Meet Dopey, the St. Bernard

Over the weekend I had the extreme privledge of meeting a very handsome senior St. Bernard, named Dopey.  Yes, when I meet and photograph a dog, I call it a privledge.  Why? Because meeting a dog, and the dog deciding you are it's friend, IS a privledge.  I get to do this  quite often! Volunteering at the animal shelter I get to meet so many amazing dogs, and help them find homes through my photography, and I LOVE it. 

My passion is pet photography.  However, in the area where we live....people haven't quite caught on to that idea.  We're still working on getting people to be even more responsible pet owners and spay and neuter their pets, and get them vaccinated, and micro chipping them, and getting them off the leash and out of the pen all day and into the home.  Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of amazing pet owners where I live, a LOT, but for every good pet owner....there are those that could be doing better.  I think that happens everywhere though!

The awesome St. Bernard I met this weekend, through reasons completely NOT his fault, or that of his family, is looking for a new home.  There is a big illness in the family, and after 10 and a half years...Dopey is in search of a new home.  Do not think that this family has just decided this willy nilly, no.  It literally breaks their hearts to be doing this.  They are not ditching him at the shelter.  They are not just giving him away to anyone.  They are going about this cautiously so as to assure their beloved Dopey gets a good Fur Ever home to live the remainder of his years.

Though his name is Dopey, don't let it fool you, he is far from Dopey! He is one smart and handsome guy!

He's developing a bit of arthritis now as the years have gone by.  Mornings make him a bit stuff (hey after 28 years of my own life I can totally understand that! I wake up a bit stuff most mornings myself!)

He still has plenty of life in him, and plenty of love.  While photographing him this weekend he showed me how playful he is! Give this guy a Beggin' Strip and you got a puppy on your hands again!

Before I left I was given a big ol' sloppy St. Bernard kiss from my chin to my forehead.  Dogs are the best kissers you know ;)  Hahaha! I just gave Dopey a big ol' hug around the neck and thanked him for being such a great dog to photograph. I even snapped a picture of the infamous "St. Bernard head shake"  (Remember the movie Beethoven?  Oh yes, you know what I'm talking about!!)









Mahala