Today I attended the Annual Meeting of the Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Facility (FOSCAF), the nonprofit organization that provides volunteers who walk dogs, care for cats, facilitate rescues, and do all sorts of other super-human feats that make life better (and, in some cases, make life POSSIBLE!) for dogs and cats who find themselves cold, scared, abandoned and alone.  It is an amazing group of people who dedicate their time, talent and treasure to do the work they do.  The meeting started with a slideshow of some of the “alumni” who have passed through the shelter in the last year.  It was a way to remind everyone how the work they do makes a difference in so many canine and feline lives.  Here is the video (and feel free to dance along at home!):

By the way, I was honored to receive the Lisa B. Flynn Volunteer of the Year Award from FOSOCAF for the work I did with them in 2011.  I am humbled.

A few years ago Chase Jarvis, one of my photographic role models, created an iPhone app called “The Best Camera is the One You Have With You”.  It was around the time that the cameras in the iPhone and other mobile devices were evolving into machines that could capture respectable pictures.  Chase’s idea, and it was shared by a lot of other creatives, was that because everyone carries their phones with them practically all the time that they would be carrying a camera all the time.  This would, therefore, excite people about making photographs that they otherwise would not make if they had to lug around their big SLR’s.  Combine this with the proliferation of in-phone editing apps and social media sharing and we have seen a photographic movement.  Everyday Facebook members post 200 million images to the site.  TWO HUNDRED MILLION.  EVERYDAY!

I purchased my iPhone last July.  I chose that phone partially because I am an Apple devotee, and largely because of the camera.  There have been countless times over the past few years that I have lamented the lack of a camera in my hand.  A beautiful sunrise, a funny dog expression, a unique event…if only I had a camera.  The fact that I had top-of-the-line, high quality cameras and lenses in a bag at home did me no good in those moments.  And while I had often toyed with the idea of purchasing a point & shoot camera, I knew that it was likely that it would sit on the shelf next to the DSLR.  A good quality camera in a mobile phone was exactly the tool that would resolve this dilemma, I thought.  And so the iPhone and I became friends.

I was curious to learn if my new friend would change my photography.  Or, more accurately, if it would be the tool I thought it would be.  It is.  Without a doubt.  Tonight I was scrolling through my images and I realized that there are a number of photos and videos that would never exist but for the iPhone.  And some of these are my most favorite images from the last year.  What a shame it would be if they never had a chance to be created.

It turns out Chase was right; the best camera IS the one you have with you.

What’s been your experience with smart phone cameras?  Do you find you take pictures you wouldn’t otherwise capture?  If not, why not?

During the holidays a number of people gave their friends or family a gift certificate for a photo session with me.  My friend Sue and her German Shorthaired Pointer Belmont extended such a gift to Belmont’s veterinarians as a big thank you for all of the ways they helped Belmont battle through his challenges.  A few weeks ago Wanda and her humans came to Ocean Grove for her session and we had a great day.  Technically, Wanda is a Pomeranian/Poodle (a Pomapoo as I now know them to be called!).  But I’m convinced that she’s a Golden Retriever stuck in a small dog’s body.  Wanda was rescued after her mom performed several surgeries on her legs to repair injuries that were of a suspicious nature.  Despite severe permanent damage to one of her legs, Wanda gets along just fine.  Like all of her species, she doesn’t have time to feel sorry for herself, but instead is enjoying every second of her now-happy life.  Here are a few shots from our morning together.

For more information about my pet photography and how to get your furry friend in front of the camera visit our Pet Portraits page.

Oh, time.  Where do you go and how do you go there so fast?

I realize that I have been woefully negligent about keeping up with the blog.  Facebook and Twitter can make you soft.  Just three years ago the blog was the only way to share my photos with the world.  In fact, blogging caused quite a sea change in the creative world.  In the not-too-distant past one had to submit one’s work to an editor who became the arbiter of things creative.  If said editor deemed the work worthy it would be published in a magazine or newspaper, thus validating its worthiness.  If unworthy, the photographs or writing would end up in a file drawer or, worse, in the proverbial round file.  With the advent of blogging creatives had control of what went out into the world.  No longer was it up to a handful of editors, but rather authors and photographers could determine what they shared and how often they shared it.  Lots of blogs were born and bloggers took great care to create articles and photo essays that were thoughtfully prepared and shared a point of view, expressed an opinion, presented a perspective, or just revealed a beautiful scene.  Then came Facebook and Twitter.  Now, it seems, sharing content is more about stringing together 140 words or posting a few pictures with witty captions.  Blogs have been ignored in favor of the instant gratification of a Facebook post or a Tweet.  I am as guilty as anyone.  Whereas in 2009 I would post almost weekly and share my recent work via this blog, now I edit a shoot post, the highlights on my Facebook page, and consider my work done.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, necessarily.  But it’s definitely not the same.  I am committed to being a better blogger.  Call it a Vernal Equinox Resolution.  Over the next few days I shall endeavor to catch up.

In early March I made my annual pilgrimage to the Caribbean.  I dusted off my captain’s license and lead a week-long cruise with MBA candidates from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  This year we returned to Grenada at the southern end of the Caribbean chain.  It was an amazing trip, with strong, consistent winds and challenging sailing conditions – we encountered seas as high as 14 feet, making for a memorable experience.

While my primary function was that of professional mariner and program facilitator, I decided that I would challenge myself creatively by focusing on video this year.  On the ventures with Wharton in 2010 and 2011 I shot hundreds of stills on board – action shots, portraits, vessel parts, etc.  I felt I had covered the subject well and that if I repeated this process this year it would just be different faces doing the same thing.  That prospect didn’t stir me creatively.  What to do?

Breaking news: DSLRs now have video capability!!  Actually, the news broke years ago when Canon introduced the concept, and then Nikon jumped on the bandwagon with their D300s.  I happen to own one of those.  But I had not experimented with video in any meaningful way before.  Ever on the cutting edge, I decided this trip would be about video.  Before casting off I purchased an external microphone (the VideoMic by Rode) and a Manfrotto Magic Arm, an amazing device that enables you to clamp your camera or flash to just about anything.

Armed with a great camera and new toys we set sail.  Over the week-long cruise I took hours of sailing footage, making a point to break out the camera at regular intervals to be sure to capture that action.  On the last evening we were at anchor I sat the crew down, clamped the camera to the cockpit table, added the microphone and did 5-10 minute interviews with each individual asking them about their experience.  Once I was home I uploaded the hours of footage to iMovie, selected three minutes I wanted to share right away, added some music, and less than 48 hours after returning to the states I had a movie sharing the experience with others.  Here it is:

What did I learn from the experiment?

• I LOVE video!  I’m not sure why I didn’t dive into the pool before, but I am a convert.  I have taken a lot of sailing photographs before and, done well, they can show a lot.  But to see a wave crashing over a bow or feel the roll of the boat is something only moving pictures can offer.
• Video is HARD!  Holding a camera steady in the living room can be tough.  Doing so on a sailboat traveling eight knots in a rolling sea can be virtually impossible.  And absent a fancy Steadicam brace or accepting a constantly-crooked horizon I was limited to handheld shooting.  My early clips were unwatchable – my technique was so erratic I would get seasick viewing them!  That challenged me to find ways to steady the camera against my chest, on a solid surface on the boat, etc.
• You gotta shoot A LOT!  It takes a bunch of clips to make a short video.  When you’re shooting, 30 seconds can seem like forever.  But 30 seconds of raw footage will net you five or ten seconds in the final movie.  Let the camera roll – as the saying goes “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
• An external microphone is VITAL!  I added the VideoMic with a wind protection cover (Rode calls theirs the “Dead Cat”…makes you wonder…) and it made a world of difference in the interview clips.  Built-in mics on DSLRs are not selective in what they capture, pick up camera noises, and, generally, are too far away from a speaking subject to record quality sound.
• Editing is a whole other skill!  I’m happy with the clip I created, especially for a first effort.  But I know that it could be a lot better.  Even in iMovie, which is the most basic of editing software, there are a pile of options that I didn’t access – image quality, exposure, cropping, Ken Burns effect, special effects, etc.  And telling a story via moving pictures is an art unto itself.  I know a talented editor could take what I shot and make it much more than my three minute trailer.  I am hoping to hand off my footage to someone more talented than I and see what they can do with it.

I am definitely a convert.  I am rarely quick to jump on a bandwagon, and I didn’t embrace DSLR video capability when it first emerged.  I do now.  I’m not sure how I’ll use the video capabilities of my camera in the future.  I will certainly use it on board sailboats again.  I doubt I will use it much with my dog photography.  And it may have commercial applications I haven’t yet thought of.  But I will continue to practice and play with it.  Stay tuned for movies coming to a blog near you!

Great leaders and thinkers have offered same message in their own words:

“To educate our people, and especially our children, to humane attitudes and actions toward living things is to preserve and strengthen our national heritage and the moral values we champion in the world.”  ~John F. Kennedy

“Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human life.”  ~Albert Schweitzer

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  ~Mahatma Ghandi

Yet our actions as a society don’t seem to indicate that we are hearing the message.

Perhaps the best known animal rights issue is overpopulation.  There are 3.7 million dogs and cats euthanized in the United States every year.  That’s one animal every eight seconds.  Yes, we are making progress in this issue.  In recent years the problem of overpopulation of cats and dogs has risen higher in our collective consciousness.  More and more people are choosing to adopt their new pet from rescues and shelters rather than purchasing them from pet stores.  Those who do choose purebred animals are more selective about finding a reputable breeder.  Several states have enacted laws that ban “puppy mills” and provide law enforcement with tools to shut them down.  And spay/neuter programs are reducing the number of homeless animals.  We have a long way to go, but there is hope that the attitudes and actions of so many may one day wrestle the problem of overpopulation to a much smaller issue.

The abuse of animals is another matter entirely.

In the last decade television shows like Animal Cops and Hoarders as well as high profile abuse cases like Michael Vick’s pit bulls have caught the attention of the American public.  A cursory glance at media coverage might lead one to believe that our laws protect innocent animals, and when people mistreat dogs and cats they suffer serious consequences.  This is not the case.

In New Jersey where I live, the laws are more favorable to animals than in many states.  According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, New Jersey cruelty prevention statutes can be summarized as follows: “A person who shall overdrive, overload, overwork, deprive of necessary sustenance, abuse, or needlessly kill a living animal or creature, or inflict unnecessary cruelty upon a living animal or creature, or unnecessarily fail to provide a living animal or creature of which the person has charge either as an owner or otherwise with proper food, drink, shelter or protection from the weather, or leave it unattended in a vehicle under inhumane conditions adverse to the health or welfare of the living animal or creature is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be fined not less than $250 nor more than $1,000, or be imprisoned for a term of not more than six months, or both.  In addition, the court shall impose a term of community service of up to 30 days, and may direct that the term of community service be served in providing assistance to the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or other such organization.  A person who shall purposely, knowingly, or recklessly torment, torture, maim, hang, poison, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, or needlessly mutilate a living animal or creature shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.  If the animal or creature is cruelly killed or dies as a result of a violation of this subsection, or the person has a prior conviction for a violation of this subsection, the person shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree with community service.”

To summarize even further, neglect an animal – for example, leave your dog chained outside in sub-freezing temperatures without food and water for days at a time until your neighbor decides to call the SPCA – and the worst thing you can expect from the courts is a disorderly persons charge and a $1,000 fine.  More likely, you’ll be fined less than a speeding ticket and told not to do it again.  If the judge is in a really bad mood you might have to do a couple of hours of community service at the local animal shelter.  Become a repeat offender and the judge might then think about giving you a month in jail.   Purposefully torture, beat or kill an animal and you can be charged with a fourth degree crime.  What are other crimes of the fourth degree in New Jersey?  Theft of property valued under $500.  Joy riding.  Shoplifting.

That’s right.  The torture and death of a dog or cat is equal to the horror of…joy riding???  Really?  And this is in New Jersey which is ranked by the Humane Society of the United States as having the best animal cruelty laws in the nation.  Joy riding.

For the last year I have had the pleasure of volunteering at my local county-run animal shelter.  By any standard the Southern Ocean County Animal Facility (SOCAF) is a first-rate shelter – it is clean, has a caring staff and is teeming with volunteers who play with cats and walk dogs.  Every week there are great adoption stories as animals find their perfect people.  Last summer I published a book about some of these success stories to celebrate the happy endings.

No matter how good the shelter is, though, if you spend time there you can not escape seeing the effects of the horrible neglect and abuse that humans visit on dogs and cats everyday.  A dog will arrive covered with nothing but skin on his bones.  Cats come in groups that have been seized from hoarders.  A dog will come in with scars from fights or abuse.  And so on.  What is most amazing to see, and will come as no surprise to animal lovers, is that these dogs and cats who have been neglected and tortured and beaten and abused have the ability to forgive and love and bond with the same species that abused on them.  It is a lesson our species could learn a great deal from.

Sadly, not all shelter stories have happy endings.  And in recent months there have been two cases in particular that have spotlighted how weak our animal protection laws are in relation to the treatment that abusers visit on dogs and cats.

Angelo was a victim of abuse and then victimized again by our legal system. He was seized by the ASPCA with 11 other dogs, and was brought to the shelter.  Because he he has been siezed his “ownership” was in limbo.  The shelter had custody of him, but could not put him out for adoption until the court issues were resolved.  The abuser owned Angelo, but could not care for him because he was seized.  So Angelo was quarantined.   Locked in a kennel.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  For four months.  Slowly but surely the stress began to affect him.  The staff and volunteers at SOCAF tried to find things to relieve his stress such as bones to chew, toys, frozen treats, anything to keep him occupied and busy. In the beginning this worked to brighten his spirits a bit, but after all the months locked in a cage with no sunlight or fresh air, nothing could brighten his spirits.  Angelo became inconsolable. There was nothing you could do to make him happy. If you sat in front of his cage to try to visit with him, he just cried. He had the most desperate look in his eyes , as if he was saying “Please help me.”  The most frustrating thing is we could not help him.  Angelo was seized because he was being neglected and abused. It was the humane thing to do. Since the day he was “liberated” from his inhumane conditions he had to endure months of loneliness and despair in a cage because of our court system.

Finally, on November 28 after over four months of confinement, the court ruled that the county could take possession of Angelo.  By then it was too late to save him.  When the ruling was handed down the shelter staff took Angelo for one final walk, allowing him to smell the air and feel the grass for the first time since July.  They hugged him and reminded him that many people loved him.  And then Angelo was put to sleep, his suffering finally relieved.  He was an otherwise healthy dog.  And he was killed because of an owner who was inhumane and system that did not act in the dog’s best interest.

Last week we met Sapphire.  She was a beautiful blue-gray Pit Bull with stunning eyes and a sweet soul.  She was a challenging portrait subject because of her insistence on curling up in a lap.  Full of kisses and tail wags, Sapphire could not get enough human affection.  Her sweet soul was apparent.  On our way back inside the shelter, though, Sapphire showed another side.  As she neared the dogs in the outside runs she became alert and tense.  She growled and barked at any dog that would look her way, and her posture showed clearly that she was ready for a fight.  This dog had been trained.  Her nature, kind and loving, had been overtaken by her nurture, aggressive and violent.  The contrast was stark.  This girl, who moments earlier had been laying contentedly in a lap and overflowing with kisses, had turned into a rage machine.  Her true self had been trained into a fighter.

Two days later Sapphire was given the temperament test that is given to all dogs to determine their suitability for adoption.  She failed miserably on all counts.  Hours later she was euthanized.  Yet another dog who suffered the ultimate consequence of human mistreatment.

I don’t know what, if any, legal penalties the perpetrators of these abuses experienced.  I do know that they were mild, because our laws don’t allow courts to mete out stiff sentences.  It is the animals who suffer the most severe penalties despite the fact that they are the victims.  Today, thousands of “aggressive” dogs will be killed in shelters.  And their abusers – the real aggressor – will live his or her life unfettered by legal consequences.

It seems ironic.  As a nation we spend $41 billion on our pets – more than the GDP of 64 countries, according to BusinessWeek magazine.  And yet we destroy four million animals and  allow countless others to suffer.  Besides wringing our hands, what can we do about this?

Help change laws that will change our culture.  Increasing penalties for abusing dogs and cats and providing law enforcement with the resources to pursue and prosecute offenders abusers will be a deterrent.  Reach out to your county and state legislators and your governor and let them know the time has come to speak up and protect our animals.  Ask them to support legislation that will show that we are making moral progress.

Get involved.  There are several excellent organizations who work tirelessly to alleviate this problem.  Check out the ASPCA, Humane Society of the United States, and the Best Friends Animal Society for starters.  Donate money, attend a rally, or sign a petition.

Volunteer at your local shelter or open up your home to a foster.  The innocents who are saved from bad situations land here, and your time and energy and compassion can help transform them from scared, abused animals to healthy, balanced pets.

If we are to evolve as a society we must do better by our animals.  Not only for them, but for us too.

‘Tis the season to…stress out trying to meaningful gifts for the special people in our lives!  If you’re looking for something unique and meaningful for an “animal person” in your life I have two suggestions.

Idea #1: Because Someone Rescued Me… is filled with photographs of cats and dogs and their humans and tells the story of life after the animal shelter.  Animals who were strays, feral, abandoned and surrendered are now living the good life, and the images speak to the joy, peace and contentment they have found.  Though not intentional in the design, every human face in the book shares the same expression of love and joy.  If you care about someone who loves animals, is involved in rescue work, or just likes warm and fuzzy stories, Because Someone Rescued Me… will make a great holiday gift.  To make the gift go further, all profits from the sale of the book (about $10/copy) go directly to the Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter, a nonprofit group that provides volunteer and capital support to the county-run facility from which all of the animals in the book were adopted.  So your purchase of the book will make a difference in the lives of more animals.  You can order up to December 18 to have the book in time for Christmas, but the earlier your order the more you save on shipping.  Preview the book below and follow the link to order.

Idea #2: Pet Portraits are a timeless gift, and a portrait session with Michael Bagley Photography will enable your loved one, friend or colleague to enjoy your gift to them for years to come.  Our sessions are affordable and flexible – come to us or we’ll come to you.  You can see how much fun Jack and Kate had when they modeled together!!  Purchase a gift certificate before December 24 we’ll throw in $25 in prints FREE!  For more information about our Pet Portraits and to check out some of our work click here.  To purchase a session for you or as a gift please email us or call 732-889-6769.

Jack and Kate enjoy their portrait session

Want to send the best holiday card ever?  Looking for a unique gift for the pet lover in your life?  Our photographs are a great way to capture your pet’s personality and spirit, and you will cherish the images forever.  It’s not too early to book your holiday photo session with Michael Bagley Photography.

The photo session can take place at your home, in a nearby park or beach, or anywhere your dog or cat loves to be.  We can shoot environmental portraits or we can bring our full studio and set it up in your home.  Regardless of the location, we capture as many looks and moods and perspectives as we can and we work hard to create one-of-a-kind photos.

Our regular fee is $200 for up to two hours at your location.  During the holidays we are offering an abbreviated one hour session for $100.  We offer a discount if your pet was adopted from an animal shelter or rescue, if he/she is a service dog, or if you are presently serving in the military.  If you complete your photo session before Monday, December 5 we will take 10% off your sitting fee.

Within a few days of your session we will provide you with a link to our online gallery where you can purchase prints and digital files for your personal use.  Our print prices are very reasonable, and begin at $2 for a greeting card and $3 for a 4×6 inch photo.  Our lab offers a variety of holiday cards to choose from, so if you are looking to create a special greeting you can do so easily and quickly.  We also offer a variety of gift items, including calendars, holiday ornaments, coffee mugs, and more!  Click here to view our price list and see the items we can produce from your photos.

For more detailed information visit our Pet Portraits page.  To schedule your holiday photo session please email us or call 732-889-6769.  We look forward to working with you and your pet!

Spirit of Massachusetts sailing into the sunset

I had a great string of days recently.  Schooner days, to be specific.

They began with the opportunity to sail with the good captain and crew of the 125′ schooner Spirit of Massachusetts.  Owned and operated by Ocean Classrooms Foundation, Spirit provides educational programs to universities, high schools and community organizations.  This fall her mission is a semester at sea, sailing from Gloucester, MA to San Juan, PR.  While on board the college-age participants engage in academic classes including oceanography and ichthyology, stand watch, learn navigation and seamanship, and discover history and culture as they visit a number of ports-of-call along the way.  I was fortunate to enjoy four days aboard Spirit, sailing from Mystic, CT around Montauk Point to Sandy Hook, NJ.  The forecast called for calm winds, but the weather gods provided a beautiful sailing experience.  Clear skies, a waxing gibbous moon, and 10-15 knot west winds made for a couple of excellent days of tacking our way to New Jersey.  Captain Christopher Flansburg and his outstanding crew were impressive – their skills and professionalism were matched only by their hospitality.  It was an honor to sail with them, and my time aboard Spirit is a fond memory.

After a night or two at home it was time to hook up Viewfinder and head south to Maryland to photograph the 2011 Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.  Normally I have photographed the Parade of Sail in Baltimore Harbor on Wednesday afternoon, but this year the weather was nasty on that day.  East winds at 20+ knots and a driving rain = no parade.  Thursday morning the wind had subsided a bit, but the rain and clouds were still hovering.  As I saw old friends before casting off the question was “Are you still going out?  Can you get good photos today?”  My response: “They’ll be moody.”  Teaming up with my friend Capt. Chase Coale we headed out into the Bay and ran north to Sandy Point Lighthouse to intercept the southbound fleet en route to the starting line.  In my option, The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race is one of the greatest sailing events on the east coast.  No matter the year, no matter the conditions, no matter the size and scope of the fleet, putting 40+ schooners on a starting line is a beautiful thing to see.  This year was no exception.  And yes, the images were moody.

There are a lot of beautiful boats on the sea.  None, I suggest, quite so beautiful as a schooner.  I was fortunate to continue my love affair with them this month.

On Saturday afternoon, October 22nd from 2 – 4 PM, Wildflowers Too gallery in Barnegat Light will host a “Don’t Shop, Adopt” Wine and Cheese Reception to honor and raise money for the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter in Manahawkin.

Cricket Luker, owner of Wildflowers Too and a member of the Friends of the SOCAS, is so excited about the afternoon. “We hope lots of people will come — folks who work and volunteer at the shelter, people who have adopted pets there, people who just love animals and want to learn more about what we do.  We are so proud of the shelter, we want everyone to know what special work we’re doing and how much we appreciate everyone’s contribution.”

The event will feature a book signing of “Because Someone Rescued Me” by accomplished professional photographer Michael Bagley.  Michael will also present a portrait gallery of dog and cats currently at the shelter awaiting adoption, allowing those who attend a “sneak peek” at what they may find when they visit the shelter.

Wildflowers Too is located at 506 Broadway in Barnegat Light.  For further information, call 609-361-8191.

If you’ve been following this blog in 2011 you know that we have been frequent flyers at the Southern Ocean County Animal Facility in Manahawkin.  The local shelter is where stray and surrendered animals land and are evaluated and put up for adoption.  Since February we have made weekly visits to photograph the available dogs (and a few cats now and again) and those photos have been used on Petfinder, Facebook, and other networking websites to help find forever homes for the pets.  Each week a few familiar dogs and cats would be adopted, and typically there would be a story behind the adoption – a nice family looking for their first pet; an older couple just getting over the loss of their senior dog; a single person looking for a companion.  They are wonderful stories and needed to be told.

Because Someone Rescued Me… is our latest book and it tells some of those stories.  Between May and July we visited and photographed 17 rescued dogs and cats with their new families.  The 80-page book portrays the benefits of adopting a pet, both to the pet and the humans, and is filled with photographs that show the joy, happiness, friendship, love and peace that came from the adoptions.

Because Someone Rescued Me… will be released this Sunday, August 28 at the shelter’s Annual Summer Fundraiser at the Surf City Firehouse on Long Beach Island.  The cost is $40, and all proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter (FOSOCAS), a nonprofit organization that provides support to the shelter via volunteerism, education and programs.  We’re happy to present a brief preview of the book here.  We hope you’ll join us on Sunday at the Fundraiser.  If you can’t be there, we hope you will consider purchasing a book for yourself or an animal lover close to you (you can do so online via the preview).  It will make a great gift, and your purchase will help many more animals find happiness and joy – because someone rescued them!

Because Someone Rescued Me… by Michael Bagley Photography | Make Your Own Book