Dogs who start out in a shelter already seem to be at a disadvantage. Whether the dog ended up at the shelter because it got lost and no one claimed it or because its owner decided to get rid of it, it can be hard for a shelter dog to find a new home.
College Student’s Final Photography Project Features Shelter Dogs
Erin Einbender has always loved dogs, so when she was in her last year at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, she volunteered at One Tail at a Time Dog Rescue.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Einbender wanted to help the shelter find homes for the dogs, so she used them as models for her final photography project.
College Student’s Final Photography Project Features Shelter Dogs
People say that before Einbender’s last photo shoot, she took pictures of all the dogs without the cones. Once that was done, she thought about how to take pictures of the dogs while they were wearing “cones of shame” and still make them look their best.
At One Tail at a Time, all the dogs get spayed or neutered before they are adopted, and they all looked so sad in their cones.
“I wanted to empower the dogs and help them get adopted because I know that good photographs help them get noticed,” says Einbender.
“I also wanted to show the importance of spaying and neutering pets because people associate the cones with shame and it’s actually really important to spay and neuter your pet,” Einbender said.
She decided to use what she knew about photography and social media to help the dogs find homes for life.
College Student’s Final Photography Project Features Shelter Dogs
The dreaded “cones of shame” keep dogs from licking, sniffing, or chewing on parts of their bodies. This helps them heal after surgery or with other health problems. Einbender saw that the dogs looked really sad when they were wearing these collars, so she decided to make them a little more festive.
She spent $200 on materials and a lot of time making 20 different cones. She took pictures of the dogs with the collars that were decorated.
“I really did see a change in personality in the dogs. When I put them in front of the camera with these (decorated) cones on, some of them were even posing and smiling. It was really cute,” Einbender said.
All of the dogs from the photo shoot have found forever homes thanks to the collar photos. The cones of shame became cones of fame, and Einbender was happy to be able to help these dogs find love.
Credits: Pawpulous.com
