As people started filtering in, I happily captured some of the excited doggy faces that were ready to get their exercise in for the day…

Here are some of the fabulous people that were part of my team! They rock! We have raised $725 for the American Cancer Society and there will be even more money added after my donation from print sales! Not too bad for a first year team! :)This year, the walk’s ambassador was a Westie named Luka. I had the honor of photographing him in the past and I was so excited when the Bark For Life organizers wanted to have him lead the walk. Despite his condition, Luka took his job very seriously and proudly walked before the crowd. What an angel!
There was a great turnout of people and dogs that walked through the streets of Birkdale Village.About 3/4 into the walk, Luka was still in the lead. What a trooper!!!After the walk, the crowd enjoyed some fun contests and giveaways. The participants had a good laugh during the doggy fashion show…

With the help of 25 teams and 185 participants, $21,345.00 was raised for the American Cancer Society’s fight against canine and human cancers. A huge thanks goes out to everyone involved, including the dogs, walkers, staff and volunteers. You guys rule!

To see more pictures from the event, check out this site: http://mcgrawphotography.zenfolio.com. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of any prints will go directly to the fundraising efforts of the Bark For Life –  Lake Norman event. Thank YOU!!!

If you want to see pictures from the event, don’t miss the post about the event HERE.

All the technical goodness: Shot with a Canon 5D Mark 3 and 35mm f/1.4 lens (maybe a couple shots with the 50mm f/1.4). Edited with iMovie. Music rights purchased from Triple Scoop Music.

This year, the Charlotte event was held at Morrison, where the pups and their people got to browse vendor booths, play corn hole, participate in a kissing booth, and win great prizes in a raffle.

The dogs came super-prepared with costumes and HUGE smiles…

My favorite part of the event is always the actual walk. The dogs (and people) never know what to think when they see me laying on the ground snapping pictures…For those of you that follow me on Facebook or my blog know that I’m a huge Little Dog Linus fan. While he did make an appearance at the walk, this little guy was his body double…While I love this Doggles on this pretty girl, my favorite part of the picture is her friend in the background. I had said the word, “treat”, and it sparked some interest… :)More of the awesome pups that came out to help aid in the fight against cancer…The rescued Boxer on the right was the Canine Ambassador for the event. At only 5 years old, he is battling the fight of his life. With a happy face and huge smile, he did a wonderful job representing the dogs fighting for the cause.

For more pictures of the event, check out this site: http://mcgrawphotography.zenfolio.com. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of any prints will go directly to the fundraising efforts of the Bark For Life – Charlotte event. Thank you to everyone that made it out to this year’s walk. I hope to see you again at the Bark For Life  - Lake Norman walk on April 20th or at next year’s event. xx!

A big THANKS goes out to the Humane Society of Charlotte for having me photograph Emma! She was a pure joy to work with and I know she makes her mom proud!This might not be a “cover” shot but Emma sure loved the miniature tennis balls I brought along. She kept doing this super-cute crawl with her bum in the air. How could I not shoot that?!?

I’ve been dying to photograph a puppy for the longest time! Unfortunately, so many people skip getting professional pictures taken of their new furry family members at this stage in life. It’s too bad because, as we all know, puppies are adorable and they grow up so fast! So if you are reading this and are considering adopting a puppy (or currently have one), please consider getting puppy pics done! I promise you will LOVE looking back at them!

The weather this past weekend was beyond amazing and I wanted to take advantage of it. This past weekend was also my last free weekend before the rush of Spring sessions so I wanted to do some personal shooting while I had a chance. I decided to contact a local rescue, Catering to Cats & Dogs, to see if they had an adoptable puppy that I could possibly steal for an impromptu photo shoot. Thankfully, they allowed me to photograph Darla.

Darla is a sweet 11-week-old Pit Bull that was taken in by the rescue after being found for sale in the back of a truck in a Wal-Mart parking lot. She is a typically girl that loves flowers (you will see that later) and anything that she can pick up in her mouth. It was hard for me not to take her home after our session. Fortunately, my husband was by my side and kept me focused. :P

Darla is ready to be taken home with you…

She kinda had a thing for this plant…And the ball…And this rock…

:) If you are interested in Darla, please contact Catering to Cats & Dogs.

The 13 Project was started by the wonderful Serena at the blog Pretty Fluffy. She wants to prove that each individual CAN make a difference. And together, we can make a HUGE impact.

The 13 Project’s initiative is to perform 13 acts of kindness towards animals before 2013 (or as many as you can). This movement is spreading like wildfire and proves that every little thing you do can help the beloved animals here in our world. To read more about this amazing cause, please check out all of the details at the Pretty Fluffy blog.

I invite you to start a list for yourself and see what you can get accomplished by the end of the year. You may surprise yourself! Perhaps you can donate goods or services to your local shelter, have your own fundraiser, start volunteering, write a politician about policies in your area…the list could go on and on!

So here is my list of 13 acts of kindness to perform before 2013:

1) Continue photographing adoptable dogs from the Humane Society of Charlotte.

2) Do a super-special photo shoot for one adoptable dog and share the story and images on my blog and Facebook until he/she gets adopted.

3) Donate a Gift Certificate to a fundraiser benefiting a local shelter.

4) Donate photography to a fundraising event benefiting a local rescue.

5) Promote the local spay/neuter clinic and low-cost vaccination clinic on Facebook.

6) Write a blog post on veganism.

7) Coach someone down the path of vegetarianism/veganism.

8) Continue clearing out my home of toxic cleaners, toiletries, and personal products and boycott items that may have been tested on animals and/or are not good for the environment.

9) Share the story of a puppy mill dog.

10) Learn about the candidates running for Commissioner of Agriculture and vote for one that supports legislation to stop the horrible puppy mill situation in North Carolina.

11) Share a local rescue’s Wish List.

12) Collect my pets’ old towels, toys, and beds to donate to a local rescue.

13) Spread the word about the 13 Project

So what will be on your list? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s inspire one-another! <3

First we have Carmella. She is a sweet older lady with a wonderful and chill personality…Ashley stole my heart! I love her scruffy hair and unbelievable eyes! She is too cute when she plays!Cream is like most pit mixes – a huge cuddle bear with a heart to match!Dollar. Wow! This cutie is SOOOOOO sweet. She should be scooped up fast with her stunning looks and friendly demeanor.Polka loves to smile and has a great, bubbly personality. I mean, look at this face…If you love the way cats play, you will love Flora. She had me laughing our whole visit together. She would pounce and play with the ball just like a kitten would! So cute!!!Kellie is another sweetie. She loved to be next to people and is definitely going to be a cuddle-bear!Last but not least, we have O’Charlie. I’m not sure what I can write that isn’t told in this picture. He is so adorable and loving and would be so happy to make your house his home…
I want to give a huge thanks to my friend, Casey, for getting up at 5:30 in the morning to help me. Fingers crossed she found a new member of her family yesterday!!!

Thank you to everyone that shares these images on Facebook (this should take you to the FB album if you want to share) and via email. That’s what really gets these animals in front of potential new fur-parents. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For more information about your favorites, please contact the Humane Society of Charlotte.For those that follow me on Facebook or Instagram know that I fell in love with little Max today. I saw him from a mile away – I just have a soft spot for black lab mix puppies. They all remind me of my Sadie. Max has the biggest legs and paws and should grow up to be a nice-sized boy. I wish I got to do a proper shoot with him as I only got this images as I was leaving. Well, maybe not. I really might have taken him home.

On a related note, yes, there are tons of puppies up at the Humane Society. However, they are so much easier to adopt out so my time is best spent on the older pups that may not get the attention they deserve. I really would like to spend a day photographing the puppies though. Hmmm…I might have to arrange that just for the sake of cuteness! :)

And CATS!!! Yay!! I go to photograph all of the adult kitties. Love ‘em!!!And Enchantress wins best head tilt for the kitty division…Thanks to everyone that has shared these images. It really helps them find homes faster. XX!