Photographer Takes Wonderful Portraits Of Black Dogs And Cats From The Shelter To Help Them Find A Home

by Damjan

10 Mar 2020

Black dogs and black cats often get overlooked in shelters, and that can make finding a home much harder than it should be. Photographer Emma Brien decided to do something about it by creating portraits that show these animals at their best, with the hope that more people would stop and take a second look.

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Her project focuses on shelter pets that are often passed over for the same old reasons, from superstition to the idea that dark-coated animals are harder to photograph. The result is a series of striking images that give each dog and cat a chance to stand out for the right reasons.

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And once you see the portraits, it is hard to argue with the point she is making.

Shelters worldwide often euthanize black dogs and cats more frequently purely because they know these animals will be more difficult to re-home. Some don’t even get a chance to meet their forever family. Heartbreaking.

Changing perceptions among potential adopters, as well as using clever ‘marketing‘ tools to make them stand out, seems to be the key.

The general public (worldwide) needs to be educated about the sterilization of pets to reduce the number of unwanted critters running around. Many of the stars I photographed were accidental arrivals (don’t tell Truffle) and while they are unbelievably loved, another critter may not have been so lucky. It’s a numbers game, one that must be reduced by getting cats and dogs ‘fixed’ before more accidental babies arrive."

1. Echo

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2. Pesto

3. Nancy

"Slightly needy, a notable snorer. Sheds so much that her mom now dresses like Batman."

4. Bentley

"Reserved at first. Secretly a HUGE Madonna fan. Has all her albums."

5. Arizona

"Didn’t stop talking throughout the shoot. Also has paint on her ear. Also fired."

6. Red

"Yes, that is paint on his ear. Yes, this is his last ever modeling gig."

7. Dogg

"Pronounced ‘D’ ‘O’ “double G” as in Snoop. Impossibly cool. A fan of hip hop."

8. Grace

"Only wears Gucci. Anxiously waiting for a Net-A-Porter delivery that’s taking forever to arrive."

“Black dogs and cats get a raw deal when it comes to being unwanted. Ending up at a shelter is bad news for any animal, but black critters are the least likely to be adopted, and if they are lucky enough to be chosen by an adopter, they will have waited the longest.

I’ve done a bit of research on this, and there seem to be four major reasons that black dogs and cats are last on the list for potential adopters: firstly, they don’t photograph well (I think these images disprove that point), which is tragic if you want to take over Instagram with your new pet (repeatedly smacks forehead against wall); secondly, black dogs can look intimidating and aggressive; thirdly, black cats are superstitiously unlucky (or should that be stupid-stitiously); and lastly, they are a bit plain and boring to look at. What. Evs.”

-Emma Brien

It’s giving the same “guilty cat” chaos as the humorous photos of dogs and a cat caught red-pawed.

9. Toby

Has a fetish for sitting on velvet chairs. His tongue isn’t the only thing he lets hang out.

10. Parker

Raised by a cat. Has a full repertoire of witty one-liners. Won’t wait to be invited to use them.

11. Lena

"Full-time retiree. Part-time therapist. Will always share her couch but may fall asleep while you talk."

12. Mia

"Weighs 50 kg, thinks she’s a lap dog. Can take out a couch once she breaks into a gentle trot."

13. Casper

"Likes the finer things in life. Insists on silk sheets. Secretly likes to wear feather boas."

14. Jessie

"As crazy as she looks. Once used a set of toddlers as skittles. Claims it was a total accident."

15. Gabriel

"Insisted on a headshot only because he’s still trying to get bikini ready."

16. Truffle

"Part of an ‘oopsie’ litter but insists that he’s full pedigree. Still thinks this shoot was for Country Life magazine."

17. Maya the Mexican

"Won’t make eye contact until you’ve downed four tequila shots and said ‘Xoloitzcuintli’ correctly. Good luck."

18. Merlin

"An enthusiastic advocate for the legalization of The Nip. Might have had some before the shoot."

19. Another Merlin

"Lost his eye while on a secret mission for MI5. Keeps requesting a monetary allowance for a diamond-encrusted patch. Keeps being denied. Has put in an order with Cartier and is going to expense it."