Sweet Cindy called me a while back wanting some portraits of herself – it had been years since she had any taken and she wanted to surprise her love, (whom she’s moving back to Holland for at the end of this month) with some.  She also wanted to capture her four dogs as a couple of them are getting very old.  I so enjoyed photographing all of them – Cindy has a huge heart for animals and I love stories of how dogs are saved from an otherwise hopeless life in a shelter, or worse yet, lose their lives because no one wants them.  When I asked Cindy to tell me about her little family, this is what she said:

*Grace is the big blond Anatolian Shepherd mix, she was a rescue from HART and she’ll be 9 next week. She was named after the one thing she’s lacking because she’s the biggest klutz-dog ever. She trips over her own feet, but she’s the sweetest girl. She has the worst hip dysplasia, so every winter I just keep my fingers crossed and hope she makes it through another one…
*Ella is the black Chow-Chow. She’s my fierce protector but she’s also just a big baby. She was a rescue through the Arlington shelter and she’s about 7 or 8. We don’t know how old she is because she was found as a stray in Arlington with her two puppies that she was trying to protect under a house in the middle of summer. Because the shelter workers couldn’t get her out and she tried to bite them, they had to shoot her with tranquilizer darts (twice!). She was labeled aggressive and would have been put down, but luckily there was someone at the shelter who saw she was a good dog and kept her alive.
*Lily is the little chihuahua/terrier mix and she’s the baby. She’s only about 5 and she was rescued from Brown County Humane Society. She’s the sweetest and neediest dog you’ve ever met with the longest tongue. I swear she can reach across the room with that thing!
*Munchkin is my little old lady. She’s the black pomeranian and she’s 13 1/2. I’ve had her for about 5 years now. I sort of inherited her when her owner passed away. I was supposed to be her foster home while I helped her lose some weight (she weighed 20 pounds when I got her) and get her medical stuff under control, but who can resist her???? She’s the biggest food-hog but she’s also smart as a whip and just irrisistible!

Cindy, thank you for the opportunity to photograph you!  You are such a special person to save these animals and I hope I captured their spirits in these images.  I wish nothing but happiness in your future back “home” in Holland and with your relationship!  Blessings!