July 19, 2009

Melissa McDaniel has turned her passion of photography into a campaign for awareness of deaf and bully breed dogs, such as Snow shown above. (ZT Pet News Photo Courtesy of Melissa McDaniels, 2009C)

PHILADELPHIA -- It is the lucky person that can turn their creative hobby into something more. Melissa McDaniel united her love for photography with her love for animals in an awareness raising initiative about something so close to her heart, dogs.

This professional photographer hit the road with her own pups in tow to meet inspirational dogs and take their pictures. Inspired by her own furry friends she decided to create a series of books raising awareness, educating and highlighting the plight of unwanted deaf dogs.

Not only is she shedding light on a medical issue so commonly overlooked but she is raising money for shelters across the country. ZT Pet News was able to find out from Melissa the process behind her photo book project and her two upcoming books.

When did you realize your passion for animal photography could turn into something more? I have a passion for giving back, and so no matter what I choose to do, I want to turn it into something that gives back in some way. The photo event fundraisers and the photo book projects seemed like the best way I could do what I do, while giving back and encouraging other small business owners and photographers to do the same.

Where did you find the dogs and their families highlighted in the books? The projects originally started because I wanted to do something to bring awareness to the plight of deaf dogs. I decided on a photo book.

I'm part of a Yahoo Group for people who need help training or rescuing deaf dogs. I e-mailed the group to see how many people would be interested in getting their dogs photographed. The response was overwhelming.

The requests started coming in for people with deaf dogs, but also for people with rescue dogs, and so the list just grew from there. I have enough people for both books now, but am keeping a waiting list for future projects.

How long did the compilation for both books take you? I'm still working on both books. I still have another 25-plus dogs to photograph at the moment. My first road trip was in February-March of this year and my second was in May-June. I have at least two more trips to make, plus photo sessions in the Pennsylvania area to wrap up. I'm hoping to have the books to the printer to be completed by early November.

Where did the awareness facts that are included in the books come from? During my road trips I stopped at several animal shelters and rescues in order to talk to workers about the problems and statistics, including the pet overpopulation problem, euthanasia numbers, dog fighting, BSL, deaf dog rescue and puppy mills.

When in your life, did you realize you were/are an animal person? I can't remember a time when I wasn't an animal lover. My grandparents instilled in me a love for nature and a compassion for animals. I'm forever grateful to them for that.

Do you have any pets yourself? I have a wonderful deaf border collie-lab mix named Sadie and two rescued cats, Bjork and Fuji. All three were adopted from shelters in the Philadelphia area.

What challenges have you faced raising a deaf dog? Not as many as you would think. I use hand signals with her. Dogs need to be able to read cues from others in the pack and so, are very visual animals and can learn hand signals quickly. Sadie picked up the command for "sit" in just a minute or two. She's very bright and has always been very easy to train.

Also, deaf dogs benefit from having a fenced in yard -- at least my dog does because she needs a ton of exercise and really needs to run, so having a place where I can have her off-leash safely, to let her play with other dogs and play fetch, chase bugs -- her favorite activity -- has been extremely beneficial.

Having a deaf dog isn't for the lazy. If she is digging in the yard, or doing something else I don't want her to do, I need to walk over to her to get her attention, since yelling her name obviously wouldn't work. There are a few other minor differences, but in general, she's just like any other dog, and I'm hoping the deaf dog photo book will help show what great companions deaf dogs can be.

What misconceptions do people have about deaf dogs? Many people believe deaf dogs aren't trainable. They believe they are aggressive. They believe they can't be a part of a normal family because they are easily startled. They believe they aren't worth saving. They believe they should be put down.

How many deaf dogs are euthanized? The exact number isn't known, but it is believed to be in the thousands in the U.S. alone. Many dog associations advocate the culling of deaf dogs -- the biggest group being the Dalmatian Club of America, which actively promotes the culling of deaf puppies.

As long as breeding practices that produce deaf dogs are allowed to continue, large numbers of deaf dogs will continue to be born. Many of those dogs, called "lethal whites," are born blind, too, or with severe sight problems.

With 20 percent of your net profits going to different rescues, how did you decide which ones to support? There are many charities that are close to my heart, however, in general, I am interested in supporting the smaller local rescues and shelters that desperately need the money to continue doing the important work they do.

I would love in the future to specifically target certain programs, including mobile spay and neuter programs, which provide solutions to issues, such as the pet overpopulation problem.

How much do you hope to raise? My goal over the next year is to help raise $300,000 for animal rescue.

How many rescues will receive donations and will that be split only between the organizations featured in the books? That has yet to be decided! I'm receiving e-mails from organizations daily, so I'm not sure there will be a finite number.

Why should people care about what happens to bully breeds and deaf dogs? Bully breeds are being targeted as problem dogs and even the cause of all dog bites and dog fighting in the U.S. today (actually, not just in the U.S., but in many countries around the world).

The problem isn't the breed, it's bad "owners." Banning pit bulls won't stop dog fighting. Dog fighting rings will just move on to a different breed.

Most people don't know about deaf dogs or breeding practices that produce deaf dogs, blind dogs, lethal whites, etc. I think after more and more people become aware, things will change. That's my hope.

What is one thing that people can do which will help improve the lives of animals? I could list several things here, but what it all boils down to is respect. We need to respect animals and their place here and their right to be here on the planet. We, as a society, have domesticated animals. We have a responsibility to them.

We breed them endlessly and kill them endlessly in shelters every year. This isn't a solution to anything. This isn't treating them with respect. This has to stop.

Pets/animals bring what to your life? This is a hard to put into words. Love, compassion, a connection to something greater, the ability to live in the moment, contentment.

For the animals directly in your life, what would they say about your presence in their lives? I think they would say I need to give them more treats. Sadie, especially, is all about the treats.

In your opinion, what is the biggest issue animals face in our global society? I have traveled to some parts of the world where there are no laws protecting animals, where animal abuse is public and accepted. It goes on in America, but usually less openly. It's all wrong and can only stop with education and awareness. Again, I think it comes down to respect.

What do you hope will come from the photo books? My biggest hope is to raise money for local shelters -- hopefully $300,000 -- and raise awareness about deaf dogs, the pet overpopulation problem, pit bulls and puppy mills.

At the very least, I hope people who read the books will choose to spay and neuter their pets. I hope they will choose to adopt their next dog, rather than buy, and that maybe, if they have the appropriate home, they'll also consider adopting a deaf dog or a pit bull.

For more information on Melissa McDaniel's projects, visitwww.thephotobooks.com

Elisabeth Brock is an editorial intern for ZT Pet News and can be reached at ebrock@zootoo.com.