2010 - A Year in Pictures

What a great year 2010 was! Over 300 babies photographed, so many doggies and their owners, some getting ready to say goodbye. Twelve of my images were used as wall portraits in the new hospital which was amazing. Partnering with the Animal Care Foundation was one of the highlights of the year for me. I have met some amazing doggies and their owners, and am happy that my work can help such a worthy cause. Thank you to everyone who made 2010 the best year yet!

Another new addition just in time for Christmas! Diesel was rescued along with Jett from the puppy mill in Missouri. Still waiting for a home, we knew he needed to come be with Jett. And so, on December 18 we welcomed him home - never a quiet moment with two puppies in the house!

Time is passing so quickly. Fall has already left us and the holidays are fast approaching. All those things I plan for every year, Christmas shopping done early, cards addressed, they are coming up fast! The addition of a new puppy has complicated things just a little. Meet Jett.

Happy First Birthday William (a little late)!

William came for his first birthday pictures! He still has those gorgeous blue eyes and was the perfect chef! It is wonderful to be able to see him as a happy little 1 year old - thank you for bringing him again Alisa!

Beautiful Baby Eden (with the most beautiful name!) and big brother Noah came when she was just three weeks old. They were wonderful during their session and could not have made it easier! Eden is lucky to have such a great big brother! Thank you for coming Lisa and Andrew, and letting me photograph your beautiful family.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Birthday Miss Ivy!

A VERY Happy Birthday to our beloved Ivy Girl. She is 14 years old! A very special girl who has touched our lives. We found out about Ivy on a Scottie news group in 2000, shortly after moving back to Colorado. Her rescue picture was pathetic. She was thin, shaved, haunted. She had been rescued from a Puppy Mill in Arkansas. After many, many brutal C-Sections, she was going to be destroyed as she could no longer produce litters. Rescue stumbled across her and thankfully took her in.

We fell in love with her picture. The only problem was her aggression to other dogs - she went for Suzi's jugular and put her in the hospital. We had Angus already, a vibrant puppy. So, after applying for her, I emailed back and declined. I was uncertain about her aggression.

Thank Goodness, something changed in me, and I KNEW we had to have her. I emailed back begging for her. We flew her out from Arkansas, beating the heat, and picked her up at Colorado Springs Airport in May 2000. There she was. A gentle, beautiful, terrified little soul.

We brought her home and kept Angus with my Mom while Ivy adjusted. She was so shut down, she did not care if she lived or died. When we came home, she would just stare at the floor, not making eye contact. She would not pee outside, for fear of getting hit - she instead held it for up to 23 hours. She was so beaten down, a four year old with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Gradually, Ivy began to blossom. And did she ever blossom!! Playing with toys, lifting her leg to pee like Angus, chasing toads (her favorite past time in Arkansas), and thanks to her foster Mom, developed a love affair with people food.

Here we are 10 years later. Ivy has taught us so much about rescue. So much about reawakening the soul. She is such a gentle, sweet little girl. Still a little hand shy, she now enjoys a life of leisure and her cozy bed. We almost lost her in October to heart failure. Thankfully, with a medication better than humans have access to (not approved here), she is back to her youthful, cheeky self. Ivy will forever hold the most special place in our hearts.

PLEASE BOYCOTT PUPPY MILLS! Please do not buy dogs from pet stores. Be cautious of those in the paper - many are brokers who receive massive deliveries of puppies from Nebraska, Kansas etc... and then sell them locally. These are puppy mill dogs. Not only do they have health issues, we only perpetuate the problem - supply and demand. I only have to look at the damage done to our two puppy mill rescues to know they need to be eradicated. Please be sure you see one or both parents when buying a pedigree dog. For all the Ivy's and Hamish's out there. 

Happy Birthday Miss Ivy Bee!