“Saving one dog won’t change the world, but for that one dog, his world will be changed forever”  

Giving back to the community has always been important to me, so this month I was very excited to help Paw Placement of Northern Arizona with a pet portrait fundraiser!  We had a full day, an appointment every 10 minutes and met over 50 new animal friends.  We had a great time meeting everyone and as you can see from the photos below, even our new pet friends had a great time too!   Special thanks to my great friend and fellow animal lover, Kim Duncan, my wonderful husband, Grant, and the volunteers at the Rescue Me Adoption Center for helping out; I couldn’t have done it without you!  Thanks to everyone who came out to the event at the Rescue Me Adoption Center, your donation means the world to the homeless animals this event benefited! ~ Melissa

Every month, we volunteer our time to help a shelter animal find their forever home.  This month, we headed over to Paw Placement of Northern Arizona‘s adoption center, Rescue Me, to take photos of a special kitty named Sasha.  Rescue Me is located in the Flagstaff Mall. If you live in the area, and have never visited this store, you should head over soon.  It’s a great place to meet potential four-legged future family members, or just to check out what’s happening in the world of animal rescue.  Paw Placement of Northern Arizona is a great organization, who’s mission is to reduce euthanasia rates of homeless cats and dogs through rescue, adoption and education about responsible pet guardianship.  They rescue animals and place them in foster homes to help them find their forever home.

Sasha is our first kitty we’ve ever photographed for our Adorable Adoptable program and she really set the bar for sweetness.  She didn’t mind us photographing her at all, in fact, I’d argue that she enjoyed the attention!  She is a short haired Siamese and Calico harlequin cat about 3 1/2 years old.  The rescue said she is very smart and loves to play games at home.   She’s extremely affectionate and loved spending time with us.  If you or someone you know might be interested in Sasha, please contact Paw Placement of Northern Arizona to get more information about adoption.

Thank you for reading and helping us find Sasha a purrrrrrrrr-fect home! ~ Melissa

Once a month, we volunteer our time to take photographs of a homeless animal in the hopes the images will help them find a loving home.  But, October, with the rush of family holiday photos and weddings in the golden aspens, got away from me and I somehow had not lined up an animal to photograph.  It’s funny how the universe takes care of my absentmindedness, because that day, I got a call from my friend, Becky, about a very special dog named Gonzo.  She had just returned from her veterinarian’s office where she had met a sweet, older, three legged dog that had been surrendered by his owner   I’ve known Becky for a long time, and we share a sense of community, a passion for the arts and the idea that every homeless animal should have their own family.   “Gonzo’s too special to live his life in a kennel“, she said.  When she said that, I knew I had to rearrange my schedule to go out and photograph this dog to hopefully, find him his forever, perfect home.

I met Gonzo this past Friday at Aspen Veterinary Clinic where I found out that every employee there was 100% smitten with him.   So, when my husband, Grant, and I finally got to meet him, we had high expectations.  As soon as they opened the kennel door for Gonzo to meet us, he quickly bypassed the treats we offered, but instead, crawled straight into Grant’s lap.   Yes, a special boy indeed.  I also found out Gonzo’s history.  About 9 years ago, Gonzo was found on the San Francisco Peaks with a fractured leg.  A kind stranger brought him to Aspen Veterinary Clinic where the decision was made to amputate his leg due to the severity of his break.  Gonzo was adopted after this, and for 8 years had the blessing of a home and a family.  Then, recently, in a crual twist of fate, his owner had to move, and the current landlord will not allow dogs.  So, Aspen Veterinary Clinic took Gonzo in once again.  They are taking great care of Gonzo, but life in a kennel is stressing this older gentleman.  So, the search for a new, loving home is underway.

Gonzo is about 9 years old and would enjoy a mellow home where he could do lots of cuddling.   Like any dog his age, he’s slowing down and entering doggie retirement, but he does enjoy walks and hikes.  And, boy oh boy, does he just love to gaze into your eyes and let you know just how much he loves you.

If you’d like to meet Gonzo, or have any questions abou him, please contact Aspen Veterinary Clinic at (928) 526-2423.

I made a promise to Gonzo, and I promised him that I’d help him find a home of his own, and a family that adores him.  Could you help me by sharing this post?

Blessings to all of you ~ Melissa

I look forward to the first of every month for one reason, our Adorable Adoptable of the Month campaign. Each month, we partner with an animal rescue organization and volunteer our pet photography services to some special animal who needs a home. Over the past few months, we’ve met some amazing dogs and I’ve fallen in love with each and every one. This month, our sweet dog comes from Golden Bone Rescue and Rehab based out of Sedona, Arizona. Josie is a Golden Retriever/Beagle mix and is young, probably under two years old. She is a medium dog of about 40 pounds. During her photo session with us, Josie was timid (probably wondering what all the fuss was about!) but warmed up to us in just a few minutes. Despite the activity around her, she never barked or even made one sound. At first, Josie didn’t want anything to do with photographs, but then I explained to her that getting some great photos of her would help her find her perfect family. To my surprise, this sweet girl walked over to the rug, and posed perfectly until it was time for her to go. Shannon, her foster mom, says that Josie has a sweet temperament and loves to be petted. And, despite an old broken leg injury that was never treated by her previous owners, Josie loves to go on walks and spend time outside. Because of that old injury, she sits a little crooked, but that, in my opinion, only makes her more beautiful.

If you, or someone you know, might be interested in Josie, please check out the Golden Bone Rescue Rehab website or Josie’s Petfinder profile here. And, please share on Twitter and Facebook to help us spread the word about this loving dog.

Thanks for helping us find every homeless animal a forever home. Blessings to you and your family ~ Melissa

Kristen and I were involved in a fun event last month, Blossoms and Bras, headed up by our friend and floral artist at Bliss Extraordinary Floral , Amy Mills. Amy started this event as a way to engage the community of Sedona Arizona in an annual charitable event, combining creative art, the beauty of flowers, social activism and awareness, to benefit breast cancer research, through financial donation and community support. The night raised more than $700 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, who work together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. While we were at the event, we got to meet cancer survivors and many whose lives had been affected by this disease. It was an inspiring and very uplifting event. We loved all the artistic bra designs and, more than that, the camaraderie amoung everyone who attended. Thank you for having us involved Amy! We look forward to next year’s event! ~ Melissa

Sponsors for Blossoms and Bras:
Noogins to Tootsies
My Jeweler
Curves Sedona
Zivney Collection
Bliss Extraordinary Floral
Sedona Dollar Store
Crystal Magic Clothing
Rosalie’s of Sedona Catering
Tangled Lilac Photography

I love this project of helping animals find their forever homes. Not only have I met some of the sweetest animals, but I’ve also met some of the kindest people along my journey. Last week, our clients turned friends, Alicia and Kyle, took time out of their busy chiropractic clinic to bring this adorable beagle up to our Flagstaff studio to be photographed.  Alicia and Kyle are fostering this sweet boy from the  Arizona Beagle Rescue and wanted to show off to the world just how sweet and adorable this boy really is.   I was kid-sitting my sweet “nieces” Sophie and Chloe that day too so I got to see just how much Dex loves children too. 

I asked Alicia to write something about Dex, since she’s his foster mom and here’s what she had to say…

“Dexter is a sweet and sensitive boy that could use a home where he will get a lot of attention and a lot of snuggles! Overall he is mellow and easy going but he gets really excited about walks or car rides. He loves to be with his people but is tolerant of being alone after he cries just a bit about it. He is a stubborn guy that likes to do things on his schedule but he is easily tempted with a treat. He is good with other dogs and loves people. He loves cuddling on the couch, getting brushed, and getting his tummy rubbed. He has a few nervous habits including licking his feet and sucking on toys but with someone willing to boost his self esteem a bit and make sure he feels comfortable and secure he should be just fine! His sweet face makes him irresistible and easy to love.”

If you’d like more information about Dexter, please visit the Arizona Beagle Rescue website and view his Petango profile too.  I know this boy is going to make a great addition to the family that is lucky enough to find him.   Thank you for reading and for sharing. ~ Melissa