The photographer for a picture book about pit bulls, expected to be published later this year, has been on a national tour to photograph the nation’s most abused and misunderstood dog.
- Photographer Melissa McDaniel rescued her deaf dog Sadie from a shelter. Every year, countless deaf dogs are euthanized because many consider them unworthy of adoption. Photo by Egil Nilsson
Melissa McDaniel of Philadelphia hopes to raise at least $15,000 by August to help her pay the cost to publish the book that shows pit bulls as loving, extraordinary dogs. She plans to donate 10 percent of proceeds to several animal-related charities.
She started the “Pit Bull Photo Book” project while putting together “Deaf Dogs,” a photo book inspired by her dog Sadie. She is also the author of “Rescued in America,” a photo book featuring 105 once-homeless dogs who have found their forever homes. Her next photo book will focus on puppy mills, which is scheduled for release sometime in 2012.
The 8-year-old border collie and lab mix came into McDaniel’s life in 2003 during a visit to a local shelter. She took her nephews so they could help her pick a dog.
A litter of puppies drew their attention and as they approached McDaniel noticed a sign on the kennel with the word “DEAF” written in large block letters.
“Sadie was one of two of the puppies who came up to the front of the kennel and started licking my hand,” McDaniel said. “My nephew said, ‘It is like they chose you.’ And I feel that way still.”
A week later, after being spayed, Sadie slept in the passenger seat during the hour-long drive home, her head resting in McDaniel’s lap.
McDaniel soon learned thousands of deaf dogs are euthanized by breeders each year because they would not sell well. Some shelters also euthanize deaf dogs because many people believe it would be too difficult to find homes for them. When socialized and treated decently, deaf dogs are capable of all the activities hearing dogs can do, according to The Deaf Dog Manifesto.
“Sadie is everything to me. She’s so smart and picked up hand signals so quickly. I was amazed,” McDaniel said. “She taught me to live in the moment and to not let obstacles hold me back. She’s a very happy girl who loves life and lives it to the fullest in only the way that dogs can.”
Discovering pit bulls
To raise awareness for deaf dogs, McDaniel began searching for subjects to photograph. While volunteering at an animal shelter, she noticed the large number of pit bulls and pit mixes would languish there for months.
The more she worked with pit bulls, the more she fell in love with them.
“It was always heartbreaking to be out walking one of the shelter pit bulls, to have potential adopters come up to the dog to say how cute the dog was, and then, upon learning that the dog was part pit bull, they would immediately stop petting the dog and back away.” McDaniel said. “I knew they didn’t deserve the bad reputation the media has given them.”
She started work on “Rescued in America” to change the misconceptions that people have about shelter pets.
Many people believe shelter pets are damaged psychologically or have behavior problems when, in fact, most shelter pets are relinquished for reasons that have nothing to do with the animal, McDaniel said. Common reasons include owners moving to a residence that does not allow pets or specific breeds, inconvenience, divorce and allergies.
McDaniel knew her photos would be ideal for a series of books, and the next logical book should be about pit bulls.
After photographing dogs for the first two books in shelters in almost every state in the U.S. , McDaniel found it heartbreaking to learn the situation was the same almost everywhere: shelters are full of pit bulls and pit mixes.
“I knew firsthand from photographing these dogs that they are wonderful dogs — the ones most likely to wag their tails and lick my face the first chance they could,” she said. “ I just knew I wanted to raise awareness about these great dogs. To try in some way to let people know that these dogs are just that, dogs.”
Vick pit bulls shine
Photographing Michael Vick’s former pit bulls was among the best moments of the trip, McDaniel said. In Oakland, she took pictures of Teddles, Jonny Justice and Uba. In Park City, Utah, she snapped pics of Halle. In Pittsburgh, she photographed Hector, who she first met while capturing his image for “Rescued in America.”
“It’s a true honor to meet and spend time with these dogs,” McDaniel said. “They have changed people’s opinions of fight dogs, have given dogs from future fight busts a chance at life, and they are such a joy.”
The Vick dog’s success after rescue has helped people see fight dogs as the victims they truly are, McDaniel said. Overcoming their past has also given dogs from future fight ring busts a chance at life, because most rescued fight dogs were previously euthanized as a rule.
“Hector, for example, is covered in bad scars,” she said. “However, you would never know by his demeanor his past was so horrible. Hector loves life. He’s a sweet confident dog that lives comfortably with several other dogs. He goes to events to help educate people about pit bulls and dogs from fight busts. He’s so friendly and lovable.”
McDaniel plans to photograph 3 more Vick dogs before the photo tour ends.
Memorable Austin pit bulls
While in Austin, McDaniel photographed several dogs, including Hooch, a hearing pit bull-lab mix who has a deaf owner.
- Alan was rescued from a dog fighting ring earlier this year and will appear in Melissa McDaniel’s photo book “Pit Bull Photo Book,” scheduled for release in late 2011. Photo Courtesy Melissa McDaniel
“Austin has some really well trained dogs,” she said. “The shoots went really well.”
One of McDaniel’s favorite photo shoots of the trip was of a pair of deaf dogs who have deaf owners: Staffordshire terriers Thumper and Rimel.
“Both dogs played together so well for the camera — we got a lot of great action shots — and they were so well-behaved and so cute,” she said. “It was a really fun time.”
Another memorable Austin shoot included two Austin Humane Society dogs that were taken from a large dog fighting bust by the Humane Society of the United States a few months ago, McDaniel said. Alan, pictured above, was one of those dogs.
Publishing a book
McDaniel spent the past 3 months touring 15 states to photograph more than 60 pit bulls. The photo tour will end July 19, after which the real work will begin: picking and adjusting photos, writing text, laying out the book and going through the editing process. After that, promoting and marketing begins. McDaniel will then review proofs and attend press checks.
“Unfortunately the work doesn’t end when the shoots do,” she said. “I love picking out my favorite photos, though — the ones that will be in the books. That is one of my favorite parts of the whole process.”
Two things make the enormous amount of work worth the effort: spending time with animals and the people who love them and having the opportunity to showcase the beauty of dogs.
“It’s a treat to meet so many different pets, with their different looks and different characteristics,” she said. “I have had a number of people contacted me after their pets have passed away to tell me how grateful they were that they had their pets photographed by me and how much those photos mean to them.”
Her greatest hope for “Pit Bull Photo Book” is to help people see pit bulls for the beautiful and goofy dogs they really are.
“I want people to hear their stories and learn that they are working as therapy dogs. I want them to realize they don’t deserve the bad rap they so often get,” McDaniel said. “These dogs are the best educators out there. They aren’t these ‘vicious creatures that you can’t trust because they could turn on you at any moment,’ which is what the media makes them out to be. They are dogs. Period.”
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Tagged: advocacy, book, discrimination, dog, dog fighting, michael vick, pit bullFiled under: Uncategorized
