04/16/2024
The story behind the picture:
In 2012, while I was a volunteer with Animal Rescue Foundation of Texas, we received a call about a abandoned Pittie at a trailer park. She was skin and bones and a nice lady was feeding her. We agreed to help out. She was named Cinder (short for Cinderella). (pictures of what she looked like when she came to us in the comments).
Despite her condition, Cinder was the sweetest girl. Her trust in us was unbelievable despite all she had been through. We made a commitment to ensuring that she received all the care and love that she had been missing in her life. She gained weight quickly, a little too quickly. She became quite the chunky monkey. She also made a friend in everyone she met. Eventually the time came that she was ready for her furever home. The catch was that while she was trusting with people, she did not have the same trust in other dogs. Finding a only dog home for any dog is challenging but when you add the label of pitbull mix, statistics go down. This also made it difficult to find a foster home for her and so she stayed in boarding while we searched.
During this time, I began my hobby as a pet photographer. I learned early on in my rescue journey, that a picture of a dog or cat, in a shelter, can literally mean the difference between life and death. I was getting more confident in my skills and decided to have a Valentine's photo fundraiser. I chose Cinder as my first model to promote the event.
THIS WAS THE FIRST PHOTO TAKEN!
It was as if she had been a dog model for years and it remains my favorite picture I have ever taken.
It is also the picture that got her adopted.
You see, a teenage boy was scrolling through petfinder.com and came across this picture. He later told me, that he knew immediately that this was the dog that he wanted. He spoke to his parents were a little hesistent due to her dog preferences and breed but that is who he wanted. We call him her prince charming. The day she left us, we had a the biggest celebration for her complete with a tutu and crown. It is still top 5, in my rescue career.
The rescue group was able to keep in touch with the family, as they still used the same veternarian that the group was ran out of. Cinder went on to live a loving and wonderful life. What we always wanted for her, the life she truly deserved. Over time, she was even able to get a fursibling once she realized what truly feeling safe was.
I received a message a few years ago that Cinder had passed away. Though I was sad..... I couldn't help but to feel joy for the life that she got to have.... with her very own prince charming..... that fell in love with her over a picture.
I just feel blessed to be a part of her journey and her influence into my own journey of rescue work and photography.
