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Melissa McDaniel with Melissa McDaniel Photography and The Photo Book Projects, started her 3-month National Tour for Dogs on May 5th, 2011. Melissa will stop in over 20 cities and towns to photograph dogs with shattered pasts who tell their many different stories through the photos she takes. Many of the dogs photographed will also be appearing in her two upcoming photo books, "PIT BULLS" and "PUPPY MILL RESCUES" Follow Melissa on her Tour and meet the dogs first hand! The first two books were published in 2010: Deaf Dogs & Rescued in America. (Featured in the Holiday 2010 issue of BellaDOG)
Melissa Photography Tour across the country will continue until July 31st, 2011 and her photography subjects will include:
Melissa Says, “I want to show these dogs for what they are, not for how the media portrays them. It seems as though every few years, certain dogs are labeled as the vicious breed of the moment. When I was young it was Dobermans, then it was Rottweilers, now it is Pit Bulls and those that resemble them.”
*All of the dogs photographed were submitted by their families through application
SO WHAT ARE THE THESE PHOTO BOOK PROJECTS? A series of photo books (and more!) educating people on the beauty of deaf dogs, shelter dogs, Pit Bulls, puppy mill dogs, and so much more! The Pit Bull Photo Book, due out in November 2011, will focus on the plight of Pit Bulls. The Pit Bull photo book will be the third book in The Photo Book Projects series and will feature the photographs and stories of over 50 Pit Bulls, Pit Bull mixes and dogs with a certain look that are often labeled as Pit Bulls by the public. Roughly 40% of all dogs in U.S. shelters are Pit Bulls or Pit Bulls mixes - Which is why we talk about them ALOT (Sorry Haters!). Once known as "nanny" dogs, Pit Bulls have long been a part of family life. Helen Keller's guide dog was a Pit Bulls. Petey, the dog on the Little Rascals tv show, was a Pit Bulls. However, in recent years, the media has turned these family dogs into vicious beasts. Only one out of 600 Pit Bulls has a chance of getting adopted from one of these shelters. The other 599 are put down. Over 200 Pit Bulls are euthanized in Los Angeles shelters each DAY. Many shelters do not adopt out Pit Bulls and others put Pit Bulls down first since they know they will have a hard time adopting these dogs out. Backyard breeders are breeding these dogs at an alarming rate, making them the number one most bred breed in the country, to sell into dog fighting rings. The dogs in these rings that aren’t good fighters are often killed or let loose as strays. “Many people have asked why I decided to do a book on Pit Bulls,” Melissa stated. “You only need to visit a city shelter to know the answer to that and I believe that those who spend their lives with Pit Bulls know though that there are no bad dog breeds, only bad owners - I'd like to spotlight that through this photo book." Melissa Says, "It's my goal to create a photo book on Pit Bulls, and have their stories educate the public about the breed, what is going on with this breed in the US today, and what can be done about it. I have been photographing dogs for years and know first hand that this breed is the one most likely to come up to me, ears back and tail wagging, to lick my face and want to be pet. They are beautiful subjects that are gorgeous statues one moment and lovable goofs the next with extremely expressive faces that show off their every thought. They are without a doubt my favorite breed to photograph - I can't wait to put this book together!", The Puppy Mill Rescue Photo Book, due out in early 2012, will be the fourth book in The Photo Book Projects series, and will feature the photos and stories of over 50 former puppy mill dogs. “Puppy mills are still operating in all areas of the country. If you buy a dog from a pet store, or from some online dog sites, you are supporting a system that breeds dogs without any concern for their health or well-being. You are not rescuing the dog, but instead are putting money into the puppy-mill breeders’ pockets and you are perpetuating the system. The only way to shut these places down is for people to not support the system that sustains them. Never buy a dog from a pet store.” Puppy mills are operated by breeders that are motivated by money and have little to no concern for the animal’s health or well-being. Most female dogs are breed more frequently than they should be, and as soon as they get too old to produce the number of puppies that make it profitable for the breeder to keep her, they either have her euthanized or drop her off at a kill shelter. Dogs are often kept in wire-floor cages that are stacked one on top of the other. The wire floors rip up their paws, but make it easy for the puppy mill operators to clean the dogs’ excrement off of the floor rather than from the floor of each cage, since the dogs often never leave their crates. Dogs that have lived in puppy mills for years often are unsocialized, do not know how to play or walk in a straight line since they have never had enough room in their crates to do so. They suffer from neglect, disease and psychological trauma. RECENT PHOTO SHOOT on the TOUR while visiting Alabama! Meet Penny - A Puppy Mill Rescue
Penny will be appearing in The Photo Book Project's photo book on Puppy Mill Dogs, due out in early 2012. In August 2009, a puppy mill was busted in Talladega county, Alabama. After the required holding period, the 200+ dogs were transported to various shelters in the state. One of them was the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. The dogs had been neglected and had been living in horribly unsanitary conditions at the puppy mill, and as a result, they were unsocialized and many had health problems. They had to learn how to play and to learn to trust humans. The volunteers at the shelter visited with them every day, and slowly watched them come out of their shells. Penny was one of those dogs. She is a miniature long-haired dachshund whose back remains hairless due to the unsanitary conditions at the puppy mill. The dogs, kept in wire cages that were stacked one on top of the other, were never walked. They went to the bathroom in their crates. The dogs at the bottom were continually urinated and deficated upon by the dogs in the crates above them, and it is believed this is why the hair on Penny's back won't grow. Penny also suffers from chronic dry eye and needs eye drops to be administered daily. When she came to the shelter the vet discovered she had a heart condition, again most likely a result of the conditions at the puppy mill, and/or from inbreeding that took place there. Luckily the Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine agreed to perform the surgery on Penny which saved her life. Despite a very rough beginning, Penny has a normal life expectancy. She remains psychologically damaged from her time at the puppy mill. She has trouble trusting people and is afraid of new situations. However, she now lives in her new home with three other dogs and two cats, and is given all the love and pampering she has deserved from the start.
Scheduled tour stops include: Tallahassee, FL - May 6th & 7th New Orleans, LA - May 9th Dallas, TX - May 12th Austin, TX - May 13th Houston, TX - May 14th – at Austin Humane Society Santa Fe, NM - May 16th Denver, CO - May 18th Las Vegas, NV - May 23rd Los Angeles, CA - May 24th San Francisco/Oakland, CA - May 26th – At Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls (BAD RAP) Seattle, WA - May 28th Salt Lake City, UT - May 31st Chicago, IL - June 4th Pittsburgh, PA - June 9th Baltimore, MD - June 25th Philadelphia, PA - July 9th & 10th New York City, NY - July 16th Waterbury, CT - July 17th New England dates & locations: TBA
You can follow the road trip and recent photo sessions on Melissa's blog and on tumblr BUY THE PHOTO BOOKS: www.photobooks.myshopify.com/collections/photo-books Melissa will be donating a large portion of the proceeds to rescues that help rescue pit bulls and help educate the public about them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MORE ABOUT MELISSA'S FIRST 2 PHOTO BOOK PROJECTS
DEAF DOGS The first book in The Photo Book Projects series was published in 2010 by Present Dog Press, Deaf Dogs contains portraits and stories of 78 deaf dogs, most who were born deaf. Melissa, who photographed all of the dogs in the book, wrote and published Deaf Dogs to raise awareness about deaf dogs. Deaf Dogs won the bronze medal in Independent Publisher’s 2011 IPPY Book Awards in the Animals/Pets category.
RESCUED IN AMERICA features the stories and photos of 105 formerly homeless dogs, this was Melissa’s second book and was released in 2010 by Present Dog Press.
Here's a note from Melissa about one of her subjects. This will shed some light on the background of the book - RESCUED IN AMERICA FaroWhen I started the photo book projects, and in particular, the Rescued in America photo book about dogs that have been adopted from shelters and rescue groups across the U.S. and have now found their forever homes, I started meeting and hearing from animal rescues across the country that wanted to take part in the projects. I also started hearing from rescues in other countries. The work being performed by several nonprofits on the southern Baja Peninsula of Mexico in particular caught my eye - so much so that I plan on creating a photo book dedicated to the work they are doing and the dogs they are helping. Two wonderful groups in the area are the Baja Dogs La Paz and Los Cabos Humane Society. The condition of companion animals found in this region is alarming. Feral dogs and cats roam the streets and beaches. It is estimated there are over 10,000 strays in southern Baja alone, and many are neglected, starving, injured or abused. If you feel like crying, watch this video on the Los Cabos Humane Society's website (warning though - grab some Kleenix beforehand). I have been in contact with both groups over the last couple of months - both are volunteer-based organizations and both rely solely on donations and fundraising to survive. They receive no support from the Mexican government. A few days ago, Maggie, a volunteer with Los Cabos Humane Society sent me an email about Faro, one of the dogs who had been recently taken in by them. I found this story particularly heartbreaking, but it's also a story of hope, and I just had to share it here. Maggie sent me some photos, too, of the state in which Faro was found and then photos of Faro today. The first photos are hard to look at, but I hope the latter are an inspiration to everyone in animal rescue to not give up, that every dog matters, that you are making a difference. Maggie's email: Faro got his name as he was rescued by the lighthouse, "faro" in Spanish. The man who found him was out on his morning run when he saw Faro - tied up on the ground and left for dead. Like us, the man was totally shocked at what he saw and knew Faro was close to death. The man managed to carry Faro and transport him to the humane society, where they immediately took him to the vet. He was in the care of the vet, living mostly in a crate, for about a month. They worked tirelessly to save him and nurse him back to health, for no payment. Eventually, Faro healed enough to go into a foster home. [His foster parents fell in love with him and couldn't give him up.] They have since moved back to Canada.
Hola everyone,
My vet here in Canada recommended special pet food that makes my fur super shiny like a pearl, I used to have a limp from where I had my leg broken but now I don't limp at all anymore, I feel so good! We've been having so much fun, a couple of weekends ago we went to Whistler, we stopped by a big waterfall and then we went and stayed in this hotel called Fairmont Chateau Whistler which was super nice and get this - they LOVE dogs! My room was supposed to come with my own special doggy bed and water bowl and pet treats but when they ran out (because there were so many dogs in the hotel) they canceled the usual pet fee and let me stay with my parents in their beautiful room without charging me a dime! They even said I could sleep on the second bed for humans! (My parents never let me though, sigh). We went to all these lakes and I had so much fun, I love exploring in the forest.
Strange, but it's actually the happy email from his parents that makes me cry. Maggie at the humane society went on to say that unfortunately there are many more cases like Faro's. Faro's rescuer found another dog a month later. This dog had not only his legs bound, but his mouth was tied shut, as well. Sadly, this dog didn't make it and had what was undoubtedly a slow and painful death. The good news is that they, the Los Cabos Humane Society and Baja Dogs La Paz, are making a difference. Last weekend, the humane society spayed and neutered over 100 dogs and cats, and most from Mexican families who brought their pets into the clinic. The humane society tries to educate children in the schools, and the clinics are well publicized. Maggie went on to say: "To see Mexican families bringing their dogs to us when they can no longer keep them, instead of leaving them in the desert to starve to death, is a huge change. We will get there!!" Both of these groups do amazing work and rely solely on donations to survive. Please visit their sites below and support them in any way you can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SIGNINGS FOR THE PHOTO BOOKS This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to book Melissa for your next event. Email or call 267-968-9973 to book a portrait session with Melissa for your dog
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Saturday, April 21st, 2012
10:00AM - 4:00PM
Treasure Island Fun Center
BellaDOG Newsletter |
Franklin family’s dogs taken by animal officer, placed with new owners
FRANKLIN, Maine — Last fall, the Warren family had two Golden Retrievers, Bella and Jake, that were considered integral members of a household which includes four young children. Now the dogs have been placed with a new owner somewhere in New England after they took off from the Warrens’ yard in early November and failed to return.
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