Navidad is a sweet young Labrador pup that was a stray and was pulled from the Humane Society by Arizona Labrador and Giant Breed Rescue. He has a growth disorder that was caused by malnutrition. He needs to have surgery on 3 of his legs to help him grow and function properly. Please consider helping by visiting www.azlabsandgiants.orgto make a donation.

Sasha is a sweet and gentle 4 year old apricot color Mastiff that weighs 110 lbs. Rice is a shy and mellow male brindle Mastiff that weighs 120 lbs. Both of these cuties are available for adoption through Arizona Labrador and Giant Breed Rescue. Visit www.azlabsandgiants.org for more info.

Most of the photos on this gallery are available for royalty free usage licensing. Click here to visit our gallery on Shutterstock or click here to license from us directly.

Both girls were awarded to Pinal County by the court and surrendered by their previous owner. Against All Odds was given custody of the family. In order to keep the babies healthy and out of a kennel environment. They are currently living with a foster family and will be available for adoption in a few weeks.

For more information on Against All Odds Foundation and on how you can adopt Harper or Maggie, click here to visit their website or visit them on Facebook by clicking here.

Story by  Sugar’s Foster Mom:

Sugar found her foster family. She walked up to my husband and licked the back of his calf. When he turned around he saw a starving little sweetheart that was just skin and bones. She had very full teats, and it was obvious that she had puppies in the recent past. The kindness in her eyes pulled at my husband’s heartstrings, and he took her into his office and fed her what he could from the refrigerator. He and his co-worker searched for the puppies to no avail. Sugar was no help as she would not leave my husband’s side.

My husband’s office is located in an industrial area of the city, and it became obvious that Sugar had been dumped. Sugar has had the tops of her ears cut off as is done with dogs used as breeders. Because Sugar is so tiny (she only comes up to your knee), she was probably used as a breeder, and once her job was done, she was left in the streets to starve. She is by no means a fighter, she gets along great with all of our other dogs (a lab, shepherd, malti-poo, and Chihuahua) our two cats, and our two year old son. She has no propensity towards aggression.

However, Sugar is a puppy and loves to play! The day after we found Sugar, we took her to the vet. He said that she is very young, and probably got pregnant on her first heat. She is definitely ready for her forever home, and she deserves the best.  Can you adopt her?

For mor information on how you can adopt Sugar or any of the many dogs in need of fur-ever homes that are under the care of Valley Dogs Rescue Group, visit their website at www.ValleyDogs.org.

Max was found at a car wash in South Phoenix.  He was dragging a long rope (he had easily chewed through with his incredible teeth – Extremely large K9’s).  He walked past lots of people waiting for their cars to be cleaned and stopped at a woman and her daughter.  He sat, smiled, waited for a petting and then moved on and left the car wash.  The woman could not get him out of her mind.  A frantic call was made to her husband to come quick and find him, get him off the street prior to being hit.  So, he drove quickly and arrived to find his wife standing in the middle of a side street but, no dog in site.  As she leaned into the passenger window and said I cannot find him Max appeared in front of the car wiggling his nub of a tail and seeking her attention once again.  He was quickly scooped up and taken to safety.

Max was in bad shape.  He had been badly bitten from dog fights.  His head had multiple punctures that were very infected with discharge.  Max was also very skinny and in need of a good bath!  The family posted him as a found dog but no one claimed him.  So, he was to be put up for adoption though Valley Dogs.  The issue was there were no fosters available.  So, the family agreed to foster him until a new home was found.  The family became foster flunkies.  Now 7 years later he is “plump”, happy and guards the back yard 12 hours a day from lizard and bird attacks.  Once in a while he brings one in to show off!

He now is the Beta in the dog pack and adopts all of the puppies brought into the home as fosters.  He chews on them (play – most completely fit in his huge mouth) and licks them until soaked.

To license Copper’s photos for your commercial needs, click here to visit our stock photography library.

Boy was I happy to join my foster family! My favorite part of the day is going on walks. I can check out what’s going on in the neighborhood and get some exercise. I also like to play with my squeaky toy and snuggle in the laps of my foster parents.

I always have to be up-to-date on what is happening in the house so I sometimes sit up on my hind legs so I can see everything that is going on since I’m pretty little.

I love to stay warm – especially during the winter time, so I like to hang out in my sweater and snuggle in warm blankets. I don’t mind my foster brother and sister dogs – sometimes we play but I like to do my own thing too. I’m pretty low maintenance but enjoy being where the people are in the house.

The nice people at Valley Dog’s Rescue are taking very good care of me but I would really like to find my fur-ever home. Please click here to find out more information about how you can become my new family.

To license Copper’s photos for your commercial needs, click here to visit our stock photography library.

The family had left days prior to a man finding her while checking on the house. She was just 8 weeks old and starving. The man took her in, nursed her back to health and made her his family.

Copper’s new dad is a Vietnam Veteran and has fallen on hard times. They were homeless and living across the street from the VA in a storage area behind a gas station. Mid November Valley Dogs / Veterans and Their Pets℠- VaTP (www.veteransandtheirpets.org) received a call from the VA requesting immediate assistance with Copper because her dad needed to be hospitalized. Valley Dogs arranged for her to be transferred to a boarding facility while they worked on a temporary foster. While in Valley Dog’s care, they updated all her shots, bathed, micro chipped and spayed her. Just prior to Thanksgiving, they reunited Copper with her dad. Since she had just been fixed and it was cold and rainy, they could not have her living on the street. So, VaTP℠ placed them in a hotel while Valley Dogs worked with the VA to find them a halfway house. Space was available but not for both dad and Copper. This was not acceptable to her dad and he would choose to live on the street. So, VaTP℠ and the VA worked together until they found a home that would accept both Copper and dad. They now are getting back on their feet, healthy and looking for employment so they can be self sufficient.

Copper is a perfect (poster dog) for homeless Veterans animals. She is well behaved and highly social. She is always a happy girl and loves people.

For more information on Valley Dogs Rescue and how you can help to foster dogs in need of temporary care, visit their website at www.ValleyDogs.org.

For more information on Veterans and Their Pets℠, visit their website at www.VeteransAndTheirPets.org.

To license Copper’s photos for your commercial needs, click here to visit our stock photography library.

Once a month, A Dog’s Life Photography will allow one rescue group to bring in up to 5 animals (not limited to dogs) to be photographed.  Note: This means that there are only 12 openings for the year. Act soon to sign up before all the slots are gone.

We will provide you with at least two professionally edited, high resolution digital photos of each animal. You may use these photos for any purpose that is intended to promote your rescue group or the adoption of any animal under the care of your rescue group. This includes but is not limited to the following photo usage:

• Adoption ads
• Website design
• Marketing materials
• Business cards
• Logos
• Promotional items such as Tshirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, etc. through standard printing methods or print on demand outlets such as Zazzle and Café Press.

Be creative and use this opportunity to raise funds for your rescue group! Create a pay-per-vote contest for your volunteers or previous adopters to compete to have their pets be chosen as one of the lucky 5 animals to be photographed. Then use the photos to create promotional merchandise to be sold to raise funds for your group. Whatever you decide to do, it’s up to you which animals you choose. The only requirements we have are the following:

• Dogs must know basic sit and stay commands
• No animals with any aggression issues
• You must be willing to bring the selected animals to my home based studio in Phoenix on your designated photo day.
• You must be willing to allow us to take some additional photos of the animals for our own resale purposes.
• You must be a 501c3 group and an authorized representative from the group must sign a release allowing A Dog’s Life Photo to use the photos for any purpose.

Click here to see the available dates for 2012. To sign up, send an email to susan@adogslifephoto.com including the month that you would like to sign up for and some basic info about your group.

On a side note… We are asked to do a lot of photo calendars each year. Due to the extensive amount of work that we put into these calendars, they will be handled separate from this program. We will only do two calendars this year. So, get your requests for 2013 calendars in as soon as possible! Our calendar fee is $1200.00 or $600.00 plus 30% of net proceeds of all sales. ADLP will provide you with 13 photographs to be used for your calendar. This fee does not include graphic design, calendar layout or creation or sales services.

Brought to you by:

We are exited to announce the:

2012 OMD Calendar Model Search

Does your dog have what it takes? 

There’s only one way to find out!

All dogs that are lucky enough to have their dog-parents schedule them for a professional photo session by A Dog’s Life Photography at the fabulous Oh My Dog Boutique and Spa in Old Town Scottsdale on either September 18th or October 2nd will automatically have their photos submitted to the judges, which include representatives from some very high end pet product lines. Selected dogs will be photographed with the pet products that will be featured in the 2012 calendar published by Oh My Dog.

Who will be the next Susan Lanci dog?

Or the Bessie and Barney bed Representative?

Does your dog have the Face for Stella and Chewies?

For the low entry fee of $150 you will receive a professional 30 minute photo session, including 5 edited and web-optimized images (A $250 value!)

Want to really get the judges attention for a better shot at winning?? For an additional $50, Jackie and the OMD Styling Team will style your dog with Clothing, Accessories and Props to simulate a real model cover shoot. A complimentary high resolution, professionally enhanced and edited digital photo (valued at $100) is also included.

The 12 winning dogs will receive the following:

***PRIZES***

• Complimentary grooming and styling from the OMD team to get them looking picture perfect for their second photo shoot by A Dog’s Life Photography for their calendar page.
• The models will represent a retail pet product not only in the calendar but also on the Oh My Dog website, Facebook, in the boutique, and in the promotional video for the product.
• That model will also receive a digital copy of their calendar page and an 8×10 photo from A Dogs Life Photography.

Space is very limited. Call Oh My Dog Boutique at 480-874-1200 today to schedule you photo session!

Click Here to visit Oh My Dog Boutique and Spa’s website.

• Learn to recognize the early signs of fear in your pet.  Some animals run and hide, others may stick to their owners like glue, and still others may become aggressive.  If you notice your pet showing abnormal behaviors, especially during the loud noises of fireworks or thunder, pay attention.  The earlier you catch the fear, the easier it is to change their mindset.
• Try to avoid bringing your pet to a new or different environment at the time of the fireworks.  Allow them to stay where they feel the most comfortable and safe.   If you can confine them to a smaller space, like a bedroom or their kennel, even better.
• Create an environment that “ignores” the loud noises.  You can turn the stereo or TV up loud and close the windows/drapes.  If they can’t hear or see the fireworks, the chances are better that they won’t be bothered.
• Act like it’s no big deal.  Your pet will be looking to you when they don’t understand what the noises are.    The main point here is to remain calm and continue “business as usual”.  If you act differently, like pacing around the house worried they might get scared, that cues them to be afraid.  Try to avoid this.
• Give them ample distractions to pass the time.  Save a super yummy treat like a marrow bone or a filled Kong to give to them during the fireworks/thunderstorm.  If they are rewarded they are certainly not thinking about scary things!  Make sure it’s something that will take them a while to work on.  The longer they are focused on what makes them happy, the less time they have to be afraid.  It’s important to remember that timing is everything when it comes to the treat.  It’s best to give it to them right before the noises start.  If you wait until they are in full-on fear mode, they probably won’t be able to eat anything.  You can also use this time to freshen up on obedience and training.  During an especially loud thunderstorm, I’ll run Chloe through her commands so that she has a different distraction.  Of course she gets rewards for good behavior and we have the added benefit of extra bonding time!  Make the most of distracting your pet, you can also play fetch or use the time to practice your pet massage skills!
• Make sure that your pet has all its identification tags on his collar.  If micro-chipping is an option, I highly suggest this as an added backup measure in case he gets out of his collar somehow.  If he gets frantic, his actions become unpredictable.  Make sure you are covered for any situation that might arise.  Do NOT leave your pet unattended in a car, a backyard (whether fenced in or not), or tethered to a stake.

Keep your pets safe this 4^th of July by following a few easy steps and planning ahead.  For the health of your pet and for your own peace of mind, you’ll be glad you did.  Have a fabulous 4^th of July!

~Laura

Chloe at the Greyhound Gathering, Kanab Utah,  May 2010

References:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_HolidayFireworks.html

http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbehaviorproblems/a/fireworks-phobias-in-dogs.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2362778_ease-dogs-fear-fireworks-.html