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I Take Portraits Of The Hunting Dogs Of Spain

My Name is Travis Patenaude and in August 2014 I purchased my first camera to try and raise awareness of the Hunting Dogs of Spain.

The Spanish greyhound, or Galgo, is one of the most persecuted breeds in the world, but very few people have ever heard of this rare dog breed. Galgos are used as Hunting Dogs to catch hares in the Spanish countryside. They spend their lives in damp, tiny, dirty holes or windowless shacks deprived of daylight, exercise, and affection. Between 50.000 and 100.000 Galgos are killed or abandoned every year after the hunting season when they no longer live up to their owners’ expectations. The breeders, the so-called galgueros, breed hoping to end up with the best hunting dog to compete and hunt the hare, but overbreeding leads to the “throwing out” of thousands and thousands of Galgos every year.

Since 2013 my wife and I have transported 140 dogs from Spain to find their forever homes here in the Chicagoland area. I have had the honor to photography many of the dogs that we have transported. These are my portraits of these beautiful expressive faces that have been rescued from Spain.

More info: StinkEyePhotography.com

I Take Portraits Of The Hunting Dogs Of Spain

In 2012 my wife and I were blessed to be rescued by a Galgo named Leena. This scared little white Galgo inspired my wife and I to start Love Hope Believe Galgo Adoption (www.adoptagalgo.com) in 2013. When our group was first starting out, we were lucky enough to have a member of Hearts Speak (www.HeartsSpeak.org) take photographs of our adoptable Galgos. In 2014 I took up photography and joined HeartsSpeak to pay it forward. Internationally renowned dog photographer Travis Patenaude of Stink-Eye Photography creates unique portraits that foster an emotional connection between the subject and the viewer. He believes emotions and feelings are a vital part of telling stories and has to be put in a form that touches the hearts of people' to evoke empathy and to have the viewer want to learn more about the dogs. Travis is an advocate for animal rescue and animal rights, in particular raising awareness for the plight of the hunting dogs of Spain. He has won international awards and have been published across international print, online media, and magazines.

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Vėjūnė is a community manager who helps artists all over the world introduce their artwork to Bored Panda readers and in that way, become more popular. Since she was always fascinated by the art world, she studied Culture Management and Cultural Policy at Vilnius Academy of Arts where she expanded her knowledge about it. Now she's using all this knowledge to showcase its beauty and help others dive into the fascinating world of art.

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I Take Portraits Of The Hunting Dogs Of Spain

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Travis Patenaude

Travis Patenaude

Vėjūnė Rimašiūtė

Vėjūnė Rimašiūtė