Photos taken of adoptable shelter dogs under one year of age at the Humane Society of Utah in 2022. Helping homeless herding dogs is my biggest passion in life. It's led to many other hobbies like studying animal behavior and training, fostering herders with behavior or health challenges, and spending time with my own three Australian Cattle Dogs. I love to draw and photograph dogs too, especially if it benefits a charity or helps a dog get catch an adopter's eye. Animal rescue in general is important to me.
I was trained in pet studio photography by Guinnevere Shuster, the professional photographer at the Humane Society of Utah. Images are © 2022, Humane Society of Utah.
I was trained in pet studio photography by Guinnevere Shuster, the professional photographer at the Humane Society of Utah. Images are © 2022, Humane Society of Utah.
I don't photograph young puppies in the studio because they're not fully vaccinated yet, and in animal shelters you have many dogs with unknown vaccination histories in the same space, so it's risky to handle puppies when you've been photographing adult dogs, no matter how much you clean your space. At our shelter all staff wears PPE when handling puppies so that we're not potentially spreading disease on our clothing or shoes, and we minimize any unnecessary handling of them when they're in the shelter. They're only there for a very short time between their foster home and their adoptive home. Finally, younger puppies really don't need a fancy studio photo since they're in high demand already.
Shelters usually take the safety of their pets very seriously, and have strict cleaning protocols. They almost always vaccinate upon intake and on a strict schedule, however young puppies need several rounds of vaccinations to be protected fully, and vaccinations require 1-2 weeks for the immune system to mount an antibody response, so there is a period of time when pets could be susceptible before the protection "kicks in".
Animal shelters don't make money off puppies, no matter how much they charge. If you add up the cost of spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchips and all the care the pups received in a volunteer foster home, it far exceeds the adoption fees. Donations make up the difference.
Compare this to pet stores, who have been known to falsify vaccination records in an effort to cut costs. They often deadly parvo and distemper outbreaks due to letting the public handle their puppies one after the other, spreading disease from sick puppies to others. They make them more susceptible to illness out by taking them from their litter too soon and prematurely weaning them which removes the temporary protection they can get from their mother (if she's vaccinated) and transporting them like cargo, source from crowded outdoor puppy mills and not providing treatment.
All the corners these pet shops cut to make more money have severe health and behavioral consequences. All pet stores buy puppy mill dogs. All breeders who won't let you meet a puppy's parents and see where the puppy was raised are actually puppy mills in disguise. Reputable breeders won't ship puppies to you in air cargo! They don't meet you in a parking lot, deliver the puppies or sell to pet stores. These are huge red flags that your puppy came from a puppy mill operation. Don't trust fancy websites and photos of happy dogs on a farm, these are often a front for a puppy mill, and the photos could be stolen or just stock images.
Support your local NON-PROFIT rescue or animal shelter by adopting a pet!
Or at least buy a puppy from a LOCAL breeder who does health DNA tests, provides early veterinary care, doesn't overbreed their pair, only breeds fully-grown adult dogs with excellent temperaments and keeps the puppies safe in humane conditions while providing vital early socialization.
Shelters usually take the safety of their pets very seriously, and have strict cleaning protocols. They almost always vaccinate upon intake and on a strict schedule, however young puppies need several rounds of vaccinations to be protected fully, and vaccinations require 1-2 weeks for the immune system to mount an antibody response, so there is a period of time when pets could be susceptible before the protection "kicks in".
Animal shelters don't make money off puppies, no matter how much they charge. If you add up the cost of spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchips and all the care the pups received in a volunteer foster home, it far exceeds the adoption fees. Donations make up the difference.
Compare this to pet stores, who have been known to falsify vaccination records in an effort to cut costs. They often deadly parvo and distemper outbreaks due to letting the public handle their puppies one after the other, spreading disease from sick puppies to others. They make them more susceptible to illness out by taking them from their litter too soon and prematurely weaning them which removes the temporary protection they can get from their mother (if she's vaccinated) and transporting them like cargo, source from crowded outdoor puppy mills and not providing treatment.
All the corners these pet shops cut to make more money have severe health and behavioral consequences. All pet stores buy puppy mill dogs. All breeders who won't let you meet a puppy's parents and see where the puppy was raised are actually puppy mills in disguise. Reputable breeders won't ship puppies to you in air cargo! They don't meet you in a parking lot, deliver the puppies or sell to pet stores. These are huge red flags that your puppy came from a puppy mill operation. Don't trust fancy websites and photos of happy dogs on a farm, these are often a front for a puppy mill, and the photos could be stolen or just stock images.
Support your local NON-PROFIT rescue or animal shelter by adopting a pet!
Or at least buy a puppy from a LOCAL breeder who does health DNA tests, provides early veterinary care, doesn't overbreed their pair, only breeds fully-grown adult dogs with excellent temperaments and keeps the puppies safe in humane conditions while providing vital early socialization.
This is Penelope, an 8-month-old blind mixed-breed who was available for adoption.
