From dogs with three legs, to cats born without eyes, photographer Alex Cearns wanted to celebrate the beauty of pets who have overcome adversity.
“One of my most passionate aims as an animal photographer is to capture the adorable subtleties that make all creatures precious and unique. I love every animal I have the privilege of photographing, but those perceived as ‘different’ hold a special place in my heart,” says Alex. “These are the creatures who have lost a leg, been born without eyes, or are still showing the scars of former abuse.”
Scrappy has no eyes
In her series “Perfect Imperfection”, you’ll meet many rescued pets who have had surgeries for illnesses like cancer, leading to the removal of a limb or eyes in order to prolong their lives. But as you’ll see in Alex’s photos below, the animals are as beautiful as ever.
Pip is recovering from mange
“Most animals with ‘afflictions’ don’t dwell on them,” Alex writes. “They adapt to their bodies without complaint and they survive with determination. They push on, always, wanting to be included and involved in everything as much as they can, and as much as an able bodied pet does.”
Snoopy has three legs
Alex shared her photos with Reshareworthy.com and has dedicated her series to Savannah and Rowdy, two pets who lived with dignity and joy, as do other special needs pets the world over.
Here are some more of her photos:
Andie is recovering from mange
Baby Goat had a broken leg and is with the RSPCA
Rescued kitten was born without eyes
Barbara has crushed skull
Grey has three legs
Hannah has three legs
Hedwig had half skull removed due to infection
Jack has one eye
Louie has one eye
Mia is blind
Savannah had an implant for a prosthetic leg because of cancer. Rest in Peace.
Tyson has 3 legs
Spike is a pink and grey Galah with a fused leg
Spike is recovering from mange
Rupert has three legs
Rowdy with three legs. Rest in Peace.
Ray Charles was born with underdeveloped eyes.
Oopmah is recovering from mange
Nimh has no eyes
Photographs published with permission from Alex Cearns.
See more of Alex’s work on Facebook and at her website.
Please share these photos with your friends and spread the word about how special pets with disabilities are!
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