Carli Davidson is a dog person. Many of her series revolve around the world of dogs, and Pets with Disabilities is no different, but it is pogninant and heartfelt. You may have seen Carli's wonderful series, Shake, about dogs in motion on a variety of blogs recently. A Portland photographer, she has a background in both commercial and documentary photography, as well as over 7 years experience as an animal trainer and caretaker. Her love of both art and animals led her to work as an animal care technician and photographer for the Oregon Zoo, as well as a volunteer photographer for local animal rescues. Her photography has been published in Portland Monthly, The Atlantic, The Village Voice, The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, and numerous Zoo publications. She is also a regular photo contributor to Andrew Sullivan’s The Daily Dish.
Pets with Disabilities Project: Last winter while spending a rainy day at the beach I was struck by something I had never seen before, a wheelchair bound dog playing fetch with its owner. I watched for over an hour as the dog ran back and fourth along the water, tongue flapping, feet wet and covered in sand, seemingly unaware of the lifeless limbs that trailed behind him.
After this I decided to start photographing local pets with disabilities and interviewing their owners to find out more about their lives. These are people who've opted to do whatever it takes to maintain their pets quality of life, to have surgeries, to change diapers, to buy apparatuses, to put in the extra time and effort to make their friends comfortable.
These are some of animals I have come across since starting this series. The owners are dedicated and happy just to have their friends around, totally undeterred by the extra work put towards taking care of animals with special needs. There is a common theme of inspiration and admiration for their pets ability to quickly recover their spirit and personality after the disabilities onset. Many people tell me that seeing these animals helps put their own struggles in perspective. “They keep going, and want nothing more than to play!” States one pet owner.
I have watched every one of these animals display what I consider to be happiness in the face of physical adversity. While these animals may look different they are not sad, nor generally in any pain, they are in fact living a full life with owners who adore them.
6 comments:
I love these and the stories behind them.
I SO LOVE this! I will be undergoing Volunteer Orientation at the PD Pitchford Companion Village here in Long Beach in December. I wrote them and offered to shoot portraits of the animals needing home. I will also shoot staff images and events. I would love to be in contact with Carli to discuss her project. Carolyn Hampton has been inspiring with her kitten series.
I think that these differently abled animals are truly extraordinary, as are the people who love and care for them.
Recently, despite the heroic efforts of two veterinary surgeons, many dollars, a few weeks of home care and MUCH bargaining with the universe, we had to put down "the coolest cat that ever lived" after he was attacked by a raccoon in our back yard.
At one point there was the possibility that he would be absent his tail and one back leg. After much discussion my adult daughter and I, with whom he lived, decided that would be ok with Ollie as long as he could get petted, eat treats, sit in the sun and get around from the house to the patio to the garden. In other words, we thought his love of life and general good humour, youth and strength and that "other thing" that some animals have, would allow him to adapt in a healthy way.
Unfortunately, it was not to be and his injuries proved so severe that the process would have been cruel - no matter how bearable the end result. With great sadness, we had him euthanized and buried him (and got Ry Cooder to sing his eulogy)under his favourite hydrangea bush.
Many people suggested we were being cruel (and some even that we were being "stupid" insofar as the amount of money we were prepared to spend on his recovery) - and I am sure that, had he survived, many would shake their heads at the notion of such efforts on a pet who was, after all, "just a cat".
To us, he was part of our family, and no effort, within our means, was excessive. Pets are not disposable. At least *ours* are not.
My deepest sympathies CJ on the death on your Pal. It IS best to put the animal first if they are doomed to a life of pain. I can't stand to see my cats or any other being suffer. As a Hospice Nurse. I just can't understand why we can rationalize "putting down" our companion animals, yet we are a society that refuses to afford the same humane treatment for our human loved ones who are terminally ill. I am certainly not trying to equate animals with humans, however I truly believe in the concept of compassion and comfort for all beings.
A heartbreaking and inspiring series of images. To see the wonderful expressions on these dogs is priceless.
I have both cats and a dog and they are more than pets but part of our family.
Heartbreaking and beautiful. What a wonderfully inspiring project!
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