The phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” may be a very old one, but age has not diminished the true meaning of the words.  That’s most likely the reason that a photo of a bride getting to spend some time with her therapy dog to calm her nerves before she ties the knot has become as big as it has.

Valerie Parrott and he dog Bella are pictured in the photo above.  Bella is Parrott’s dog, and she helps out with stress and anxiety management.  They go everywhere and do everything together, and at her wedding, Bella got to wear a specially made dress for the occasion.

The photographer managed to snap off this heartwarming photo before the ceremony took place.  It especially encapsulates the love and understanding between the two, and really shows that Bella has an understanding of why she is as important as she is to Parrott.

“She will do things like lick my hands or lean and put her weight on me to get me to focus on her instead of my surroundings,” said Parrott in an interview with The Huffington Post.  “Basically it helps me to take a moment away from whatever is causing the anxiety and keeps me from having a panic attack.”

Not only was Bella a standout at the wedding, but the other attendees enjoyed her so much, that the positive feedback from them was overwhelming according to Parrott.  It has inspired her to start her own blog about life with Bella as a service dog.  As soon as it is up and running, we’ll have more for you.  Stay connected to Life With Dogs at our blog site, www.lifewithdogs.tv, or on our Facebook page for more information as we have it!

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Oliver the Goldendoodle never imagined he would become an online star, but after his owner Breanna Wright started taking pictures of the adorable dog and posting them on Instagram, the dog reach stardom, gaining more than 52,000 fans.

The two-and-a-half-year-old dog lives in Bryson City, North Carolina, and loves posing for the camera. Watch some of his adorable shots below.

Read the original story here.

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The English Staffordshire terrier brothers love dressing up in cozy pajamas and cuddling up in front of the camera for their mom, Jennifer McLean. McLean and her fiancé adopted Darren from a breeder four years ago and a year later, he was joined by Phillip Clearly. These snuggly cuties, both runts of their litters, were meant to be siblings.

McLean, an amateur photographer, was inspired by the sweet boys’ habit of curling up together in their sleep.

Initially only uploading photos to her personal Facebook, McLean says friends and family members were convinced she had somehow managed to coax them into the poses.

But she swears she just happens to catch the cuties being their own adorable, snuggly selves!

The puppy pair don’t like to be more than a few feet away from each other, even when the camera isn’t around.

Though sometimes they take turns stealing the spotlight for a solo photo session.

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Whether they love hopping into the tub with their rubber ducky, or they would rather hide under your bed for the rest of their life than set one paw in there, their sweet faces always give them away. The side-by-side portraits really capture just how emotional the whole ordeal is for each of these cuties.

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But her work never stops. There are always dogs being overlooked for various reasons (like unfair breed stereotypes). Shuster aims to allow their true, lovable personalities shine through her lens.

Each of these precious faces was passed over time and again while living at the shelter…until these fun photos changed their lives forever.

Caroline

Franco

Bay

Princess

Vivian

Toby

Trinity

Trigger

Peter

Enzo

Raven

Monroe

Bram

Harry

May

Teton

Is it weird that these are the same faces I make in a photo booth?

How could anyone pass up an opportunity to cuddle those cuties?? Happily, each and every one of them has been adopted into their forever homes, some after less than a day of their photo being uploaded to the shelter’s Facebook page! All it took was a small change in perspective.

The post A Simple Photo Booth Changed Everything For These Previously Un-Adoptable Dogs appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Venda

“About three years ago, my gallerist, Alain Bisotti, sensitized me to the martyrdom of greyhounds in south Europe, where these dogs are tortured for their lack of performance during the hunting season.”

Doug

“Affected by this cause, I decided to photograph these animals rescued from an actual hell.”

Aitch

So Mathias met with a number of French organizations aimed at rescuing and adopting greyhounds, who put the photographer in contact with families who have opened their homes to these poor animals.

Gazhal

The dogs that Mathias met were all at one point at the brink of death, but now had a second chance at a good life.

Armani

Mathias wished to represent their newfound dignity through portraiture, photographing them in a way that he would a human being.

Flame and Linda

Mathias writes:
“I started to photograph the dogs in a delicate and sensitive manner, posed with human-like attributes.”

Harry and Milka

“Although, photographing animals was so different from shooting people — it was so pleasant.”

Kyra

“Unlike human beings, they are not at all intimidated by the camera.”

Lili

“At first they we’re more fearful of me, so I had to be especially gentle and patient — to get them used to my smell, my voice.”

Lola

“Then came the framing, allowing them to hold still — then shoot. They show no artifices, they are pure.”

Milo

“This authenticity is so hard to find nowadays.”

Reina

The pictures that Mathias De Lattre made were then compiled into a book titled Salvados, of which 50% of the proceeds will benefit organizations aimed at saving these magnificent animals

Valuska

The post Rescued Greyhounds That Will Absolutely Melt Your Heart appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Zhenia Bulawka, a photographer from Baltimore, Maryland, wanted to do something to honor her 11-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier’s last days. So she assembled a heartwarming photo series about her family, documenting their final trip together before Dyuki, or Mr. Dukes, passed away from grade III mast cell cancer.
The family took a three hour road trip to the beach so that Mr. Dukes could swim in the ocean for the first time.

Here’s Bulawka’s boyfriend, Christian, snuggling with two of their three pups.

Who needs fine dining when you have sandwiches and a whole beach to yourself?

They all watched the sunset from their hotel balcony…

Followed by an evening walk on the beach…

And a little TV before bed.

Violet, Mr. Dukes’ sister, was the first to get up for the second day at the beach.

Here’s the whole furfamily together, with Mr. Dukes on the left.

Sadly, Dyuki passed a month after the family’s trip. It’s clear that his parents gave him a full, happy life. This is what Bulawka had to say about her late companion:

“Dukes was my best friend. He was also my muse, as his passion for life served as a constant source of inspiration to me. I could never tire of photographing him. Since his passing, I’ve been told numerous times ‘how lucky Dukes was to have me.’ But in fact, it was me who was so lucky to have him. He was the smartest, funniest, most loyal, incredibly strong, yet equally sensitive dog all wrapped into one perfect pittie package. He changed my life and I will miss him forever.”

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You might have trouble rolling out of bed in the morning to get yourself to work, but certain dog breeds have a natural work ethic. Some pups couldn’t be happier to get up before sunrise to herd sheep, or to learn close to 90 commands in order to increase a disabled person’s quality of life.

Photographer Andrew Fladeboe has captured some of the most impressive images of dogs hard at work as part of his project “The Shepherd’s Realm.” While Shepherds are the breed most people think of when they hear “working dog,” there are many other dogs with their own individual capabilities featured in Fladeboe’s work.

No human is better equipped or more eager to get the work done than these diligent dogs. We’re lucky to have such intelligent and steadfast canine companions to do the things that we simply cannot.

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He then had an epiphany that he explains on his website, “I’ve realized how dogs are similar to writers: speaking through their expressions, sounds, and movements, they’re telling you everything while saying nothing, just like an author would do with their words in a fine poem.”

Rothko also shed light for Bannino on the fact that there are so many others like him who are still waiting to find refuge in loving homes. He was inspired to create his project, “Poetic Dogs,” where he compares real shelter dogs to some of the most famous literary names in history. The portraits give the pups some well-deserved attention, and you have to admit that the resemblances in some are downright uncanny.

Rothko and William Shakespeare

Nespola and Mark Twain

Leone and Ernest Hemingway

Blue and Edgar Allan Poe

Molecola and Oscar Wilde

Wall Street and Charles Bukowski

Axl and Jean Paul Sartre

Charlie and Charles Dickens

Shelley and James Joyce

Cesara and Emily Dickinson

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