pet rescue

Blessings of Love for Your Home

Yesterday, I put in a few hours doing my volunteer photography at the (independent, non-profit) Humane Society of Utah, so don’t be surprised today’s post features cats. I photographed 27 cats; not even half of the total number now available for adoption. If you’re looking for a cat (dog, rabbit, or …) please choose the adoption option and visit your local shelter.

What do you think of the photos? Do they capture anything you would consider reflective of the animal’s character? It is truly important to me that I do this work well.

Here’s a small sampling of the love waiting to bless your home.

Dancer, Kennel 137, Animal ID A054549

Dash, Kennel 108, Animal ID A053418

Fluffers, Kennel 104, Animal ID A054088

Kitty We, Kennel 113, Animal ID A054021

Little Mama, Kennel 104, Animal ID A054087

Londyn, Kennel 108, Animal ID A053419

Marco, Kennel 110, Animal ID A054395

Marley, Kennel 111, Animal ID A053161

Nermal, Kennel 100, Animal ID A054212

Paul, Kennel 132, Animal ID A053199

Shadow, Kennel 115, Animal ID A054156

Zoe, Kennel 139, Animal ID A053840

Egypt, Kennel 107, Animal ID A054143

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Caged and Confused

As I walked through Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo for the first time since moving here almost 8 years ago, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the animals. Yes, it’s a nice zoo. Yes, it was absolutely packed with literal bus loads of gleeful children who were delighting in seeing the animals on display.

Nikon D300, ISO 640, 1/80 sec at f/5.6, 200 mm
Brown Crusted Capuchin

Unfortunately, I didn’t see a single animal that seemed to share the happiness of the children. The looks in their eyes told an entirely different story, the story of those with a longing for freedom. What was the elephant really thinking as he stood by the gate of his pen, thrust his trunk over the wall of his confinement and sniffed the air on the other side? Why did the look on the face of the Brown Crusted Capuchin monkey appear as one deep in depression? Like the animals at the shelter where I volunteer, I could not help but think that these, too, were longing to go home.

Nikon D300, ISO 640, 1/20 sec at f/5.6, 200 mm
Lion Tamarin

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Are you looking for a pet? Please visit your local shelter and choose the adoption option.

Salt Lake City Street Art

You don’t have to go to a museum to see a city’s art. The works that best represent a particular locale are often, quite literally, right under your feet. I photographed the artwork pictured here within a single downtown Salt Lake City block, representing styles ranging from crude to accomplished.

Simply because these works aren’t hanging in a museum or framed on a wall makes them less likely to get recognized as art. How come a painting on a sidewalk instead of a canvas automatically gets demoted from “art” to “nuisance graffiti” in the minds of the majority?

Like it or not, your city is a canvas. It is a place where seemingly unrelated movements, elements, shapes and colors come together to form a tangible image – a picture of its inhabitants. Some choose to add to this canvas knowing that their contribution will be as transient and temporary as the inhabitants are themselves.

Nikon D300, ISO 200, f/22 at 1/60 sec, 78 mm

Nikon D300, ISO 200, f/20 at 1/40 sec, 98mm

Nikon D300, ISO 200, f/14 at 1/60 sec, 30 mm

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Your greeting card purchases from EarlHarrisPhotography.com help fund pet rescue and shelter efforts. The animals and I thank you.

Man’s Best Friend

“I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren’t certain we knew better.”
— George Bird Evans

Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/5.3 at 1/160 sec, 112 mm

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Please visit my website.
Your purchases help fund animal rescue and shelter efforts.

A Few Catty Remarks

Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through the snow.
— Jeff Valdez

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
— Mark Twain

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat.
— Robert Heinlein

Everything I know I learned from my cat:
When you’re hungry, eat.
When you’re tired, nap in a sunbeam.
When you go to the vet’s, pee on your owner.
— Gary Smith

Photography greeting card purchases from EarlHarrisPhotography.com help fund
animal rescue and shelter efforts.

Spring Fire

Tulips are my favorite flowers. There are so many colors, variations and hybrids for the eyes to consume! Today’s post features photographs from 2009. I’m not sure what variety of tulip this is, but I dubbed it Spring Fire. (If you know what it really is, please leave a comment below!)

The above image is available printed on heavyweight, 100% cotton, art grade, bi-fold greeting card stock from my Web shop. Perfect for framing as a keepsake, too!

10% of all purchases from my Web shop help fund pet rescue and shelter efforts through the Humane Society of Utah, an independent, donor supported, not-for-profit organization (not affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States).

As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback!

This Is Not Good

I just saw that there are 11 pages of cats needing forever homes on the Humane Society of Utah shelter’s website. That’s an increase of 3 pages since I was there to take photos last Friday! That’s a lot of cats, and tomorrow is going to be a busy day taking photos of those that don’t yet have decent photographs.

Please. If you or someone you know in the Salt Lake City area is looking for a cat (or dog, of course), even if it’s a specific breed, encourage them to visit the HSU website at http://www.utahhumane.org. You will be surprised by the diverse variety of the ages and breeds of cats that come into the shelter.

Choose the adoption option!

Friday PM Update: I photographed 26 adoptable kitties today. I wish I could say I had gotten more done.

Positive Reinforcement!

Today, while taking photos of the cats at the shelter, I got to hear two young women ask to see a specific cat by name that they had seen in the HSU website’s cat listings. It was Pepper, a rather large and friendly 3 1/2 year-old male Tabby I had photographed last weekend. After visiting with him for a while, they were excited to take him home!

For the record, this made me feel all warm and furry inside… It gives me hope that my photos are helping to make a difference finding forever homes for these wonderful cats.

You can see Pepper’s “before” and “after” shots below.

Before: Pepper's "intake" mugshot as originally pictured on his kennel card and on the HSU website

After: While it shows that Pepper wasn't amused by my picture taking efforts, he still ended up looking lots better than he did in his intake photo!

“Fe-lines, whoa, whoa, whoa, Fe-lines…”
Lacking the time to prepare a proper post, I thought I’d share a few of the adorable faces I got to photograph this week at the Humane Society of Utah! Each is available for adoption and has already been spayed or neutered. See all the cats available for adoption at http://utahhumane.org

Gorgeous Sansa is a Snowshoe, and is about 1.5 years old. She has beautiful blue eyes.

Really regal Romeo!

Toro was born in Japan. His owners of 8 years were heartbroken to have to give him up. He needs the comfort of a familiar setting and human contact. He looks like my Seamus, too!

Fun and friendly Tommy.

Gina: Cute beyond cute!