Photographer Traer Scott regularly volunteers at her local animal shelter where she aids in socializing and training the impounded dogs. While volunteering, she was asked to take photos of the dogs to help aid adoptions.
Each homeless dogs had their own story to tell. Some of the dogs have been abandoned or lost. Others abused or discarded. Soon Traer realized that many of the dogs he photographed never made it out of the shelter alive.
“Despite our efforts, many great dogs had to be euthanized simply to make room for the dozens more brought in every week by animal control. I found that no matter what, I couldn’t bring myself to delete their photos, which were in some cases, the only record of their existence,” she writes on her website.
Terrier (adopted)
A few months later, Traer decided to begin creating true portraits of the dogs. She was amazed by the “intense emotion, dignity and sometimes humor that I saw in each face despite the circumstances in which they were forced to live”.
The portraits that Traer shared with Reshareworthy.com were all taken in an animal shelter. Some were euthanized, and others were lucky enough to find good homes.
Dumbledore (adopted)
Spanky (adopted)
Joshua (adopted)
Sophia (adopted)
Rosie Chi (adopted)
Bailee (Euthanized)
Oliver (adopted)
Minerva (adopted)
Shadow (euthanized)
Barry (adopted)
Petey (adopted)
All photographs published on Reshareworthy.com with permission from Traer Scott.
See more of Traer’s work on his website. Traer also has an upcoming book that features her shelter dog portraits. Called Finding Home: Shelter Dogs and Their Stories it is available for purchase on Amazon. Partial proceeds will benefit the rescue organizations featured in the book.
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