Second Chance: This is a new, unnamed dog at the shelter who is paralyzed from the waist down. He came from Mexico, where he was shot and run over by a car.
Spicy Peanut: His name is Peanut and he is a 12 year old Chihuahua. His owner passed away and he had no other place to go to. Peanut is known for having a fiery personality at first, but he becomes a huge softy once you get to know him.
Fight To Reunite: Duke is a 5 year old Beagle who ran away from home with his sister, Daisy. He lost Daisy along the way and has been determined to find her ever since. Duke is a playful and energetic family dog who falls in love with everybody.
Country Roads: Harriet came from Tennessee, where she was starved at a kill shelter. She was ultimately saved and has grown to be a loving and affectionate pal. She’s known for rubbing her head on the fence whenever she meets someone new.
Meatball of Love: Petey is the shelter’s favorite and is referred to as “the meatball of love.” He is a Pitbull who once had a loving veterinarian owner, but the owner unfortunately passed away recently. He is a proud jumper and belly-shower who has to be the center of attention at all times.
Three’s a Charm: Honeybear is one of the new puppies at the shelter. She has only 3 legs because her previous owner cut off her leg for unknown reasons. She is known for tricking people into thinking she’s shy, but quickly becomes playful and starts nicking at your fingers.
Popular Pup: Laura is another puppy at the shelter. She is a friendly and sweet family-friendly puppy who is known for being a little bit of a diva. So many families want to take her home, that there is even a waitlist and interview process for adoption applicants!
Amazing Grace: Grace came from the same kill shelter in Tennessee as Harriet. She arrived sick, malnourished, and extremely fearful. It took time, but she was brought back to health and is now a loving and happy companion. The shelter calls her their “Chubby” because of the substantial amount of weight she gained during her recovery.
Final Essay
For this project, I took a trip to a local animal shelter in Port Jefferson to show the growth and resilience of the dogs who are present there. I highlighted 8 dogs in particular who have all went through their own set of hardships that have flourished them into the happy and healthy dogs they are today. I was inspired to do this by a specific photo in my portraiture project; the one of my dog Ziggy. He was abused throughout his puppy years at a house my mom worked in, so she rescued him and quit the job. Ziggy was once so scared of everything and everyone and struggled physically because of some injured bones. But now he is an active, friendly, and healthy boy who loves life. I wanted to highlight that resilience in other dogs, while also promoting adoption to my classmates.
