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giving back

 

Working in the animal world you see and hear so many stories of pets who have not had the best start in life, who have suffered at the hands of humans, or who have been abandoned as the years creep up on them. It's truly heartbreaking.

 

But, I'm a firm believer that there is more light in this world than there is darkness, and this is where you see the work of wonderful people and wonderful charities who go above and beyond to help those animals in need.

 

It's my honour, and privilege, to be able to give back in some way through my photography.

 

Save Our Seized Dogs - Putting BSL to Sleep

 

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) was introduced 30 years ago as part of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Sadly, it punishes dogs based purely on their looks. A happy, friendly, family dog that is deemed to look "of type" can be seized by the police and kept in kennels away from their family while it is assessed (which can take months) and sadly, in the worst case scenario the dog can be euthanised, despite the fact that it has never exhibited any dangerous behaviour. It is assessed purely on its physical appearance. There have been numerous calls to end BSL from charities including the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and The Dogs Trust, unfortunately, to no avail.

 

This is where Save Our Seized Dogs comes in - they are a not for profit organisation who work tirelessly to assist owners of dogs who have been seized by the police. They arrange and pay for legal representation to help the dogs return to their family, and provide support to the owners throughout this process. Sadly some dogs don't make it home. Others do, but are forced to live with restrictions for the rest of their lives - they will never be allowed off lead in public and must always wear a muzzle unless they are on private property.

 

Bull breeds are disproportionately affected by BSL purely due to the fact that "pitbulls" are on the list of illegal dogs. However, the pitbull is not a breed of dog. There are no genetic markers to denote a pitbull - these dogs are assessed on their appearance alone - a labrador staffy mix may well be seized, assessed as "type" and euthanised, despite never doing anything wrong.

 

I am therefore donating 20% of my session fee to Save Our Seized Dogs for any bull breeds that I photograph.