I don’t know how I haven’t posted about Crimson already! I think between the new website and photo gallery and trying to take care of myself so my brain didn’t overheat and melt, he got lost in the shuffle. But this was such a fun shoot, and such a special dog that I can’t not share this one.
I met with another volunteer at Salt Lake County Animal Services to find a dog for a ‘Hounds Around Town’ . We saw on the board that Crimson hadn’t been on one yet, and we went to meet him. Crimson is about 10, and a full-figured boy. And so incredibly sweet.
I hadn’t been to the murals in Midvale since December (when I about froze my fingers off) and was looking to return, so we all headed to Midvale.
All of the murals we saw were part of the city of Midvale’s Main Street Mural Festival that occurred in 2022. In June of 2023 (so, next week as of this writing), their next mural festival will occur, called Los Muros on Main. I’m looking forward to seeing the new ones from this year!
Crimson was such a good sport, and very happy to pose for treats. We nicknamed him “The Loaf” as he was rather loaf-shaped, but he didn’t seem to mind our gentle teasing – and it was all in good fun.
We were able to visit a few more murals in the area before Crimson went off for a puppaccino.
I really don’t like to see senior dogs in the shelter, and by the end of our outing, I had given serious thought to fostering Crimson. However, when I talked with the shelter staff, I learned that he had come in with his sister, Jersey. Their owner had died and there was no one to take care of them, so they ended up in the shelter. I didn’t want to split them up, even short-term, and I knew the staff was hoping to get them both adopted togther.
It’s a big ask to get someone to adopt two dogs together in any circumstances, but finding someone to adopt two senior pitbulls is a really big ask. I got photos of Jersey and Crimson together, and the staff got a lot of video of the two of them playing together in the dog runs. The staff didn’t want to split them up, but they would if they had to – senior dogs really don’t belong in shelters.
About 4 weeks after I had first met Crimson, and two weeks after I had met Jersey, a miracle happened. A person came along who had seen them on TV, met them both, and knew these two were just what they needed in their lives. Crimson and Jersey got adopted together and settled in to their new home almost immediately.
I am so thrilled that the two of them got to stay together, and that someone saw what I (and so many of the other volunteers and staff ) saw – how special these two dogs are.
I often say that all the dogs I photograph give me a teeny, tiny part of themselves to me when I photograph them, and I carry that in my heart. It’s true, particularly with Crimson, and his sister Jersey.
Dogumentary Pet Photography
