For dogs whose humans work from home most, if not all of the time these days, getting left home alone can pretty confusing.

So when Tica's human had to leave her for a couple days to go in to the office, she asked if I could take her for a lunch walkies. Well, I ended up staying for most of the day both days and working from there because I just couldn't leave the little snuggle bug!

I see Tica every week at our fridays at fleming dates, but we haven't spent much time just hanging out at her house so I took it as an opportunity to build our friendship. 

So along with our neighbourhood walkies, she showed me how she naps, her sleepy face, her "let's go outside" face, running in her yard and how she likes to chase sticks.
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Fun times... thanks Tica!

I usually photograph other people's dogs, but I recently took some time to photograph our Mr Coco. 

Being 14 and basically blind and deaf, I've been meaning to get some portraits of him because I know all too well, time isn't always on our side. Plus, he's not a superfan of my camera, it's easy to put off.

But I've been doing more palliative pet photo sessions lately so I figured if all went well, it would be a chance to work on the photo I wanted for our wall, as well as be a bit of an experiment -- to see if I could capture him as I do for other people's pets.

It was just me and him in the studio, and if I'm being honest, it was kinda tough.
Partially because he's not really comfortable in my studio anymore. He used to love it because he'd get treats and had a special bed, but that's no longer enough and it's now just kinda confusing for him. And he doesn't like the slippery paper of the backdrop so he didn't want to stand on it for very long.

And all that got me thinking...

Am I capturing him how I see him? Like really see him? Or am I capturing some other, more fearful part of him? Do others see him as I do, or how he appears in the photos? Are those the same thing? Is he enjoying this in any way?

And that led me to ponder... 
Do I capture other people's pets as they see them? How much do other people want to see their pets as I see them?

Really, this experience opened a bit of a can of worms in my brain, but at the end of the day, that's part of what being an artist is. There's self doubt, there are questions that may never be answered, but I know this: 1) I love photographing pets, including my own, and 2) I consider it an honour to be able to share someone's pets through my lens and my eyes.

So, here are a few more photos from my session with our Mr Coco.
Thanks for stopping by, ~w

walking the same routes I've walked so many times before
looking up, up
​looking down, down

​and looking into the eyes of Maisy

From Spain to Montreal to Victoria, it's been a big week for rescued Galgo, Dylan.

He arrived into rescue care at Galgos en Familia in Malaga, Spain in July 2023.
​He was just skin and bones. 

Over the six+ months he was in care in Spain he gained some weight and learned to trust again. So with the help of rescue parters and EGP's Golden Basket Project, this sweet senior made his way to Victoria, BC where he's now in foster, awaiting a home.

Dylan is amazing. He was sweet and gentle even though he would've preferred pets and loves to posing.
It was almost to the point of "click" goes the shutter and Dylan comes to me for a pet. His foster mom Heather then entices him back with a treat, then "click" goes the shutter and back Dylan comes for another pet. 
So yes, we took a number of breaks... (thanks Heather for the pic!)

If you meet Dylan, you will fall in love instantly. He's got the marks of age and a hard life -- little bumps and scars -- and eyes that tell a 1001 stories. He's inquisitive and interested and has the cutest tiger-striped tail. If you told him all your secrets he would just look at you with understanding because he knows.
Dylan looks for reassurance, which is expected given what he's been through in his life. And he looks for it from humans. Kindness and softness will go a long with this brave guy. 

Our session lasted about an hour and he showed off his head tilting skills to the max. He isn't a sitter so we thought we'd try to get him to lay down on a soft bed. When our words weren't working, we enlisted the help of a spanish translator app so we could encourage him to "lay down" (tumbarse) in a language he was familiar with. And when we said it, he seemed to understand, but it still took him a few moments to relax enough... but down he went.
And when he did, it was a beautiful thing.

Here are some captures from our session on Sunday -- I like to include a variety so you get to see those little nuances and expressions that make him the beautiful, unique being he is. I wish Dylan all great things in this next chapter of life. xo

For adoption info, please contact: Extraordinary Galgos & Podencos of Western Canada 
​https://www.facebook.com/egpwesterncanada

• ​More of Dylan here... at the meet n' greet this past weekend
  https://www.wendynesbitt.com/blog/the-galgo-meet-n-greet
• Here's his post on the EGPWC faceboook page: https://www.facebook.com/egpwesterncanada/posts/pfbid0L9Jpuj9MBTuK88Y1uwgBBWEvQz1rR5AaHMFQcqHVQzmsLjr4zt8TosC1CLWRFical

Arturo came over for an adoption profile photo session recently and since he was so chill about it we had time to experiment with the dreaded black dog on black background!
I recently tried it with a fawn-coloured dog and really liked the look so I had an idea going in, but each dog is so unique and in Artie's case, he's a bit of a head wobbler so I have to work on pushing my settings a bit more for dogs who can't hold still, but I'm looking forward to adding this look to my repertoire.
Thanks Artie!

Arturo is being fostered with my friend Shannon so I've met him a few times now and he's just an amazingly sweet, chill guy. She's brushed his teeth, trimmed his toenails and has taken him on some runs in the forest and he's cool with it all... except cats apparently. No cats.

I've included a few of Artie's adoption photos below, but his and Zorro's adoption photos can be found on my site here: home away from home
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But please check out the rescue that's helping these sweethearts into a life of love: Extraordinary Galgos & Podencos of Western Canada  https://www.facebook.com/egpwesterncanada

That balance between time spent at the computer and time spent doing other things, like getting a good dose of fresh air and exercise has been a bit off balance for me lately. So when the opportunity to go on a hike with a friend came up, I was in. 
Horth Hill, here I come!

The moment I pulled into the parking lot I was in awe of the gorgeous fall colours. Are they more vibrant this year? I don't know. Maybe because it's been raining, everything just looked super fresh and extra vibrant.

Then Jill arrived with her OWL crew (Ollie, Wilson + Luke) - 3 Weims who are all about outdoor fun and adventure! I've known Ollie and Luke since they were wee pups and met Wilson as a young'un. Wilson came into their family as a medical foster after suffering a broken pelvis and other injuries after being hit by a car at 5 months old. And surprise, surprise, he never left! He's all healed up and keeps pace with his brothers no problem. All three have been to my studio for photos, but this was the first time I got to see them let loose and release the zoomies! 
It was magical.

Up trails and down hills
catching up
and me catching my breath
along pathways
admiring vistas, fungi and a no-eyed dog

photo ops (and outtakes)
and waiting...
and waiting...
for one who led his own expedition into the woods

treat stops
band photos
and dogs on a log

finding light
amidst the canopy
​and through conversation

and by the end, the crew could've done it all again... and again.

p.s. our route looks like a boot kicking a plastic shopping bag.

Thank you so much to all the doggos who came out for a Howl-o-ween photo mini photo session and helped raise $700 for Victoria Bulldog Society!
xo

Last weekend I had the opportunity to make some greyt new friends at the Greyt Global Greyhound Walk!

This annual international event aims to bring awareness to the awesomeness of greyhounds and sighthounds as pets. And I'm all for it. Every greyhound I've met, including the cuties on the weekend were so dang sweet! The turnout was great with 21 sighthounds and one l'il lab trotting along the trails around Beaver Lake Park.

On arrival there was lots of time for hellos for old friends and new. Before the walk we tried our best for a group photo (always a bit of an adventure) and then we hit the trail. Some dogs (along with their humans) who were just out for a nice afternoon trail walk were pretty surprised by the gaggle of greyhounds, and the "dog ponies" were very polite, as real ponies moseyed along the paths too. As we arrived at a big clearing surrounded by bushes near the end of the walk, some dogs were let off leash to "let 'er rip" and (camera-nerd talk here) though I didn't have the best lens for distance action, I focussed on the dogs, put my set up to the test and, well, I got a few shots, though I'd like to practice some more! In any case, there were games of chase between the hounds and even a Husky named Blue who was just playing ball with his person ended up getting in some play time with the group too! I'm sure there were some very tired doggos that evening.
At the end of the walk, there were a few more visits and the it was time for goodbye... until next time. 

If you're new to my work, I not only photograph pets as my day job, but I also cover events like this as part of my animal adoption advocacy work. 
In order to continue covering events like this at no charge, I offer digital images from these events, for sale.

Proceeds from the image sales not only help me continue to provide this work for free, but I also share proceeds with the non-profits. In the case of this event, that non profit will be Extraordinary Galgos and Podencos of Western Canada (EGPWC). EGPWC is the local chapter of Extraordinary Galgos and Podencos (EGP), an international rescue whose mission is to rescue, advocate and find homes for Galgos, Podencos and Salukis, and since the organizer of today's walk volunteers with EGPWC, it's a good fit.

Snort, grunt, snuffle.
So goes the soundtrack of this morning's Victoria Bulldog Walks Summer Meet Up.

It was already pretty warm by the 10am meet time at Lambrick Park so the gaggle of bulldogs and their family and friends mostly stood around laughing, admiring, getting bulldog slobbers... I mean kisses... There was a short walk around the baseball field and then back to the fenced-in park for more water and cool down time.

Though my photos focus primarily on the dogs, believe me when I say all the humans had big smiles because you can't not smile in a group of these squishy faces. 
With the warm temperature today though, overheating was a real thing for bulldogs so there was lots of water on hand, some cooling shirts and shade, though a few preferred to zoom and romp with the utmost of bulldog decorum.

Organized by the Victoria Bulldog Society (VBS), this was a chance for bulldog enthusiasts to gush to each other about their dogs and it made for a super fun photo op, for not just me, but everyone!
I captured last fall's Halloween parade and I'm hooked!

The VBS brought along adoptable Lemon and Lola and they are featured in the photos. Also in attendance were Dudley and Henry who I got to meet at the Valentine's photo booth fundraiser I did with VBS and there were other alumni in attendance today as well!
I tried to get names, but it was near impossible!

I'm thankful for VBS and their commitment to helping bulldogs through education, advocacy and adoptions. As a very small rescue they're always fundraising through a number of avenues -- bottles, online auctions, chocolates and even garage sales. If you'd like to make a donation to help them along, all the info is here: https://victoriabulldogsociety.com/donate/.

Speaking of fundraising, if you're interested in a non-watermarked, printable digital file of any of the images in the gallery, they are available for $10* each and all money will be donated to VBS. 
Please send your request via email to: hello[at]wendynesbitt.com
*some conditions apply

Thanks to everyone for coming out and hope to see you at the next one!
​
Below are just a few of the images from today, so be sure to click on the link below to the FULL gallery... all 110 photos!

Fridays at Fleming, vol 5.... aka "The Buddy Walk"

A bit of a buddy theme today:
I went for a walk with my buddies,
Birds flew with their buddies,
Dogs played with their buddies,
And I got to meet an actual Buddy!
​
Buddy is a 13(ish)-year-old poodley mix of cuteness who's currently in care of the Victoria Humane Society (VHS) and is being fostered at Tica's house.
If you look closely at Buddy though you'll wondering what's up with his eyes. 
Well... after a visit to the veterinary eye doc the other day it turns out he's blind in both eyes. They suspect he may have been blind in one eye before, but the other one is definitely messed up because l'il Buddy was found OUTSIDE... in Manitoba... in -46 degree weather... in the snow... with a super fluffy matted coat... and his eyes were FROZEN. 

Through VHS's network, Buddy made the trip to the west coast where he's now in a foster home and enjoying the warmth -- good thing as he got a hair cut too.
He's a confident little guy and his lack of vision did not slow him down. He loves treats and chin and neck scritches and he has great stamina.
He also has a very active sniffer so he sniffed and sniffed and sniffed... and left his mark on all the places he felt necessary. 

Because of the freezing of his eyeballs he's got a ruptured corneal ulcer so he's getting all whole host of eye drops, and he may still have to get one or both of his eyes removed. But I get the feeling that won't stop him. He's a confident little guy and seems to be up for adventure. Just don't leave him alone. He doesn't like being left alone. At all.
​Understandable considering he's had a whole lot of change in his world.
Buddy also has a cute little snaggle tooth but he's in desperate need of a dental, so not sure if he'll get to keep it. 

Once he's had his medical taken care of he'll be ready for adoption so if you're interested watch the Victoria Humane Society facebook page!

Other highlights of the walk:
- our crow friend stopped to say hi
- yellow and purple crocuses emerging
​- a swimmer

I also took our walk as an #advocacyandart opportunity and created some adoption profile pics for him (his leash has been removed in a couple of the photos because I found them a bit distracting, he was not off leash... safety first!) as well as a short video so adopters can see though this little guy may be blind and old(er), he's got loads of spirit in him! 
Click here to see more of my Home Away from Home advocacy photography!