"Southern Dawgs"

It has been a great trip to horse country in Virginia and we have done two fabulous dog sessions on some incredible estates. I have been very fortunate to experience two wonderful corgis named Flora & Ivy Geranium and an old soul named Arch. I would love to say that I have been romping around in sandles and shorts, but I think I brought the Canadian cold weather with me.

Best part of the trip has been staying with a great friend and visiting with Scarlette and Dash. The dynamic duo of the elegant greyhound and the southern belle black cocker spaniel.

I am looking forward to many future trips back to meet some more incredible southern dawgs.

Cheers
Sue

On the Road!

A week today I'll be a little more South and hopefully enjoying some much needed spring weather! Along with this lovely trip to Virginia to see a great friend will be the privilege of photographing a Great Dane named Arch! I am very excited for this photo session and will update all of you from the warmer temperatures during the trip. Just to keep it real! HA!

Another day at WAG

Keep posted to get a sneak peak to another creative photo session at the Glebe's favorite pet hang out, Wag Doggin it Cafe. Details are being finalized and this time I'll make sure to get everyone in the loop sooner than later. Thanks to all of you who have supported WAG and our photo sessions and for those who have missed out, you'll need to make sure you check back for this one.....it's going to be a real fun time.

Just to keep our lovely thoughts on the weather that is coming soon, here is one of my favorite clients and her beauties on the beach. Hang on Ottawa only 5 more weeks of -23 c.......... but till then, here is some sand for oyu to sink your feet into! This page is from the book of Gabby, Tinkerbelle and Doc. A truly wonderful family that have become a part of mine!

Cheers
Sue

Alleigh & Emma.

It is always hard to hear from clients when one of their faithful friends has continued their journey to the Rainbow bridge, this week we lost a great little friend named Emma.

My thoughts are with Tracey and Ivan, cherishing the images captured during our December photo session.

Sue

A chance to meet & talk!
Bark & Fitz
Sunday January 27th
10-4

Remember this Sunday is the meet n greet where you can come by Bark & Fitz on Richmond Rd in Westboro, near Mountain Equipment co-op and check out some of my new photos hanging on display. We can also chat about any upcoming photo sessions. There is a special in-store booking special for Sunday. Book a Book session and receive an extra 5x5 "brag book" along with the 7x7 hard covered coffee table book. These brag books are a great size for a purse or pocket and give you the ultimate bragging rights about your perfect pet!

Westfest revived!
Included on the walls of Bark and Fitz is this poster I designed that includes all the dogs I photographed for westfest in 2006, I was unable to make it to Westfest in 2007 and so it was a great surprise when owner of Bark and Fitz Ottawa Lynne Grandmaitre reminded me of this file from the 2006 archives. I love the personalities of each dog! I felt it had a touch of spring to it...... and we could use a little of that right now !

Sue

Many of my clients know that I support many organizations that work to better the treatment, the rescue and provide excellent care to animals. I have been very fortunate to have some incredible friends who have worked to make a difference in the lives of the Galgos, regularly donating medical supplies, coats and collars. After seeing some of the most horrific treatment on Galgos, I am drawn to this quote:

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which it treats it's animals". ~ Ghandi

It is always a shock when I see some of the images coming from Europe through some of my sources, concerning the mis-treatment of these animals. I urge you to open your eyes to some of these images and sign the petition and make a stand. If everyone thinks only "one" signature won't make a difference, then there won't be change.


This was recently sent to me in an email:

IN A FEW DAYS THE HANGING HORROR WILL BEGIN, ABANDON AND CRUELTY FOR THESE ANIMALS.

PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME AND READ THIS LETTER OF…..
SIGN TO BAN THE HUNTING WITH GREYHOUND-GALGO.....WE WANT TO GET THOUSAND AND THOUSAND OF SIGNATURES, AND BE HEARD ONCE AND FOR ALL.........WRITE DOWN YOUR COMMENTS, AND PASS IT TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS, AND THESE CONTACTS TO ALL THEIR CONTACTS, WE ARE AT ELECTIONS TIME...............WISH BY FIGHTING ALL TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT.


THE HUNTING SEASON IS COMING TO AN END…. DON’T FORGET AND MAKE THIS LETTER RUN AS FAST AS THE WIND.

THANK YOU SO MUCH…… THEY WILL BE SO GRATEFUL.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/679061315

Sue

BARK & FITZ
Westboro, Ottawa
Richmond Road Sunday January 27th 10-4pm


On Sunday January 27th I will be meeting and greeting anyone who comes out to the BARK & FITZ store between 10 and 4pm. This is a chance for me to chat and meet anyone who has questions about their future Spring & Summer photo sessions.

In fact, I am having a special that day. Book a Book session and you will receive an extra free hard covered 5x5 brag book as part of your package! These great brag books are the talk of the town when you pull them out of your purse (or back pocket)! Imagine the buzz having your very own published book of you & your dog!

Owner Lynne Grandmaitre of Bark & Fitz is hosting a month long exhibit of some of my new work as well. Featured in the store are a collection of previous published clients books, new prints and a slide show featuring photos never featured before.

I would love to meet you and your loyal companions, so come on out with your coffee in hand and say hello!


Cheers
Sue

Welcome 2008!

A very big thank you to all of the clients who made 2007 a fantastic year. It was great to meet so many incredible dogs an owners who's passion for the love of their companions inspires me to capture that special bond every time! I am very lucky to have created a special bond with each of you and I cherish the relationships that we have created despite the loss of our furry friends.

There was some great events including Lick for Life bringing awareness to Lifestream, A Kingston based animal blood bank organization in it's start-up phase. The girls of Paws for Charity were able to raise over $1500 for the Canadian Cancer Society and breast cancer research, a huge thank you to all of the clients who purchased copies of my new 2 year perPETual calendar, with a total of $144 dollars from the sales of the calendar from October to December! Dewey beach was a fantastic trip this year with beautiful weather and lots of waves to swim in! Did I mention that this trip is in October and yes we were swimming! BARK had some great events that we were a part of. This organization does wonderful work helping rescue dogs out of some of the most horrific situations. And they helped me find Chilly, my wacky little terrier.....or so we think is a terrier? This little ball of fire has added a huge element of laughter, love and loyalty that my two girls aged 2 and 5 have cherished. What a wonderful gift to teach children. Future rescue and animal activists for sure!

I really feel so lucky to have met and been a part of capturing memories for the souls who have followed their journey to Rainbow Bridge. Each one of these animals has touched my heart and I have been so privileged to have captured their spirits and keep the memories alive for their special owners.

A year in review is always a huge task and so I'll leave this post with a new start, late in the fall I had the opportunity to capture a new type of client! Harry the CAT! What a stunning little soul! Eyes that rip right through to your heart! Here is a sneak peak of some of the great images we captured of Harry.........

So yes, we are now accepting commissions for our furry feline friends as well!

So my new years resolution...........to blog more frequently. That's for you Aunt Sue! LOL!

Cheers
Suzanne

A country "KISSmas" Pic!
What a great time Friday night at WAG. Thanks to all the staff that helped make this event go smoothly and for feeding me lemonaid!

Although not very many people wanted to be in the photos (oh well) we still had some great shots with some funky hats and scarfs! Here are a few of my favorites, but honestly they all tunred out great.

Just a quick note to everyone picking up the photos and greeting cards, I am hoping to have them all at WAG for pick up by Friday night. I'll keep you posted and give you a ring when they are at the store and ready.

BARK santa photos
President and founder of BARK Sharon McKeil, sent me the results of Saturday's pictures with SANTA! WOW a whopping $6000 was raised with $2000 alone being raised by the photos with Santa. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the festive gathering this past Saturday.

And a HUGE thank you to Photographer and newcomer to volunteering for BARK, Stephanie Paquette. Thrown into the fire for her first time as photographer for this event! Stephanie was shooting almost non-stop from 8 to 5 and photographed over 200 dogs! Way to go Stephanie and thank you for all your time!

Dogs in Canada Magazine

Just a note to followers and fans of Dogs in Canada Magazine. The new Dogs Annual is now available and features lots of local dogs this year. Featured on the cover of the Directory of Breeders is a beautiful seven week old Siberian Husky from Kortar Kennels of Kemptville, Ontario. I was photographed this beautiful pup last year in the fall at Kortar Kennels. Thank you for a wonderful time and the time to capture this stunner shot.

On a side note I had a great time going through hundreds of entries submitted for the Dogs Annual photo contest. Congratulations to all the winners of both the dog & cat photo contest. Great shots everyone! Also T a big thanks to photographer and close friend Brigitte Bouvier for helping judge all the entries.

Dogs in Canada December issue Page 16

It was a long wait, but WOW it turned out great! Last winter I photographed a Skijoring event help here for an article written by dog writer Diane Schuller. If you were at the event, give me an email and I can send you the login details for the gallery posted on my web site.

Keep posted for some great new additions I have sourced for clients in 2008. Lots of new items to purchase from your photo sessions and ways to commemorate your beloved pet.
(And you may be surprised to see a new line of photos popping up on the URBAN Dog blog.......let's just say....meow?)

Cheers
Sue

B.A.R.K.'s 5th Annual Photos with Santa!

A great day to spend with your dog, Santa and a room full of dedicated professionals and volunteers who love their dogs unconditionally. Great products for sale and this year B.A.R.K. has opened the room to Vendors as well. I have passed the relay baton to Photographer Stephanie this year.

I am going to be helping this year at the event and I will have a table with calendars and books to look at.

Here is the information on the event:

Sat December 1st 8am -5pm
St. Richards Church
Merivale and Rossland
Cost $10
Raffle prizes & VENDORS too!

Come out and say hello!
sue

A Country "kissmas" Pic

It is booking up fast, this year's Country Kissmas Pic at Wag Doggin it Cafe on Bank St. The wonderful staff at WAG are booking the sessions for Friday November 30 from 3-9pm. Sessions are by appointment only, but there may be room for walk-ins too.

The concept is a country feel to a great photo of your pouch giving you a kiss! UNDER the mistle toe (paw)! This one should prove to be a hoot! Sessions are $59 and include a custom 5x5 print ready for framing and 5 custom country kissmas cards.

Hope to see you there!
Cheers
Sue

BARK & FITZ
Come out to see my new collection of images featuring the dogs of Ottawa's Bark & Fitz at their location in Westboro.

One of Ottawa's favorite stores to find a unqiue gift for the discerning dog owner.

You can also pick up your 2 yr perPETual calendar, a perfect stocking stuffer fit as well as supporting PAWS for Charity at the same time.

Keep posted for information on my meet the artist day at Bark & Fitz in the coming year, a chance to come and say hello and see some of the dog books that I have published over the past couple of years.

Cheers.
Sue

It is too often that I seem to be posting another farewell tribute to a fantastic dog that has touched people's lives. I want to start by saying that I take my job of photographing people's pets' as a true dream come true. The bond between people and their animals is one of the most pure emotions I have had the pleasure of capturing as a photographer. Being able to capture in an image what people see of their animal in their own eyes is my mission as a photographer.

I connect with each dog, I love to see their true spirits come alive during each session, nothing is more true than my photo session with Louis.

One of my first photo session at Greyhounds Reach the Beach in 2006 was with Louis and his entourage. Louis was majestic, young at heart and had a wise but young at heart look in his eyes. At only four years old, Louis was diagnosed with cancer only weeks after GRTB 2006.

After surgery , love and care and a year of receovery , I was so inspired to bump into Louis on the beach this past fall at GRTB 2007! How incredible to see his spirit in tact after his battle! It made my year to see him!

And so it was such a huge sadness when I received an email only a week after returning from GRTB, that I was informed that Louis suffered from a huge internal hemmorage that they could not stop. Louis left us with only memories from a few short years.

It is dogs like Louis & all the others that have I have photographed and that we have lost, that make our lives whole. Without them we may have not seen or come to know the definition of bond, selfless love and silent devotion.

Every year I will raise a toast to Louis on the sands of GRTB.

Sue

Calendar review~
"Hi Sue, - Just wanted to let you know that the calendars arrived last week & they are gorgeous. I ordered one for myself and another for a Christmas gift. " Erin, New Brunswick

Thanks Erin! Glad you like the calendars. Enjoy!
Suzanne

perPETual calendar ®

Time to order the perPETual calendar for stuffing those stockings. They are available for ordering off of my web site under the buy link. It is a 2 year calendar featuring one year of greyhound photography and one year featuring all breed photos.

The calendar is perpetual and can be used forever! No year or day of the week is attached.

Sue

The Galgos

Every story of horrible treatment to an animal is always alarming & disturbing to me. After hearing about the GALGOS and seeing some of the horrible treatment documented on the internet, I had to draw your attention to this situation. And although there are stories of dogs being mistreated all over the world, I mentally can only handle helping one group at a time. I hope this posting will help one person make a difference in a glagos life.
Adoptions are available to us in North America and you can also help volunteer at a shelter in Spain. The body of text below was taken from a community forum for the organization www.galgorescue.org Galgo Rescue Interntaional Network (GRIN)

Without a massive international onslaught, the Spanish Greyhounds (known as "Galgos") are condemned. Condemned to suffer and to die in a deafening media silence.

For just 2, maybe 3 years of their short lives those gentle Greyhounds from across the ocean only know a miserable life, with no advantages, before experiencing the most violent and unimaginable death.


In Spain, Galgueros (hunter with Galgos) do not use guns, they use their Hounds. But those hunters show no mercy to their faithful companions. The Galgos are treated as hunting tools, shut in a shed most of the time, ignored except for the hunt.

Already used to maltreatment by the age of 12 months, deprived of food and care, their owners do not hesitate to always inflict more atrocious suffering. In spring hunting season ends. The massacre and abandonment of Galgos reaches its height when the galguero, devoid of all feeling, carries out the final atrocity. The most traditional method remains, to this day, hanging by a method known as œthe pianist. The Galgo hangs, its feet just touching the ground, causing it extreme agony for several days. Then, exhausted and suffocated, it collapses, “hanging himself freeing the Galgueros of any kind of guilt. Whilst out for a walk in the forests of Spain, it is not unusual to make the macabre discovery of one of these unwanted Galgo hanging from a tree.

Around 10,000 Galgos are thus sacrificed each year, out of a total of 500,000 continually renewed by the galgueros. Hopefully there are rescue teams battling without let-up against these rituals of a by-gone age; rituals which involve abandonment, training to run fast behind a moving vehicle, starvation because they are then supposed to run faster to catch the hares, limbs amputated by unimaginable cruelty and pain. In some regions of Spain, especially in the South, the slow agony of the Galgos guards the tradition of this taste of men playing with death and, unhappily, it is difficult to eradicate some of these rituals, even the most unbelievably cruel.

Galgos are also very often stolen in the shelters by the Gypsies, they usually use them as bait in dogs fight, the are also using them for their hunting needs, they are very cruel and heartless...

After 5 years of non-stop battle, and influenced by different Greyhound and Galgos rescue organisations, Barbara Lefranc joined the Scooby-Belgium team ( www.scooby-belgium.be ) in June 2007, their priority being to mobilise public knowledge and opinion and to get Spanish petition signed-up in order to obtain a law to forbid hunting with Galgos in Spain. Helped and assisted by a team of volunteers, Scooby-Belgium steps in, notably in welcoming the Galgos into their associated refuges in Spain, and then finding caring homes in Belgium and France.

The mission of the association.

1. To remove these gentle defenceless animals from immediate danger.
2. To welcome them into the refuges and rehabilitate them both mentally and physically.
3. To find them homes with families who will give them the love they deserve.

Never abandon their post
A tribute & farewell to Uncle Buster

An incredible story was passed on this evening. A very special uncle in my family passed away this past week. My Uncle Buster and Aunt Dorothy have been a special part of my life. As a child, growing up in Montreal, I would visit their farm. I loved everything about those visits and those trips mean so much more as an adult.

With every visit was a special dog that would greet you at the gates, herd you back to the farm house when you ventured too close to the creek in the back fields and protect Uncle Buster's cows from the darkest of night's noises. There was always a special dog......

During the funeral of uncle Bus, my Aunt Dorothy was sitting on a chair in a cemetery surrounded by fields of cows and farmers crops. Out of no-where a beautiful blonde lab appeared by her side and raised his paw on to her lap. Since Uncle Bus' funeral, this beautiful dog has not left her side. No one knows where this dog came from, none of the neighbours have seen this dog before....he just appeared.

"Noble and True, the dog will fight to mend all that is unjust, a loyal and faithful friend dogs make any sacrifice for the sake of another, they never abandon their post, a genuine listener and confidant, the dog is keeper of all secrets." ~Year of the Dog

Blair Animal Hospital

If you have had the chance to visit Blair Animal Hospital, you will have met some of the most caring and providing staff that you and your pet can have during your animal's visit. If you get a chance take a trip down to the clinic to see the newly displayed photos of the staff and their furry friends on the wall. Throughout the summer we held photo sessions & gathered favorite quotes to highlight the excellent staff of Blair Animal Hospital.

Sue

Greyhounds Reach the Beach
It was another incredible trip to Rehoboth Deleware for Greyhounds Reach the Beach. The weather was a huge improvement, with sunny skies and HOT sandy surf! Thank you for everyone who allowed me to be a part of your special weekend with some fantastic images captured on the beach! For now I had to post a group shot of the Dewey crew! 12 hours of brainstorming & motivational conversations was probably my second favorite part of the trip. A huge thank you to artist Kelly Oliphant Burns of doodledogpaintings, Char Harding of Aroundthehounds.com, Julie Kelly of Chillydogs.ca. [and yes that's me in the back]

Keep posted for some shots from around Rehoboth & shots from the beach.

Sue

Greyhounds Reach the Beach
We are off, the Canuck team of Julie Kelly Chillydogs.ca, Char Harding of Around the hounds.com, Kelli Oliphhant-Burns doodledogpaintings.com and myself are packed and ready to hit the beaches of Deleware USA.

A fantastic weekend of vending and meeting some great inspirational greyhounds. This will be my second year at GRTB and I am excited for our dynamic Canadian team offering incredible design, art and photography.

Once again we are having our special invite only Design & Wine pre-GRTB evening at our cozy cottage in Rehoboth. This is a great night of casual mingling and getting a sneak peek at the offerings of these inspirational vendors.

Joining this fantastic canadian evening is California's Cara Brockhoff of NorthCoast Greyhounds. Her jewells will bedazzle you! We are so honored to have Cara and her incredible fundraising talents join us for the second year in a row.

So with door prizes and exclusive shopping, this proves to be another great way to start off GRTB 2007! See you soon!

Sue

New non-dog blog!
It seems only natural to provide clients with a different venue for the other forms of photography that are covered under my umbrella. Photography is my passion and drives me to create images that impact the on-looker no matter what the subject. The ability to move people with photography is my goal in with every pixel captured. I appreciate those who of you who let me know that you are checking in and enjoy the blog, so for you I have created another way to keep up to date. www.suebirdphotos.blogspot.com

Hope you enjoy!
Cheers
sue