Miss-Delectable
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Deaf Dogs: A Photographer's Focus - ArkansasMatters.com
Inspired by her own dog, one photographer decided to travel the country to take pictures of deaf and rescue dogs. She's hoping to raise awareness and money to help homeless pets.
"I adopted my dog, Sadie, from the Bucks County ASPCA about 3 years ago," says photographer Melissa McDaniel.
And McDaniel and Sadie have been inseparable ever since. But the pretty pooch is not your typical rescue dog. She is deaf.
"She was born deaf and her owners had dropped her off along with the rest of the litter because the entire litter was born deaf," McDaniel recalls.
Thousands of deaf dogs are put down every year, just because they cannot hear.
McDaniel says many people mistakenly think deaf dogs will turn aggressive and are difficult to train. She says it's just not true.
"They think they're not trainable because they can't hear, but they pick up hand signals really quickly," says McDaniel.
And she says they are loyal and lovable. That's why McDaniel, who is a pet photographer, thought it was important to tell their stories. And what better way then by snapping their photos.
McDaniel traveled the country for 14 months taking photographs of deaf dogs and rescue dogs, which she then compiled into two photo books, "Rescued in America," and "Deaf Dogs."
"We went everywhere from Pennsylvania all the way to California, up to Washington, Maine and everywhere in between," she says.
McDaniel logged more than 32-thousand miles while on the open road. She is hoping this labor of love will pay off big for homeless pooches everywhere.
McDaniel's books sell for 55-dollars each and 30-percent of the proceeds go to the Petfinder.com Foundation.
"I think dogs are beautiful. I think they have so much to offer humans and I hope that comes across in the photos," McDaniel says.
Her dog Sadie is pictured on the cover of "Rescued in America" and featured in the book on deaf dogs. Sadie is more than her sidekick, she is McDaniel's inspiration.
"She's really the reason I did all this. You know she's been such a wonderful dog and she's given back so much to me, so in a way it's my way of giving back to her," says McDaniel. "Pit Bulls are the most photogenic, which is surprising. You wouldn't think but they just tend to have that natural look and that pose and their ears and the way they perk up. I enjoy photographing Pit Bulls."
Click here to visit McDaniel's photography website.
Inspired by her own dog, one photographer decided to travel the country to take pictures of deaf and rescue dogs. She's hoping to raise awareness and money to help homeless pets.
"I adopted my dog, Sadie, from the Bucks County ASPCA about 3 years ago," says photographer Melissa McDaniel.
And McDaniel and Sadie have been inseparable ever since. But the pretty pooch is not your typical rescue dog. She is deaf.
"She was born deaf and her owners had dropped her off along with the rest of the litter because the entire litter was born deaf," McDaniel recalls.
Thousands of deaf dogs are put down every year, just because they cannot hear.
McDaniel says many people mistakenly think deaf dogs will turn aggressive and are difficult to train. She says it's just not true.
"They think they're not trainable because they can't hear, but they pick up hand signals really quickly," says McDaniel.
And she says they are loyal and lovable. That's why McDaniel, who is a pet photographer, thought it was important to tell their stories. And what better way then by snapping their photos.
McDaniel traveled the country for 14 months taking photographs of deaf dogs and rescue dogs, which she then compiled into two photo books, "Rescued in America," and "Deaf Dogs."
"We went everywhere from Pennsylvania all the way to California, up to Washington, Maine and everywhere in between," she says.
McDaniel logged more than 32-thousand miles while on the open road. She is hoping this labor of love will pay off big for homeless pooches everywhere.
McDaniel's books sell for 55-dollars each and 30-percent of the proceeds go to the Petfinder.com Foundation.
"I think dogs are beautiful. I think they have so much to offer humans and I hope that comes across in the photos," McDaniel says.
Her dog Sadie is pictured on the cover of "Rescued in America" and featured in the book on deaf dogs. Sadie is more than her sidekick, she is McDaniel's inspiration.
"She's really the reason I did all this. You know she's been such a wonderful dog and she's given back so much to me, so in a way it's my way of giving back to her," says McDaniel. "Pit Bulls are the most photogenic, which is surprising. You wouldn't think but they just tend to have that natural look and that pose and their ears and the way they perk up. I enjoy photographing Pit Bulls."
Click here to visit McDaniel's photography website.
