The impetus for me getting involved with the Idaho Humane Society was a billboard I saw way back in January of 2009. It had a stock photo of my three dogs, Chuie, Hercules, and Dainichi on it! Dainichi is still with me, but the other two passed in 2015. While I was driving down the street on a super foggy day, my brain was like, "hmmmm, those look like my dogs," as I rubbernecked...THEY ARE MY DOGS! I drove home, got my camera, took some (foggy) photos, then posted one on Facebook. I was so excited about my find.

A funny side note is that this was the very first photo I ever posted to my timeline. That post ended up connecting me with the person who created the billboard (that's the short version), and the rest is history. I've been volunteering for special projects, photos, and events ever since! I used to go out and take photos of the shelter animals, but they were always in their kennels, so they looked like ads from those television commercials that tug at your heartstrings. Volunteering my skills at the IHS and doing photos for them is something I'm very passionate about, and I'm so happy there is now an opportunity to do photo shoots with the animals out of their kennels since it wasn't possible before due to logistics.

I lug my photo gear to their new facility once a week and set up a basic studio backdrop to take the shelter dogs' photos.

I try to vary the backgrounds to keep them fresh and fun so they are more likely to get shared. Many of the dogs are either very shy or super excited when taken out of their kennels for the photo session. An employee and a volunteer help get the dogs settled and comfortable so I can capture their personalities. We use peanut butter to soothe their anxiety and keep their minds focused and a squeaky toy to get their attention for a second so they will look at the camera. We try to make the experience fun and exciting for them! Sometimes I use a themed background for holidays and we also put colorful bandanas on them to make them pop off the page in an ocean of photos followers see in their own social media feed.

The shelter has staff who post the photos on their website and social media, along with links to each dog so people can learn more about the ones they might be interested in. I post the photos on my own social media pages to try to get them shared more so they can get adopted faster. I also do a lot of behind-the-scenes work with the IHS creating graphics for events and have donated photos that adorn their hallway and automobile wraps.

I know these photos make a difference because I've run into people out and about whom I've talked to and heard their stories. One, in particular, stands out in my mind. I am an avid wildlife photographer and was up in the foothills one day photographing long-eared owls. A lady was hiking with a dog and stopped to chat for a minute. I looked at her dog (obviously) and thought she looked familiar. I asked where she got her, and she said the shelter. I was putting the pieces together after she told me the dog's name. It was the same one she had at the shelter! I told her that I took her dog's shelter photo, and she said that was the reason she went to look at her. Good photos give these dogs a higher chance of someone being interested in them and also getting their photo shared online. I love being able to be a part of helping a shelter animal find their forever home faster!