Seen=Saved
This is the motto of Hearts Speak , a collection of artists volunteering their time and talents to help shelter animals get noticed. I am proud, as a photographer, to be a part of this organization. So what does seen=saved mean? A great photo can be the difference in a shelter pet being noticed or looked over. I try and capture the cats souls in my photography, create a photograph that speaks to the viewer.
When I heard the news
I've been doing shelter photos for a couple years now. I just recently moved to the lovely state of Washington and have been working with one of the amazing local cat rescues, Kitten Rescue of Mason County. Once a week, I go to the shelter and photograph new intakes and help get them posted to the website. Just a few weeks ago, I was told that someone saw one of my photos online and fell in love with the picture. She set an appointment to meet the kitty. Not only did she adopt him, she adopted one of his siblings as well. I cried when I heard that these two lives were saved thanks to one of my photographs!
This is Heston. Someone saw his photo and just loved it. Seen=Saved!
How can you help?
Lots of people want to be able to help shelter cats, but aren't able to adopt, foster or donate and think there is nothing else they can do. Below are some ways you can make a difference in the lives of these animals.
- Join your local recue facebook pages and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! That photo that made you go "awwww", share it!
- Volunteer some time at your local rescue. Don't want to clean cages or do "dirty work"? Well you're in luck! Shelters even need volunteers to go in and just simply spend time with the animals. Hang out in the room with the cats, take the dogs on a walk. These simple and rewarding tasks make a huge impact on the well being of these animals.
- Are you a photographer? A painter? A graphic designer? Consider using your talents to donate to the shelter. You can do this on your own, or join forces with others like you and become a member of Hearts Speak.
