What if someone told you that one of the only things standing between the 8 million pets that enter a shelter every year and a loving forever home is a high-quality picture? Every year these disoriented, scared and often dirty pets enter shelters and have their photos taken upon intake. To make matters worse, these less than flattering photos are posted online and seen by thousands of potential adoptive families.
At Greater Good Charities, we’ve teamed up with Seth Casteel (award-winning author and photographer of Underwater Dogs and Underwater Puppies) and started One Picture Saves a Life to help teach shelters and volunteers how to groom shelter animals for photography, take pictures with the right lighting, location, and technology, and successfully market animals for adoption.
For Leo and Pepsi, the training their shelters received was the difference between life and death.
Leo is a sweet pup who was found tied to a tree while being viciously attacked by larger dogs. He had several broken ribs and other minor injuries. Through the love of his foster family, who used skills and techniques learned through One Picture Saves a Life, Leo was adopted by a loving family and given a second chance at life.
Leo’ before, after, and forever home photo
Pepsi was neglected by her previous owners and was surrendered to a municipal shelter. Covered in fleas, severely underweight, infested with worms and completely matted fur, Pepsi was a wreck. Despite all of this, she won the hearts of the shelter staff! Pepsi was so positive and sweet throughout the process of getting spayed, having the mats cut out of her fur, and getting acclimated to a new environment. Through the skill of shelter workers, Pepsi’s new photo was was so delightful it captured the love and attention of a sweet forever family where is now lives!
Pepsi’s before, after, and forever home photo
Through donor support, and shelter participation in One Picture Saves a Life, pets like Leo and Pepsi are finding their forever homes and we couldn’t be happier about it! If you have a great photo of a rescue post it to our Facebook page using #OnePictureSaves