So why am I so in love with Dean? This guy is 12 years old but has the smile of a puppy and the heart of an angel! Plus, he is a huge UNC fan! I mean, when I arrived for his session, he was enjoying a UNC football game, sportin’ his Tarheels collar, and his name is DEAN!

Like I mentioned, Dean is 12 so he might move a little slower than he used to. However, he still loves to play ball, catch his frisbee, and go for an occasional swim in Lake Norman. As a matter of fact, as long as I had a ball in my hand, he was more than happy to model for me. I even left my squeaky tennis ball with him in hopes it would bribe him to come live with me. Maybe one day? A girl can dream, right?Dean means business when it comes to playtime. And you better not forget his Chuckit…He looking at me like, “woman, are you going to throw that thing or what?”Happy boy…I’m so excited that Dean’s dad wanted to join in for some of the pictures. They have been together for all these years. Dean suffers from a pretty bad case of separation anxiety and, fortunately, Dean’s dad can bring him to work. They are best friends…I really am in love with this dog. Doesn’t he just make you melt?!?Thank you so much, Dean, for such an amazing session. You were beyond a joy to work with and I really can’t wait to see you again. I had a hard time saying goodbye before…next time is going to be that much harder. XOXO!

These two love hanging out together in the backyard as well as the boat launch area in their neighborhood. We were lucky enough to dodge the rain and spent an evening together doing what they love most! Don’t these two make quite the pair? I’d say they were related. Lol!

I love Tater’s scruffy fur and happy little face! :)Trinity is so beautiful and regal. Great Dane’s just pull at my heart strings!“So…that black box gives out treats?”Trinity’s ears just scream her personality. Love them!Tater ventures onto the rocks while channeling his inner chameleon…Trinity is able to perfect her gallop in the open field.BFFs…

We spent an overcast evening hanging around Louie’s gorgeous turf. His mom lives on Lake Norman so Louie enjoys daily walks on the surrounding pathways and docks as he scopes out the water for ducks and fish. It was a pleasure to tag along with this handsome Cocker Spaniel! Enjoy his sneak peek – I’m hoping his sweetness is contagious!

Louie has hip and knee problems so we made sure to give him several breaks during the session. He still wanted to work it for the camera though!Hey stud muffin!!!Isn’t he so handsome?!? I love that his tongue is barely poking through in this one…Thanks, Louie, for being such a wonderful model! I can’t wait to visit you again soon! :)

After about a minute, those feelings turned around. I thought about what each Bark For Life event accomplishes and what each event stands for. A wonderful team of volunteers, survivors, and good samaritans organize and attend these events around the country to raise money to fight the “C” word we have all grown to hate. Maybe we can all take hold of the Hope that’s in Pandora’s Box? Hope that very soon there will be better medicines. Hope that there will be a cure. Hope that Cancer will no longer exist. Hope that no one – 4-legged or human – has to deal with the effects of Cancer.

This year, the Bark For Life event in Lake Norman/Birkdale raised nearly $25,000! The large crowd enjoyed beautiful weather, a relaxing walk, great vendors, and fun raffles and contests. I got to meet some incredible dogs and dedicated parents who are all ready to keep Hope alive! I want to give a huge THANK YOU to all that attended, volunteered, and supported this event. Thanks to you, hopefully I will never have to look at Eva and Sadie again and wonder, “What if?”

Mrs. Lake Norman and the *awesome* Chair of the event get things started!The large crowd gets ready for the walk and they are lead by Jax, the event’s Canine Ambassador. This sweet man is available for adoption through Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love…And the walk begins!!!Some pups need a helping hand or a quick break in the cool grass.Sometimes, they just can’t do it all on their own. Isn’t that what this event is really about?After the walk, everyone gathered around to select Best Trick (being frisked by a real cop!) and Best Kiss…slurp!Many thanks to all of the lovable dogs (and people) that came out for such a great cause. You are all rock stars and heroes!

If your pup isn’t featured here, it’s not because he isn’t photogenic! Find more adorable 4-leggers here: http://mcgrawphotography.zenfolio.com. A portion of the proceeds from sales of prints will go to the American Cancer Society.

Did you miss Lake Norman’s Bark For Life event or would you like to participate in another walk? The American Cancer Society is holding a Charlotte Bark For Life event this Sunday April 28th at the Dog Bar in NoDa. For more information, visit the website: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=41705. Thank you again to everyone associated with these wonderful events!

Cali certainly didn’t disappoint! She quickly warmed up to me and the camera and I’m pretty sure we bonded over a couple treats and a fluffy dog toy. I think I have a new best friend for life!

We started her session in her back yard where she showed me some of her best modeling looks. Forget Zoolander’s Blue Steel. Cali’s “La Dent” (a.k.a. “The Tooth”) takes the cake!

Cali was born missing a couple toes on her front paw. It doesn’t bother her too much but she likes to keep it off the ground from time to time.Despite her minor handicap, she doesn’t hesitate to chase her ball!I couldn’t resist posting this one. I’m not sure what to call this look…Cali loves to swim so we took a short trip over to the lake access area in her neighborhood. This is one happy dog!And she’s off to retrieve her ball!Who needs a hair dryer when you can hang your head out the window?Cali wanted to be sure we showed off her feline sister, Bella. Bella thinks she’s a dog but is one of the prettiest cats I’ve seen!

Thanks so for such a great session, Cali! I can’t wait to hang out with you and Bella again!

Carly mid-bark…This is the life!Hehe…Carly’s missing tooth is one of the many things her parents love about her.And of course Carly has to thank her dad for making this all possible. I can’t wait to see you all again and check on the belly!

Dusty was the main focus of this session because his grandfather just thinks the world of him and his beautiful handsome coloring. Dusty is a sable merle – a pretty rare combination. I must say that I agree with Dusty’s grandfather. He sure is a sight for sore eyes.

We also got some images of Ella, a tri-color little lady and Dusty’s cousin. She is slightly disabled as she has 4 legs but only 3 paws. They both were a pleasure to work with and we had a blast in their backyard…

Ella has the most endearing eyes :)
Dusty takes his play time seriously!I love Dusty’s hair blowing in the wind. He is just so gorgeous!Ella is so inquisitive and loves to keep watch over the backyard. Squirrels and ducks better beware!After hanging out in the backyard, Dusty headed off to Jetton Park – a great place for doggy pics! It actually started to rain on our way over but stopped just as we pulled into the park. Yay! Dusty started off with some posing…But quickly went into play mode. I just love the way his hair flows as he jumps around!And back to posing…Dusty’s grandfather didn’t want to be in any of the pics, but I just love this one. Dusty loves him so much and follows him everywhere!Lastly, we headed over to the beach area for some good stick throwing – one of Dusty’s favorite things…Lovin’ the sandy nose!

Thank you, Dusty and Ella, for a DRY and fun session!

Blaze had a rough start to life. He was abandoned on the side of the road and was left cold and confused. Luckily, his current family’s dentist found him and passed him along to the wonderful home he has now. Blaze quickly worked his way to the “top dog” position in his dad’s heart and is perfectly content as his dad’s favorite.

Knowing this background made it so easy for me to understand why Blaze’s human brothers wanted to surprise their dad with the gift of photography. They were the lucky winners of a pet portrait session donated for a silent auction at a recent charity event. At 17 years old, Blaze’s human brothers handled setting up the shoot and were completely responsible for making it happen. They were great to work with and Blaze wasn’t too bad either! Haha! I mean, look at how cute he is!

I was so happy the sun was out during our session. Lately it’s been playing hide-and-go-seek with me. What a handsome boy…His tongue looks like a heart <3!These are for Blaze’s dad (a huge Auburn fan)!I normally don’t pose my doggy models as much as I did with Blaze…he was just so good at it! After all his sitting and staying, Blaze cut loose, got to run, catch his favorite tennis ball, and even went on a quick swim in Lake Norman.Hehehehe…

Merry Christmas to Blaze’s dad! I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Jessie is a sweet lady that loves her toys but loves wagging her tail even more (you’ll see what I mean later on). She has Addison’s disease but you would never know it by her contagious smile. She gets a shot every 5 weeks to keep her happy and healthy and so far, she hasn’t missed a trick!Dillon is the youngest child at the ripe age of 10. He is a bona fide chipmunk hunter and cutie pie!Dillon loves throwing his toys and while I didn’t get the perfect shot of the action, this pic still makes me giggle.Next up we have Ellie. Ellie literally made me gasp when I saw her because she is just that gorgeous in person. This baby 13-year-old lost her hearing back at a young age and was my first deaf doggy client. She has a pretty bad case of arthritis and is a little wobbly on her feet. Nevertheless, she donned an irresistible smile and was a pleasure to photograph!This is one of Ellie’s “looks”. Haha! I love how her wrinkles all fall forward!After hanging out at the house, we headed out on the boat for a sunset cruise. The dogs all ran down the dock……and assumed their favorite positions.You know how I said Jessie loves to wag her tail? Well, she wags so hard and so much that she has actually hurt her tail and it needs to stay wrapped in medical tape. I thought it looked super cute. On the left – one of the few opportunities you will see it sitting still. On the right – the happy tail in action! Ellie, Jessie and Dillon, I hope you enjoyed your sneak peek! :)

Now this is one happy doggy!If you follow me on Facebook, this was one of the photos I posted earlier this week. She looks like a lioness on the hunt for some rabbits…

They’re in there somewhere…After our walk and a quick wardrobe change, we gathered the family up and climbed onto the boat. Daisy spends 3 days a week at work with her dad at the marina so it was fitting for her to don her Westport bandana on the boat!I would buy a boat if a dog this adorable was on it…
Daisy isn’t a fan of the wobbly dock so she makes a run for dry land.And lands safely in her daddy’s arms. Love!