Holly Springs Engagement Session – I was so excited to photograph Breslin, Leslie and Joe at a non-athletic event! hehe I’ve been photographing this sweet trio for several years at the SPCA K93K and Santa Paws 5K. Joe even had me play a role in popping the question when he proposed at last year’s Dog Walk! As part of the proposal, he also purchased a gift certificate for engagement photos! Men, take note.
This fall proved to be a very rainy, cloudy season. But we were finally able to find an afternoon that was dry and still capture the beautiful fall leaves! We met at a gorgeous park in Holly Springs for their session. Leslie had texted me photos of their outfit ideas and she knocked it out of the park! Leslie and Joe told me they aren’t “picture people,” but were thankfully very pleased with their family photos! Breslin is so well-behaved, sweet and loving! He has gone from a homeless puppy at the SPCA of Wake County to a certified therapy dog! One of my favorite things from our session was asking Breslin “do you want to go to the bar?” to get him to look at me and perk up his ears. LOL He knows that means going on a car ride and sitting outside on the patio with mom, dad and friends. What a tough life! Read more of their story below!
Here is their story in Leslie’s words:
We lost our first SPCA rescue to cancer just before his third birthday. Joe and I knew we would not make it very long without a four-legged family member. We made it six days. We visited the SPCA of Wake County on a Wednesday evening and immediately a little black puppy being pushed in after his neuter surgery caught our eyes. We could not adopt him that evening since he had just come back from the clinic, but Joe and I returned right after work on Friday (SPCA is closed on Thursdays) to adopt “Gates” as he was known. We renamed him Breslin to celebrate my crazy dedication to my alma mater (Michigan State University). Breslin was your average-trouble-making lab puppy but grew much faster than anticipated. He was estimated to be 50-65 pounds, but now weighs in at 89 pounds. I learned early on in our obedience training that Breslin loved agility. We have attended obedience/agility classes since Breslin was about six months old. About a year ago (when Breslin was approximately 3), his trainer noted how Breslin’s zeal for life seemed to be contagious to children and adults alike. We decided that I should pursue therapy dog training in addition to his obedience/agility. So for approximately six months, we trained all the time helping Breslin to adjust to many different environments and learn how to take commands and directions in unfamiliar settings. In March 2015, Breslin took the Therapy Dogs International test (it took almost five hours!) and passed with flying colors. We have been volunteering with therapy dog work ever since. We regularly visit the pediatrics department of WakeMed Raleigh, Ronald McDonald House of Durham, Raleigh Boys Club, and many other church/youth group functions. I am extremely encouraged by the positive impact Breslin can make on a child in the emergency room or a family with a sick child. His infectious love of life spreads to all who share even a small pet or two. We also work with any and all rescue events/groups and any way we can help to save more of his rescue friends who make the best family members!
