Cool for the Summer

It's officially triple digit weather here in good old Las Vegas which means finding the best ways to keep cool in the summer while still having fun. I love hitting up one of the local pools on the Strip and having a Pina Colada with Johnny. But what about my four legged friends? They want to have fun too! While Murderface loves hiking, it gets hot fast unless you head out at the crack of dawn. However he's just like his mommy and is a water dog at heart!

Sometimes we head out to Lake Mead and spend a day with the Bighorn Sheep, sharing the lake and swimming. However when my days off are limited, we love to just hang out in the backyard. I picked up a kiddie pool at Walmart the other day since we don't have a pool of our own. The security guard helped me out and asked me if it was for my kids. I sheepishly responded that it was for my dogs and he laughed and said "Hey, they are your kids!" My kind of guy right there.

Murderface is water obsessed. However Jasper is not into getting wet AT ALL. So we found a way for him to enjoy summer too! I like to fill up a mini muffin tin with water and then place a piece of Pup-Peroni in the middle. I place the tin in the freezer until I have frozen Pup-Peroni popsicles! Jasper loves them!

I'm a big fan of Pup-Peroni. Not only do I use them at home but it's the number one treat we use at my shelter! The large sticks are easy to break so we can split them into a bunch of little pieces and use them as training rewards. It's not often that a shelter dog will refuse one.

How are you spending the summer with your best friend? Pup-Peroni wants to know! Take the Beef Up Your Summer Quiz and you could win up to $300 in toys and treats for your pup!

HeArt's Speak Exposure Project

We just wrapped up Dogs Playing for Life workshops last week at the shelter. This week we had HeArt's Speak (which I'm proudly a member of) out here teaching some shelter photography workshops for those wanting to learn how to take photos and write better adoption bios. They also generously donated a camera and studio equipment for us to use, I don't always have to bring in my own camera now!

This is why the crickets have been chirping in my blog space, it's just been an incredibly draining few weeks. With all these workshops now wrapped up though, I can bring some attention back here and share some of the finer details. Here's just a glimpse of some of the photos I captured in the two days of the Exposure Project. I spent a little more time playing with the soft boxes and backdrop since studio lighting isn't something I'm accustomed to using. I also focused on the cats, it's a nice change of pace since I'm typically photographing dogs 90% of the time.

These guys are all still for adoption. However little Raquel below (we bonded over the shared name) has gone to her new home!

Miss Porkchop

It's pouring non stop today so I figured I would do a short little post introducing my latest foster before I get back to my coffee and books. I'm making the most of this rainy day off!

Stassi went into boot camp with the rescue founder after we discovered her separation anxiety (and my torn carpet) and she's doing really well. Since we traded, I get this adorable derp face instead. She had a different name but we changed it asap since it was awful. Now we call her Miss Porkchop which fits her goofy personality. She's crate trained, potty trained (although the outside elements are testing that today), and great with other dogs. She's a little shy of men but she tolerates Johnny pretty well. I don't doubt she will get adopted quickly, being the great little dog she is. The sooner the better, we are getting filled up at the shelter as well as in the rescue so we can't take more until these littles find their homes!

How's your weekend going? The weather is crazy but I'm loving it!

Pit Bulls and Why I Rescue Them.

I've been working in rescue and animal welfare for about 2 years now. Two years of happy and sad tears, frustration, pure joy and fuzzy warm feelings, and a little thrill of danger every now and then. I'm so glad to have finally found my calling but it wasn't easy.

I was always one of those kids that had a million different ideas in my head on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was always bringing home animals when I was a child, I was obsessed with them. I went to zoo summer camps and most people figured I would become a veterinarian. However I never had any interest in that idea. It just wasn't appealing. So I flitted through my teens and early twenties just kind of floating by while everyone else went to college and had a plan. Everyone else knew what they were meant to do... Except me. Now I'm not complaining, I had some great times that I'll forever cherish. It just took longer for that lightbulb to finally go off.

A cute guy after a bad breakup was the one who finally switched on the light. A friend had passed away and we had met at a memorial party. We should have always known each other, the tight circle that our friends had... But we didn't. A couple of my friends introduced us, "He likes dogs." They said. And he did. He lived out of state and was passionately involved with a pit bull rescue. We loosely dated for a few months and in that time period, not only did I fall hard, but he inspired me so much when it came to his rescue work. I had always heard the myths surrounding pit bulls although I can't say I took it as seriously as some people did. He had three of them, all rescues, and were some of the sweetest dogs I had ever met despite coming from awful circumstances like fighting rings. He had rescued dogs in the field, had cut them free from chains... I learned a lot from him. I learned about the stigma, and the truth that was buried beneath it. That time spent with him and seeing what he did, it sparked something in me that I hadn't felt in a long time, if ever.

While we didn't work out romantically (but are still friends) he gave me something better than a relationship. He planted the seeds of inspiration to finally do what I was meant to do. I started looking into rescues to volunteer with which led to me photographing dogs for adoption. That led to me helping with events and pulling dogs that were being surrendered (or in a few instances rescuing in the field). I wanted more, I wanted to do more. Itching to learn from the best of the best was what inspired me to apply for the internship at Best Friends. That internship led to employment at Best Friends and my time spent there is what ultimately helped me land the job I have now. And my guy friend gave me advice and supported me along the way. I feel like I can look to him as an Animal Welfare colleague these days and still hope to be able to do half the things he has accomplished.

I fight hard for bully breeds these days even though I aim to rescue all dogs. They hold a dear place in my heart. They are wonderful, loyal, happy, energetic dogs. I have yet to meet one I didn't like. Yes they have their issues but that goes for any breed. A dog selective bully is no different to Murderface, my Husky/Border Collie mix who's also dog selective.

You never know how or when you'll find the path to your future. It might be in the sparkle of a cute guy's eyes, an unexpected loss, or the slobbery kisses of a cropped ear dog. But it will find you, eventually.

Valentine

We found out a few weeks ago that Farley's skin issues were actually skin cancer. Testing shows it hasn't spread to his lymph nodes or lungs yet, that's the good news. The bad news is that surgery will be the only option to remove all the cancer. Surgery is going to be a full on penis amputation. It's something we have never dealt with before but Johnny and I plan on continuing being his foster parents no matter what. He's a sweet boy that deserves a second chance.

I know I'm a little behind but with a huge Valentine's promo running at the shelter, photo shoots, and Farley's issues... It's been distracting. We had a pretty quiet Valentine's Day since I had to work. It consisted of just a little candlelight dinner at home and then relaxing today after some shoots and a quick visit to Bad Owl coffee. It's going to be a new fav place, how can one not love a Harry Potter themed coffee shop that serves Lavender lattes?

HeARTs Speak

2016 is being very good to me. I'm a few weeks into my new job at the Animal Foundation and it already feels like I've been there forever. I love being an Adoption Counselor. My days just fly by because I'm always so busy. Giving advice to possible adopters, ferreting out information to make sure our animals are going to a good home, doing meet and greets to make sure that the dogs get along and it's a good fit. Basically all the stuff I was doing before for rescue but now I get paid for it. It's awesome.

I also finally got a response back from HeARTs Speak and I've been accepted as an Artist Member. I'm only the second photographer listed in Nevada so this is huge to me. HeARTs Speak is such an amazing organization and I'm honored to be a part of it and perhaps get some new opportunities to save even more lives.

Phoebe got to be my first HS portrait. She's a 16 yr old special needs Pomeranian who is being lovingly cared for in a hospice foster home. Even if she never gets adopted, she already has a wonderful forever home.

I also have a new foster pup! Iggy went into a trial home... With my Aunt & Uncle! It was such a good fit with the other dogs that none of us doubt it will be made official once the trial is up. That leaves room in my house for a new foster and Farley is such a sweet little thing. Beagle/Basset Hound/Pit is the estimated breed and we think about 3 yrs of age even though he acts like a baby. Once he is neutered and cleared medically (he has some skin issues we are dealing with), he will be ready for a new home!

I'm really starting to love my life, finally doing everything that I love to do!

2016 Goals & Resolutions

Photography Goals

- To start taking my camera EVERYWHERE with me. I don't know why I've always had this weird anxiety about what people think when I'm shooting randomly and not doing an actual paid shoot. For some reason I get this uncomfortable sense of judgement that people think I'm a tourist when I'm not. It's SO stupid and something I need to get over because I'm missing out on awesome opportunities when I leave my camera at home.

- Apply as a HeARTs Speak Artist. I've actually started on this right before Christmas when I sent in my application. This would be a huge deal for me regarding Animal Rescue Photography and I'm keeping my fingers crossed tightly. It takes up to 60 days for my application to be reviewed so wish me luck and send me good vibes!

- Take more photo risks. After moving out of state and back and focusing on other jobs, my business got neglected and I've had to rebuild my clientele. This year I'm hoping to spark my creative juices and step outside the box for projects even if it means doing trade work.

- Make new business cards/Rebuild clients. Pretty standard stuff, get this pony back on track.

- Start submitting my work to other blogs/contests/etc like I use to.


Blog Goals

- Consistently post regardless of how busy I am. Basically that's what happened last year and why I put the blog on the back burner. I really love Mocha Fox and having my little internet corner where I can shamelessly post photos of myself in outfits or share dog stuff and don't really get judged for it.

- Find sponsored work. I would love to be able to take Mocha Fox to the next level and offer sponsored work. So with that being said... I'm available!

- Save up for a more personal blog design. I'm broke. Like super broke. Everything I have goes into bills, photography business, and dog rescue. It doesn't really leave me a lot left over to splurge on things like a one of a kind blog design. It would be nice though so I'm going to start putting a couple bucks aside at a time to go towards getting my blog spruced up.

- Purchase a scanner/printer. This could go under photography goals as well since this would benefit both.

- Work on more interesting and personal posts. Self-explanatory.

Personal Goals/Resolutions

-Lose weight. I got into a funk last year and I won't lie, I totally turned to food a bit. I was my skinniest at 115lbs but most comfortable when I was at 119lbs. Unfortunately I'm now over 145lb and it shows. When I don't want to go out because none of my clothes fit the way they should and it's effecting my confidence, then I need to do something. I got a treadmill for Christmas (I lost a ton of weight before by just walking at an incline on the treadmill for an hour every 3-4 days) so my goal is to at least get back down to 120lb. I just need to find that motivation and put down the pasta!

-Fix up my office/photography space. Since I moved into our home, I've been avoiding the office space even though I have a ton of ideas for it. I plan on making the area where the closet was a photo space where I can hang backdrops and do indoor studio work. I also want to make it a bright area to do blogging, editing, and find motivation and be inspired. It's not the biggest room so it's going to take a little creativity to pull it all together and my first step tomorrow is figuring out how to refurnish my desk which will come up in a future blog post.

- Make time for dog rescue stuff that's not just photography. My old job left me so drained that I was barely able to even do photos for rescues when I use to do that and so much more. I want to get back into training and events and stuff like that. Also to continue learning and taking classes when the opportunities arise.

- Read more books. I was always such an avid reader and could read books in a single day. The library was my second home when I was a kid. Over the past few years, I struggle to find time to just sit down and get into a book. I need to make the time and instead of turning on the television, just read instead.

- Start saying yes instead of no. I use to be a very social butterfly but 2015 kind of turned me into a homebody. I need to start going out more, seeing my friends more, just doing more. I want to try to say yes more than I say no and that goes towards all opportunities, not just going out at night instead of staying home and watching Jeopardy. But I do love Jeopardy.

-Bake more! Cook more! I've become quite the little baker if I say so myself. I always excel at trying new Christmas cookie recipes during the holiday season but after I watched the Great British Bakeoff, I got inspired and started baking different stuff and then trying dinner recipes that I usually would find overwhelming and complex. I've had way more success than fails and hope to continue finding joy in my kitchen.

- Focus on my relationship and continue to grow. 2015 brought Johnny and I some major bumps. From long distance dating when I moved to Utah, the stress of living together and his whole family, losing jobs and gaining jobs and being pretty broke... We haven't really had much time to actually be a couple and do fun stuff together. Now that we have our own place and we both have just started new jobs (with better pay!) we can start actually having date nights again. We also plan on taking a trip soon as I haven't traveled in quite a few years (moving so doesn't count) and we have actually never taken a trip together as a couple. Which is crazy.

- Save more dogs! Always. Which brings up the pretty lady in the picture above. Dolly is 14 years young and as you can see... She's a classy lady. Dolly has just been cleared by our vet and is ready for a foster or forever home!

What's your major goal for 2016?

Snapshots Lately

I'm trying so hard to enjoy Christmas but it's been a little hard. Between my full time job, all the holiday photo shoots (December is always my photography busy season), and then trying to just keep up on the house and making Christmas gifts... I haven't had much time for myself or to just relax. That's why I switched shifts this weekend so I could finally get a Saturday off and spend time with Johnny and my friends to go play in the snow at the mountains and finish up some things I desperately need to catch up on. 

That's not to say that I'm not loving my time by the fireplace and the nostalgic warmth I get when I look at the Christmas tree after coming home after a long shift. Or when I see Murderface curled up in Jasper's bed even though it's ten times too small for him. Speaking of cute puppies... Wishbone never found her owner, she wasn't chipped or spayed so she has gone into the rescue I work for. We have a groomer who also foster's so she took Wishbone on for us and that's where she will stay till she finds her forever home. I loved having her here with us but she is very much a puppy. The other foster has more time to do stuff like potty training where I'm more of a medical/older foster dog household. 

I've been crafting up a storm as most of my gifts will be homemade this year. I saw this post on how to burn snowflakes into birch ornaments. I tried out a few owl sketches as well, these are so cute and personal! Not to mention that wood burning is pretty therapeutic. I've never been the best at drawing but with some practice I'm hoping to get better. 

Here's one of my owl ornaments now hanging on our tree. Also, my cute unicorn ornament from Gypsy Warrior finally came! I love it so much!

That wasn't the only Cyber Monday package I received this week. I recently discovered GracemereWoods, and she is amazingly talented. I wish I could carve and paint half as good as she can. You might say I'm having a small obsession with wood ornaments lately and that's ok. We all have our vices. Now I own these amazing pieces and can't wait to add more to my collection. She also included a sweet handwritten note which is always a lovely gesture.

Wrapping things up, another reason I'm making sure to take some added days off is that I'm starting to feel that rescuer burnout. Yesterday we had a family come in with their 12 yr old dog that was suffering from pyometra. Pyo's happen when a female dog is not spayed and the uterus becomes infected. It's very serious and without immediate surgery the animal faces death. The owner was in tears because couldn't afford the surgery, she only had a type of credit that my company doesn't accept. The dog was so sweet and I can't handle people crying... Plus the weight of guilt that was creeping up on me at the thought of them leaving and having their dog die or euthanized when there was a chance of a few years and quality of life left... I couldn't just sit there and hope something would happen. I called in some other rescue groups who luckily felt the same way I did and two of them stepped up and each paid a large chunk of the surgery. The owner had taken out a loan and come back, she was so desperate to save her dogs life which I totally admired. It was awesome being able to tell them they could pay back a large amount of that loan AND get the dog in for surgery. I literally almost burst into tears about twenty times that day and when the dog was curled in the backseat of the car on her way home for recovery in the arms of the owner's child... It made all the stress and worry worth it. 

My emotional state is a little too fragile though and with everything going on in the world as well as the day to day cruelty and unhappiness I see in rescue... I need a few days to regroup and recharge. That's how rescuer's burn out and I finally get it since I'm experiencing it myself. Stepping away from Facebook and not seeing bad things for a few days, focusing on things that make me happy and loving on my own dogs, not having to take on the usual stress of my demanding job (and it is stressful working at a low income spay and neuter facility)... I'm hoping it will help. 

How do you guys usually recharge your batteries? How are you getting ready for the Christmas season?

Wishbone

We are relaxing next to a roaring fire on the couch after a night with good food and even better company. I'm watching the All-Star Dog Rescue special which is even more fitting after the eventful day we had. Pulling out on the street to grab some forgotten groceries this morning, a small dog darted in the road and I immediately started hitting Johnny on the shoulder telling him to pull over. He knows this drill well enough. She almost slipped us a few times but the full credit goes to my boyfriend for sticking with her and cornering her in a neighbor's yard until I could get there. She was shaking and scared and responded to my advances with fear-biting. I threw a shirt over her head and picked her up and she immediately settled down.

After taking her home, I realized I had a little female Shih Tzu on my hands. On closer inspection, she was extremely dirty and covered with mats and feces. Taking in her lovely aroma of pee, I left her in our spare bathroom with a blanket and a bowl of water (she was quite thirsty after that run) and a small bowl of food. After coming back home with some new dog shampoo, she wagged her tail at me and crawled into my lap. Once she realized she was safe, she started to come out of her shell and even rolled over for us to rub her belly. I was able to bathe her and handle her with no incident and even cut out most of the bigger mats which she took all in stride. The picture on the left is when I first found her and the right one is after a bath. What a difference some shampoo makes! Now she has met the boys with no problem, bounced around the yard with them, had a good meal, and is curled up at my side as I write this.

It wouldn't be a Thanksgiving without saving a dog. I swear they know where to find me. I'll be taking her into my work tomorrow to scan her for a chip and luckily my rescue has already offered to sponsor her if an owner can't be located. She's a young and energetic thing, I have no doubt she will go quickly if someone's not looking for her.

This Thanksgiving I am very thankful for my supportive family and friends, my furry boys, the wonderful Churchill Foundation, and the new home I share with my love.  I'm thankful for my dearly departed Sinatra and my Grandpap, who reminded me that life is short and that love lasts forever. I'm thankful for the little dog finding us instead of getting hit by a car or starving in the street, cold and alone. I'm thankful for all the rescue dogs I've worked with and fostered that constantly bring joy, inspiration, compassion, and love into my life. I'm thankful for the readers that follow this blog and who motivate me every day to follow my passions and give me an outlet to do so.

Most of all I'm thankful for this guy who wouldn't have crawled under a car to trap a dog a few years ago but doesn't hesitate to help me now. He's a wonderful man and I'm lucky to call him mine.

We decided to call the little one Wishbone, seemed fitting considering today and we will foster her till she finds her owner/forever home.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

J & J's New Home

I know my little blog has been awfully quiet as of late but I'm determined to change that.

You see, I've been completely unmotivated and lacking in the creative aspect of things. A lot of it had to do with my living situation and my new job. While I get 3 days off from work, the days I work are 10-11 hour shifts which are incredibly draining so doing photo projects or anything else are the last thing on my mind. I was also living with my boyfriend and basically his whole family and after living by myself in the middle of nowhere for 6 months, adjusting to that was really hard for me. My dogs were stressed, I was stressed.

But yesterday Johnny and I moved all out stuff into our new rental and I absolutely adore it. We even have a decent yard for the dogs and you could see the change in their attitude the moment we brought them over. I already feel ten times happier now that we have our own space and I'm so excited to start decorating and making our mark on it. I have so many ideas and projects that I want to try and we are going to start thrifting and heading to the huge Broadacres swap meet to kick start it off.

One of my favorite features in our new house is the fireplace. 

I mean.. Look at that brick. It reminds me of the one we had in the house I grew up in. 

My Nana felt the same way, which is what sold us on the house.

An actually wood burning fireplace which can be a hard find in Las Vegas.

Actually finding a place with hardwood floors, a yard, a walk-in closet, and large dog friendly in a decent safe neighborhood in our price range is really hard to find in Vegas. We got incredibly lucky to find this place when we did. I think God saw I was at my wits end and sent me this gift of a home that I'm so incredibly thankful for. After moving three times in one year, you have no idea how eager I am to finally settle. 

With this new surge of creativity and an extra room for an office space/indoor photography studio... I'm really hoping that by the start of the new year, my photography business will be headed for bigger and better things to make up for the last year of neglect. (Not that it wasn't worth it of course, dog rescue always comes first)

I'm always thankful for those of you that continue to follow and read this little blog no matter how much it's neglected. I promise to make it up to you all.

Murderface and Jasper thank you as well.

Get Locked in Love. Get Jaxed.

I've started doing some photography for a new rescue that I really like and respect called

The Churchill Foundation.

They take on more medically challenging rescues and don't overwhelm themselves with animals so the ones under their care get as much attention, training, and care as they need. 

I love that. It's something that's hard to find in Vegas rescue.

Lock (above) is one of those medical dogs, he has heart defects and some allergy problems. While he is on medical hold for adoption (you can still send in applications if interested) and has to refrain from exercise... It hasn't put a damper on his spirit. 

Lock loves life.

Lock loves puppachinos from Dutch Bro's (which is my new fav coffee place)

Lock loves cuddling.

Lock loves exploring.

Lock loves car rides.

Lock loves you.

Lock is love.

Jax is another great guy from TCF that needs a foster or forever home.

His foster home fell through so he desperately needs a foster home asap.

Jax is one enthusiastic lively dude. He's just so much fun!

He's eager to please and picks up training on a dime. I had him primed for clicker training in the first ten minutes I spent with him. He loves water obsessively to the point that he would probably drown himself in a pool by swimming to death so he's on a training program to learn what moderation is. He would rather ride in the front seat next to you then in the back and loves to snuggle.

Both boys are neutered, up to date on vaccines, and micro-chipped.

I would appreciate anyone sharing these boys photos to help network them for wonderful homes.

Contact The Churchill Foundation for foster/adoption info and you can also follow them on Facebook!

Pearl + Babesia

What is Babesia?

You may have heard it before because it's a disease humans can get, yet dogs can get it as well.

Babesia is a blood illness passed usually through ticks and often found in dog fighting rings.

Pearl is a small pit mix that unfortunately has this disease.

She came from a dog fighting ring in Texas where she was more than likely used for breeding instead of fighting. She likes other dogs but can't be with them unless both are muzzled because of her blood illness. Babesia can't be passed from dogs to human but can be passed dog to dog.

Even though she is currently not on any medication, Pearl may have a shorter life span because of this illness. She could possibly have "relapses" which means she could get seizures, or become anemic, or become lethargic, or various other symptoms. 

It's a shame, because Pearl is one of the sweetest dogs I know and she's only hard to place because she's unable to live with other dogs and cats, plus her future medical care could possibly increase depending on what life throws at her.

Do you have a home where Pearl could be an only dog? Maybe your home would be right for her!

We would love to see this wonderful lady in the right and perfect home this year!

Learn more about Pearl and adoption here

Side note: The antler Pearl was playing with in this mini photo shoot will be sanded down before she actually gets to fully enjoy it.

The Garden

It's almost been a full month that I've been working at Best Friends and I can honestly say I love every minute of it.

I seriously have the best job in the world and I'm learning a lot.

I love my section in Dogtown Heights and I love the dogs even more.

I'm still getting use to daily life here in Utah so I really haven't had much to write about but I figured I would share a few snapshots of Dahlia and Porthos (above), two dogs in my area that I did a mini photoshoot with.

Dahlia is a hound mix that came to Best Friend's as an owner surrender. The owner had been using a shock collar on her that did far more damage then good. At Best Friends and in my own personal preference and experience, we never advise using extreme measures like shock collars. Instead we focus on positive training and reinforcements.

Because of the excessive shocking and abuse, Dahlia is extremely leash reactive towards other dogs even though she likes most dogs. She's currently spending time with a young Lab mix puppy named Porthos and they play quite happily together. Both are currently available for adoption.

Adopt Porthos here

Adopt Dahlia here

2015

I'm writing this from my new comfy couch

In my new cozy place

In my new town

In my new state

Where I started my new job on New Years Eve

That brought sparkly new snow.

So much new to start 2015.

Yes, I'm now living in Utah and I'm officially a Dog Caregiver at Best Friends.

The move was harder then I thought, I won't have internet till next week so between getting here and all the holiday festivities I've been extremely busy.

As you can see Murderface has adapted well, he's loving the snow.

You'll notice Jasper doesn't make an appearance in any of these photos as he refuses to come outside in this white wet stuff.

I'm still adjusting to living in a small town, especially a small town that actually gets snow.

Apparently Vegas got a freak snow storm right after I left, go figure.

I miss my family and friends a lot, I really miss my boyfriend and my grandparents.

I've never been this far away from them before so yes... Still adjusting but my new job makes it so worth it.

I'm reunited with my other boyfriend, the beautiful bully Bruno and it's been a magical winter wonderland since my very first day. Everyone has been really kind and welcoming and mostly everyone remembers me so it's been smooth sailing so far as I get back in the swing of things here.

Oh, I also did have a great Christmas with Johnny and both our families...

I have a feeling our relationship might be headed for new things as well, 

we are talking about him possibly moving up here within a few months which would be wonderful.

2014 was a great year and I'm thinking 2015 might be even better.

Thank you all who read this blog and follow along through the years,

it means a lot to me. Truly.

I'm excited to share my adventures at Best Friend's here and you can also see awesome pictures that I don't always post here on my Instagram.

Weekly Snapshots

1. Nymeria is officially one of the family, she was adopted last week and will live with my grandparents.

2. Murderface is in the Christmas spirit.

3 & 4. I had my Going Away/Christmas get together over the weekend with #teambaddecisions, I decided to channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw with an extra poofy tulle skirt since I doubt I'll be dressing up much in Kanab. Can't believe I'm moving in less then a week! Still so conflicted about it.

5. Went to a baby shower and finally got to play in a photo booth with my love and my friends. 

It's almost Christmas! I can't wait!

NKLV Rescue Only

I was finally able to start working on my photo project from my internship once I got home.

Even though I'm moving, this is still something I plan on continuing whenever I'm back in town visiting.

The No-Kill Las Vegas movement is very important to me. 

Las Vegas will always be my home and I care about what happens here no matter how far I roam. 

That's why I started the NKLV Rescue Only photo campaign to bring awareness to how many animals die in the high kill shelter unless they are pulled for rescue, usually those that are saved are pulled from Rescue Only lists.  

Wilbur, the cockapoo dog photographed above, was on the RO list for dog aggression and dog bite wounds on his back. It's likely that he may have been used as a bait dog due to his wounds and fear of other dogs. He was pulled by a local rescue, fostered, became a foster fail and now lives in a forever home with other dog siblings. He came to his new home already house trained and obedience trained. 

Duffy was on the RO list due to a lame leg. He had to have surgery on it after pulled by another rescue which resulted in a stumpy leg but he was also a foster failure and lives in a home with other animals. Duff was also house trained and obedience trained when his foster/forever mom took him in.  He's also a purebred Pomeranian. 

Both dogs were at the high kill Animal Foundation.

Rescue dogs turn up in shelters for various reasons but are often put on the RO List/euthanized for reasons from shyness, old age, injuries, and mostly for lack of space. Most of the dogs are already trained and have home experience and many are purebred dogs. This is why spay and neuter laws are so important and why we try so hard to end puppy mills and backyard breeders. 

I would love for you guys to support this campaign by following on:

 Facebook 

or

 website. 

I also have links on my website with resources and advice on how to help Las Vegas go No-Kill.

If you plan on adding a new furry friend to your family this Christmas, do me one favor.

Please Adopt. Don't shop.