinker – bowls and bowls of water helped flush her ailing kidneys and kept her happy. But, by yesterday morning, she had stopped drinking, stopped eating and begun almost non-stop vomiting. She also found it very difficult to use the litter box. I gave her her medication to help with the vomiting and offered her her favourite ‘treats’ – chicken and lactose-free milk. She refused the chicken, but lapped up the milk. Only to bring it all up within 10 minutes. It was as if her digestive system was shutting down.
Seeing her suffer this way helped us making a heart-wrenching decision. Of course, not only was it a Sunday but it was a holiday and therefore her regular vet was closed. Which led us to the wonderful people at Vaughn-Richmond Hill VEC who helped her pass, surrounded by the people who loved her most. I got to hold her and I hope that she felt me stroking her and that the last thing she heard was me telling her how much I loved her.
Seventeen years is a long time. A small furry kitten originally from Brampton Animal Shelter left her mark on our lives and on our hearts. She made us smile. She made us laugh. There is now only a gaping hole that she used to inhabit.
Lady Jane, our little furry face. You were loved. Please know, we love you still.
“You’re the one that I love, and I’m saying good-bye…” ~A Great Big World (Say Something)
Feb 1, 2014
Last week, the Posh Pets‘ family got to the see sun! Getting away to enjoy sunny days, blue skies and sandy beaches is reason enough to go, but this time we had an extra special reason – my sister-in-law’s wedding in the Dominican Republic. Las Terrenas de Samana, to be exact, and just so you all know I am not kidding when I say it is gorgeous, here is what you see as you drive from the airport.
Now, at this point, you would expect me to be sharing with you wedding photos. But nope, I’ve done a count – I have 51 images from the wedding and over 300 images of various dogs and cats! (You know you are a pet photographer when…) So instead, let me introduce you to Bella, Maya and Windy, 3 “siblings” that make their home in the Dominican Republic along with their humans. First up, was lovely Windy, who has a “sad puppy” face that melts your heart.
But, then she was quite accommodating and willing to pose like a super model.
Beautiful Bella who won me over with her quiet spirit.
And then I met Maya who made me laugh…her papa was a mastiff and the result is that her head looks like it is too big for the rest of her body. But, she can certainly do the head tilt!
However, the goal of this session was to capture a family portrait of all of them together. I was told that they really, really, really wanted this image, and to tell you the truth, I had no idea if we could get it. During my short time on the island, it quickly became apparent that Dominican dogs are very different from Canadian dogs. Their entire lifestyle is different – they live outside where they can come and go as they like and are usually employed in protecting the property and their family. In short, they don’t play with toys, they don’t do tricks, they easily block out any noises that would assist you in getting their attention, and they are not accustomed to being ‘posed’ in any sort of fashion. But, it was a challenge we were going to take up.
I wish I had the space to share with you all of the ‘outtakes’ that happened before this image was finally created. We had tongues sticking out, faces turned away, doggie bums toward the camera and one fall into a very thorny bush (ouch!). But, in the end, my camera tells me that it took only 1/200 of a second to get this. Makes it sound easy-peasy, right? 😉
We ended the high energy session in the blazing sun (read: very HOT) with this…a beautiful statement on the relationship the three dogs share with their people.
Would you like to immortalize your ‘pack’ in a family portrait? We can do that in Canada too! See our Investment page for your options and then contact Posh Pets Photography here. Hope to welcome you to the Posh Pets family soon!
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!)
Sep 3, 2013
Starting a business is never an easy thing. Exciting, nerve-racking, even scary, yes, but definitely not easy. There are always too many things to do, too many things to purchase and not enough time or resources to do it all. And so, I learned to make compromises and focus on the things I really needed at the time and put the other things off for a later date.
When I started, all I had was a name – Posh Pets Photography. That, and a dream to own a boutique pet photography business. Initially, I embarked on setting up a proper, bona fide business. It included things like obtaining a business license, purchasing insurance, drafting contracts…these were boring, mundane things, but so necessary.
However, the one thing I wished for was a beautifully designed logo. I loved looking at great design, but my knowledge of typography was limited to what was available on the drop down list in Word and I had no idea of the intricacies between size, placement and spacing. But, with some knowledge of photoshop and help from a friend, I was able to cobble together a logo that I could live with. Had I had the money at the time, I know I would have invested in a graphic designer.
Looking back now, I realize that I was missing more than just a beautiful logo, and that, in reality, I did not even have a brand. My style was still evolving and thus changing. A lot. It therefore turned out to be a blessing that I had not had the resources to invest in branding and logo design at the beginning. Had I done so, I think I would have outgrown it. So, to anyone who would ask, here is my first piece of advice if you are just starting out: wait until you have established your style before investing in logo/brand development.
Waiting also brought another unexpected benefit. It gave me great exposure to the photographic industry. An industry that has a plethora of vendors, selling you almost anything you can imagine. I have learned from great photographers, purchased far too much gear and, have seen the work of awesome graphic designers. Through all of that, I definitely had my favourites which I kept in a ‘favourites’ list.
Well, the day came when I had the money saved and I sent off an e-mail to Natalia Martinez of Design Lab Creative Studio located in Pentaluma, California. I had seen and followed Natalia’s work for some time, during which I had fallen in love with her clean, modern design aesthetic and there was simply a point when I knew that I would ask her to design the Posh Pets Photography logo. The beauty of the modern world is that your creative vendors do not have to live in the same city as you. We agreed on a schedule and began the process.
Now, I will warn you: designing a logo around your brand is hard work. Much harder than I expected. Natalia sent me an initial questionnaire with made me think about what I wanted my logo and brand to communicate. And when I wrote down the answers, honestly, I was starting to wonder if my money would be better spent on therapy as I was evidently at least partially schizophrenic. Early in the process, I joked that I was probably her worst client (which she graciously denied). But, through all of the crazy ideas meandering around in my head, Natalia was able to bring clarity and came back with the most gorgeous designs for me to choose from.
One of the greatest values I think that a graphic designer brings to the process is the ability to introduce you to new concepts and designs that you would never have come up with otherwise. I was completely surprised that what I eventually chose was not something that I would have ever asked for. But that is the point, I didn’t have to ask, Natalia created something and then offered it to me.
My final choices are beautiful and meaningful to me. The cat stamp is a custom-drawn profile shot of our very first pet, our dear Ripley. The dog belongs to a favourite client of mine. The fact that I have two stamps is special – while I love photographing all dogs, I believe I photograph more kitties than the average pet photographer. They are an important part of my business! I had to purchase fonts – such a grown up thing to do! – and I have beautiful design in my business cards, my letterhead and my watermarks. Together with the Posh Pets website and Posh Pets blog, I now have a cohesive look and feel to my brand. Plus, I have my Brand Guidelines to help me as I move forward and use my logo while creating additional marketing materials.
Natalia and Bill (her partner in life and business) were amazing through the whole process and went above and beyond what I could have ever expected. Natalia even got on line and prepped print files for me while she was on vacation, all because I had managed to mangle them up and my printer was having a fit. No question was too stupid and no idea was disregarded. Which really why my second piece of advice would be this: find a graphic designer with whom you feel comfortable and whose working style fits with you.
So, there you have it – The new Posh Pets Photography logo is now live! A huge thanks to Natalia and Bill who made all of this possible…I am so excited to share it with you all!
PS: I always get this question, so I will answer it here…my awesome luxe business cards are from moo.com If you want to try them out and save 10% on your first order, use this link.
Jul 30, 2013
If you have been missing the weekly updates of the adoptables Posh Pets Photography meets each week, there is a reason – we’ve been spending our time being a New York City pet photographer…
Now, if there is one thing you notice at first glance is that New Yorkers LOVE their dogs! So many cute, furry faces out on the streets enjoying the city life. As a tourist and a pet photographer, I am always walking around with my camera. It is therefore only natural that I would stop a few and ask for quick picture. Hope you enjoy this little peak into our travels through the eyes of the dogs…
We spent some time walking through Manhattan which is where we met 2 year old Panchetta. She was enjoying the gorgeous weather, patiently waiting to cross the road with her human at 86th and Lexington. A Boston in New York!
Then I met Markus, a Tibetan Terrier who enjoys his walks on Park Avenue. He was sporting his new summer cut. When I asked if I could take his picture, I was told that Markus loves to strike a pose and show us his best smiles. He certainly didn’t disappoint!
This is Jessie, an absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous Italian Greyhound. She and her human were enjoying the sites and sounds of The Boardwalk at Coney Island/Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. She took a little time to warm up to me, but after a thorough examination of my camera and copious amounts of scratchies later, she was ready to show off her model-worthy good looks. Jessie is 10 years old…love the senior dogs!
Last, but certainly not least, was appropriately named Fluff who was enjoying the evening in the company of his little human. His mom graciously allowed us to photograph her happy 6 year old boy!
Looking for more to do in New York City?
Here is a list of the top 100 things to do in the Big Apple, many of which can be enjoyed with your dog. Happy travelling and exploring!
Planning to go further afield?
If you are someone who loves to #travelwithdog, you should also consider documenting your travels with flydographer.com. Learn more about them here.
Mar 12, 2013
I am thrilled to announce the book Paws for Charity is now available for purchase! This is a beautiful book that features 90 talented pet photographers from around the world, showcasing their art work and the support they give to shelter animals everywhere. (Hint: if you take a look at page 53, you will find Posh Pets Photography.) Proceeds from the book sales will be donated SHAID (Sheltering Helpless Animals in Distress) Tree Animal Shelter in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.
You have some options for purchasing the book:
E-book form for the iPads and tablet crowd can be purchased here while those who would love paper and ink can purchase a hardcover and softcover versions here. Consider purchasing the hardcover version – I am told that it is gorgeous and a true coffee table book and well worth the upgrade. To help make your decision easier, the one-time use code CSVIP will give you 20% off the book versions if you purchase before April 5, 2013.
So, what are you waiting for?
Feb 21, 2013
We were vacationing in Arizona and California this past week and I had fun photographing some different animals other than the usual furry faces that pass in front my lens. This was my first time trying to photograph birds, which although was quite frustrating at the beginning (they move a lot more quickly than dogs and cats!), I found it can be quite addictive.
But first, this image. On our very first morning, we were treated to a beautiful Arizona sunrise! Apparently, there are not often clouds in the sky in Arizona, so this was a real treat!
We then went to the Desert Museum in Tucson to see some of the beautiful animals that make the Sonoma Desert and meet the birds! My first bird was a beautiful Red Cardinal.
Then, came a Stellars Jay…
A Magnificent Humingbird…
… and a Black Headed Grosberg.
A Rufous-Backed Robin…
…and a pair of happy Doves!
I even got to photograph the Cactus Wren, which is so very ‘south-western’.
Lastly, I got to see a Screech Owl…
…and a majestic Harris Hawk.
These were all beautiful birds and I would love to photograph some others! So, if you know any beautiful pet birds in need of a Posh Pets‘ custom portrait photography session, have their humans contact me!
Now, stay tuned for another blog post where you can enjoy some of the other wild animals of the South West!
Feb 18, 2013
We spent a day in Lake Havasu City which is technically in Arizona, but shares its border with California. First thing I noticed: this city belongs to the dogs! I have never seen so many people about with dogs, and most significantly, everyone seemed to be walking two. There were little groups comprising of 8 paws everywhere and, in speaking with a number of the humans, these little pairs were almost always related to each other.
Given the fact that it was a gorgeous day, I did get to have some impromptu “mini shoots” while we vacationed. One of these was with Shasta and Sugarplum, who are a mom and daughter Shih Tzu duo, and whom I met by chance in the hotel lobby (this is a pet-friendly city and the hotels reflect that). Their mom told me that she had once taken the two of them to a pet store for pictures, but that the images were not what she had wanted. So, we decided to take 10 minutes for some quick photographs on the hotel grounds. So, in honour of the fact that today is Family Day in Ontario (and some of the other provinces in Canada), please meet this little family…
First up was Shasta. She is 6 years old and is a quiet little soul, always observing.
Sugarplum is Shasta’s daughter and is 3 years old. She is a gregarious, attention-loving little thing. And she has the wind-blowing-in-your-hair-head-tilt-supermodel pose down pat!
After a few minutes, Shasta decided that this was going to be fun and relaxed into a lovely reclining pose.
…while Sugarplum flashed her gorgeous smile!
Towards the end of our time together, we were able to get an image of them together, which their mom just loved!
After their mom saw the images, she told me that she wished I lived closer so that they could experience a full Posh Pets Boutique Session. I honestly hear that a lot. The difference between a holiday photo in a pet store environment and custom portrait photography is dramatic. Thus, I always encourage people to consider investing in portrait photography because it is a gorgeous way to capture the essence and life of our pets now, and for years to come.
Shasta and Sugarplum, I am so glad we met and your mom gave me the opportunity to photograph you. You are darlings and I know your mom loves the pictures!
Jan 7, 2013
I don’t often post non-pet related images on this blog – it is the Posh Pets Blog after all! But, I am a photographer and therefore create images that do not always include a furry face. Recently, I came across the suggestion to take a look at your body of work for the previous year and decide which photograph was your favourite. I went into this exercise thinking that I would need to choose my favourite image from each client session and from those, choose a winner. Of course, that initial strategy completely disregarded the fact that my other passion is traveling and I always travel with camera in hand.
As I went through my images, I realized that my favourite would be coming from a place I had visited. Thankfully, this project was limited to places we had travelled to in 2012 – otherwise, I would have had quite an overwhelming project on my hands! This year alone, we visited Jordan, Israel, Egypt, The Netherlands, and various cities in The United States. And while they all had their amazing sights and experiences, The Netherlands stood out to me.
We hadn’t consciously decided to visit The Netherlands. While looking for tickets to Israel, we came across a flight on KLM which, of course, took us through Amsterdam. We had never been there, and so in about 2 minutes we decided to take 4 days to explore the country. And wow, I was so happy we did!
I was not prepared in any way for what greeted us. The Netherlands has this amazing vibe to it. I love how the green space appears to be intact, the architecture phenomenal, the roads wider, the air cleaner – which is most likely a bi-product of the fact that it would appear that every Netherlander uses a bicycle! Needless to say, we loved it!
While in Rotterdam, we had the opportunity to sail up the river to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Kinderdjik. Kinderdjik boasts 19 windmills which date from 1740 and is the largest concentration of windmills in The Netherlands. As one can imagine, these also the most photographed windmills in The Netherlands, if not the world.
When we arrived, the light was perfect. The day was beautiful and the windmills stood in all their glory. And, so here is my version of a famous scene…my favourite image from 2012!
And, once more in black and white. I love the mood in this one.
Jan 1, 2013
I love “beginnings”… so much promise and excitement! It is fun to imagine where life might take you and what might be accomplished. However,”might” is not a great business plan for it really is no plan at all. So, for the past few weeks I have been brainstorming and planning goals for 2013. I thought I would share them here so that I can stay focussed on them (accountability and all that) as well as let you all in on some exciting news.
1. There will be some changes to the look and feel of the Posh Pets Photography brand in 2013. There really isn’t anything else I can share right now as we are right at the beginning of this project. But, I am very excited to be working with such talented people on this and I will share things as soon as I can!
2. I am going to continue to submit my work for publication and features. There is nothing like seeing your work published. That means that my clients can look forward to not only having their images shared with Posh Pets’ fans who follow the blog, but with a far wider international audience…we are going to create some stars!
3. Posh Pets Photography is currently working on a special project with Pawsh Magazine that is to be launched in early 2013! If you haven’t seen the work of Laura L. Benn and/or Pawsh Magazine, well get on over and check it out! I came across her magazine and saw the gorgeous imagery, I knew I wanted to work with her. Then, the name (Pawsh – Posh, get it?) coupled with the fact that she divides her time between Ottawa and Toronto…well, I was hooked. A few months of corresponding and we’ve come up with a collaboration that is going to be awesome!
4. I am going to continue to reach out and foster strong relationships with other local businesses who work with the same clients that I do. There are a few things percolating here as well…stay tuned!
5. I made a promise to myself when I started Posh Pets Photography – I would invest in my education by attending a workshop/mentoring/conference each year. To me, it is crucial that I do so so that I can create the best imagery possible for my clients. I’ve kept that promise each year and I promise you, 2013 will be no different.
6. I will seriously start shooting on film. I have a camera, film and even shot a frame or two! But, 2013 will be the year that I shoot film for personal projects and really hone my skills. I would love to integrate film into my business, but for now I will keep it just personal.
7. I will continue to work with shelter and rescue organizations to help their adoptables find their forever homes. This work is especially rewarding to me and I invite anyone who has adopted an animal from one of my images to please reach out and let me know. I love hearing and featuring the happy endings!
So, now you know some of things I have planned around here. I hope you will continue to follow along and I would love to meet some of you in person this year! This is just the beginning…let’s see where this path takes us…!
Dec 31, 2012
Hard to believe that this is indeed the last day of 2012! As such, it is always fun to sit down and celebrate the successes that Posh Pets Photography enjoyed this year and to look forward to the excitement in store for 2013. So first, the recap…
1. This little blog is now 2 years old! And, it is a very well-behaved 2 year old to boot! I checked the statistics and there have been 163 posts (including this one) … quite astounding to me as I remember thinking when I started that I would not have much to write about. I’ve loved sharing all the news and wonderful sessions along the way.
2. Posh Pets Photography definitely grew this year and I had the privilege of working with some amazing clients, photographing their beautiful furry faces. Nothing makes me more happy to hear that I have created images that they love (and often have a hard time deciding upon)! Thank you so much to each and every one of you!
3. This year was the first year I got to work with some amazing companies and artists on commercial projects that featured animals. They included Canada Pooch, Deadmau5 and the City of Toronto. I have so enjoyed this work!
4. I appeared on Animal House Calls with Ann Rohmer! That was a nerve-racking experience, but we seemed to have survived, and it was wonderful to highlight the available animals at TAS.
5. As you may remember, Posh Pets joined the Beautiful Beasties Project 52 in March 2011 and we continued the Friday posts throughout 2012. The little group seems to be constantly growing as others have heard about it and I know that I look forward to the new themes and seeing how each of us interpret it. If you have not been following along, visit this blog every Friday and see what all of the fuss is about!
6. I got published this year! Posh Pets Photography was featured on the Hair of the Dog, and The Daily Dog Tag blogs.
7. I spent the year photographing the adoptables at Toronto Animal Services – North Region. In all, there were 359 furry faces photographed – lots of dogs, even more cats, as well as a couple of birds, 2 guinea pigs, a pair of bunnies and a hamster. Looking back, it makes me smile to see that we started the year photographing Maestro (a brown tabby) and ended with and image of Ginny (also a brown tabby) – symmetry is good. I am also so happy to say that 343 of those guys have found their homes. As always, if you are thinking of getting a pet, please consider adoption!
8. Sadly, we said good-bye to our boy Ripley in May of 2012. I will never forget him and his photos still make me cry for our loss. But, I knew deep-down that we would not be a one-cat-home forever. And, so it was. In November, Dean, myself and Lady Jane added Baxter Huntington to our family, who has turned out to be the most wonderful kitty we could ever ask for. He will never replace Ripley, but I think Ripley would approve.
So, those are the highlights of 2012! Were there some things you missed? Then, join us and sign up for free e-mail updates in the box below!
For 2013, we have some exciting things planned…and tomorrow, I am going to tell you all about them. In the meantime, go out and enjoy that snow that has finally made it to Toronto…!
