As a dedicated advocate for shelter dog adoption, photographer Emma O’Brien has several rescue dogs of mixed breeds in her care and she doesn’t discriminate between breeds. However, for this particular project, she turns her attention to purebred dog adoption and what she found was concerning. Normally, mixed-breed dogs are frequently surrendered to shelters due to rampant breeding and they have no inherent financial value, putting them at a disadvantage for those seeking a specific breed.
However, during the creation of her ‘Dogs Unleashed’ series, she realized that even the purebred dogs she photographed for the project were in need of new homes for three main reasons: a lack of breed-specific understanding, no longer being financially profitable to breeders, and breeders closing down or abandoning their puppies. Here are a few beautiful photographs of adorable pedigree rescue dogs she captured.
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#1 Akela – Her Owners Didn’t Want Her
#2 Milo – Rescued from an Abusive Home
#3 Leo – He was Wandering the Streets of Johannesburg like a Stray
#4 Riley – Found Left Alone at a Rental Property
#5 Callie – Orphaned After Her Breeder Passed Away
#6 Gunther – He Has Been Sent Hand to hand by People Who Couldn’t Cope With Him
#7 Jesse – Her Leg Was Broken and Her Owners Was Not Able to Afford Vet Bills
#8 Twig – Her Owners Emigrated and She Was Abandoned
Emma O’Brien is a professional dog photographer from the UK based in South Africa now. She has a passion for capturing the unique personalities and emotions of dogs through her lens, and her photographs showcase her love for these furry creatures. With her creative eye and technical skills, Emma creates images that are both beautiful and heartwarming. Through her photography, Emma strives to bring awareness to the joy and love that dogs bring into our lives.
#9 Chucky – Surrendered Because His Energy Levels Are So High and His Owners Couldn’t Keep Up
#10 Bonnie – Escaped from a Backyard Breeder and Was Found Wandering the Streets
#11 Nova – Handed Over to a Shelter Because She Was Deaf by Birth
#12 Lisa – Used as a Puppy Mill Machine Until She Was Too Old
#13 Zapa – Surrendered to a Shelter Without a Valid Reason
#14 Luca – She Was Surrendered Because Her Owners Couldn’t Handle Her
#15 Queenie – Kept in a Cage for 8 Years as a Puppy Mill Machine
#16 Bonsai – A Puppy Rescued from an Unwanted Litter
Emma has used his photographic skills and creativity to create perfect portraits, in order to convey her message. We all can agree that her attempt was 100% successful.
The ultimate goal of this project is to highlight that purebred dogs are also often in need of adoption, just as much as mixed-breed dogs. The reasons range from breed-specific misunderstandings to financial reasons, to abusive breeding practices. Adopt a dog if you can, irrespective of whether it is pedigree or mongrel, and give a deserving animal the love they crave for.
#17 Tyson – Given Up Due to His Excessive Energy
#18 Eddie – His Owners Were Not Able to Handle His Extreme Energy
#19 Hunter – Owner Had to Send Him Away Because the Other Dog Continued to Attack Him
#20 Maddy – Abandoned When Her Breeder No Longer Needed Her
#21 Nova – Surrendered Because His Owner Couldn’t Care for Him
#22 Brooklyn-Stella – Her Breeder No Longer Needed Her, So She Was Sold on Facebook
#23 Enzo – He Was Left Alone When His Owners Emigrated
#24 Leila – In Her Seventh Home Because Previous Owners Couldn’t Contain Her
#25 Stoffel – His Owners Didn’t Like Him
#26 Luca
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