 Three bulldogs in my studio at once? Sure! What's the worst that could happen?! We die from combined cuteness overload? ok, I'm in. Well, no humans died, but Lemon, Ruby and Tito worked their cute magic that's for sure. This intrepid trio is currently in the care of the Victoria Bulldog Society.
Photographing adoptable dogs for me isn't just about an adoption profile photo. To be honest, I'm not sure how much weight they carry because I've known dogs to be adopted from some pretty sketchy photos. Whatever floats your boat and gets the dog adopted, I say. But as the person behind the camera who's thinking about how photography can help adoptable pets, I want these photos to work for the dog... for the rescue... for advocacy, for fundraising, or to just celebrate the dog. So, to end 2022, I went out with a big, bundle of bulldogs who are loved and getting the care they need and deserve. Thank you to all the people I've met who are loving their animals and helping to make this world a safe and loving place for everyone. ~wendy xo For more on the Victoria Bulldog Society: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaBulldogSociety/ instagram: @VictoriaBulldogSociety  Luna (front) + Jackson Jackson and Luna stopped by the studio just before Christmas for a little session together. These two sweethearts are in care with the Victoria Bulldog Society, though neither are adoptable at the time of writing this. Sweet Luna is in palliative care due to an inoperable cancer and charming Jackson is on medical hold. Shortly after Jackson's arrival he required extensive dental surgery which took some time to heal from. Well, he got that sorted out, but now he has an ulcer in his eye that is being treated and monitored with the with help of their vet. As Jackson and Luna are in foster at the same home, I was asked to try and get one of them together. One thing I've learned about bulldogs (and pretty much any dog!)... if they don't want to do it, they won't. So with the help of a VBS volunteer, we managed to use our charm and wit... hahah! I kid!... it was patience and treats and patience and treats and a break outside, then more patience and treats. And it worked! I got a few more captures of these two together, but those are being held back to keep private, just for the family. I hadn't spent much time with bulldogs prior to volunteering with VBS, so these recent sessions have been quite immersive. Mel, the director of VBS has been a wealth of info on the breed and the laundry list of medical issues that now seem more like common "features", than just one-offs, easily treatable issues. I even wrote and photographed a piece on Mel and her penchant for bulldogs for Issue #5 of Wunderdog Magazine: https://www.wendynesbitt.com/blog/squishy-faced-wunderdogs If you want to learn more about VBS: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaBulldogSociety/ instagram: @VictoriaBulldogSociety  Back in 2010 I was volunteering at our local shelter and a pregnant dog came in. Her name was Tiger Lily and she was very skinny and very pregnant. A few days later, on a Tuesday in July, she gave birth to 8 puppies. One passed away, but the other 7 were healthy. One of those healthy pups was a boy called Sunshine. He got adopted, but then returned 6 months later for who knows what. This young fella ended up in foster with some volunteer friends and their extended family fell in love with him and he was adopted... and renamed Ruger! Recently I had the opportunity to do a 'Before I Go' session with this lovely 12 1/2 year old fella. We wandered in the snow where he took a couple breaks, then went inside and he showed me all the places he likes to nap. I wrote a little poem for him: You know those old dogs those big, old dogs who’ve lived a good life whose eyes may still be bright but don’t see so well whose big strong body gets them around but is slowing down they would rather sit than stand rather lay down, than run little mis-steps and stumbles wee previews of confusion they don’t hear you call their name but they hear you tell them they’re the goodest dog in the whole wide world those big, old dogs who had an unknown period in their life that has caused them to be wary of some things and some people though their love can be easily bought with kindness and treats those big old dogs who may not like a lot of hands-on lovin’ but just want to be close the person they feel safe with and have a nap I'm so grateful Ruger made it to the family he did and that I was able to see him once again and know he's had a grand life full of love. xo  Tiger Lily, July 2010: Ruger's in there somewhere.  Sir Duke... or Dukey, or handsome, or any number of affectionate nicknames for this gentle, old fella. A recent intake to the Victoria Bulldog Society (VBS), Sir Duke's health issues are extensive. But he is an otherwise happy dog, who just wants to snuggle up with people. After a recent vet visit, this is what was discovered:
With this in mind, the VBS created a bucket list of items to shoot for within Sir Duke's limited time -- one of which include a photo session, so I put my hand up to volunteer. Lately my VBS sessions have included spritely little frenchies, so this was going to be a departure. This session needed a special backdrop. One that had some warmth and required no interaction from Sir Duke. He could just sit or lay down and have some love literally hanging over him. A volunteer brought him over and my heart just broke when I saw him. We managed to get a few photos in pretty quickly, but honestly, this fella just wanted loves and it's hard to photograph a dog when he's sitting next to you! But then he started acting like he needed out, so we got him outside and he wandered the yard and did what he needed to do. However, getting him back to the studio was difficult - he seemed confused (rightly so) and not sure what to do. So the volunteer lifted him up and brought him back in where we got a few more photos before it was time for him to head back to his foster home. It was an honour to meet Sir Duke - from his little button of a tail to his ears, ready to take flight. Big thanks to his team for helping make this happen - it's very cool to see all the support Sir Duke has in his corner. xo p.s. if you'd like to learn more about VBS or donate to help any of the dogs in their care, please visit the Victoria Bulldog Society facebook page |
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