Ruff Life Photography

Supermarket Employees

Gas Station Attendants

Sanitation Workers

Delivery Drivers

Health Care Professionals/Veterinary Offices

Energy Workers

Food & Agriculture Workers

Police officers, conservation officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and 911 call center workers ……

Working Dogs

Before the pandemic we are currently facing hit hard in the United States, I had the honor of photographing a canine handler, Officer Knight with his two working dogs, Officer Kitt & Officer Pearl. I had planned on writing a post about their job and their work later this Spring…. but I wanted to post them now.

There has been so much gloomy press these days with so much uncertainty for many Americans. While we hear a little about health care workers being on the frontline of this epidemic, there are also so many other people (and canines) that are not getting much gratitude, if any at all. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for all the doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and those working in hospitals either prepping rooms or cleaning them up for the next case…. but there are so many people still working under the radar to make our days in staying home as normal as possible…. they get very little credit and they are putting so much at risk too.

While my husband and I are held up at home, we are still able to order our groceries as needed and get them delivered. We even ordered take-out from one of our favorite pizza places this past week (Tomatoes Apizza in Birmingham)….

We are able to live a pretty normal life even in self isolation thanks to all these people getting us the things we need and keeping everything running as normal as possible. This is especially true for our police and fire departments. While most of us don’t see or hear from them ever, they are still there doing their work and keeping us safe. If you say thank you , they say they are just doing their job…. but their job right now means being potentially exposed to covid-19 and other viruses for that matter….

Because of the nature of their positions, they may not have time to grab a mask, gloves or protective gear. AND…….This isn’t just now, this is ALL THE TIME. Their jobs require them to work hard and fast and they may need to react faster than time will allow to protect themselves from all the potential harm.

This is also true for our canine officers out there. They ask for nothing and give us everything. They are loyal and will always have the back of their human counterpart. They are for sure among the group of undervalued heroes.

I know this is a hard time for everyone and some of us are finding ourselves out of work for a little bit or maybe longer…. but please be kind to one another… be patient, we will all get through this…. we will be safe and make it through because of all those humans and furry friends that keep showing up to do their job.

Also- do me a favor and give a shout out to your favorite officer, fire fighter or department and especially their working canines that choose to keep going.

Pictured in this article are Officer Knight with the Rochester Police Department and his working dogs Kitt and Pearl. Kitt is probably one of the most gorgeous German Shepard’s I’ve seen. He is originally from Czechoslovakia and came to the US specifically to work with Officer Knight and Rochester. Pearl is the happiest canine officer I ever had the privilege to meet as well. She is a career changed Labrador Retriever from Leader Dogs for the Blind.

This is a difficult topic. Pit Bulls. It shouldn’t have to be, but it is.

There is a whole month dedicated nationally to this breed of dog and the great things about them and yet there is so much misinformation and anger surrounding this breed that is so unnecessary. I will give you the facts though, as I have found them from reputable information sources, and hopefully some of the confusion may become clear.

The name Pit Bull is often a term used to speak of a generalized group of dogs that are “bully breeds”. Among this group is often included Staffordshire Terriers, Bulldogs and Mastiffs. There is in fact a specific breed called American Pit Bull Terrier. The photo above is of Penny, she is an American Pit Bull Terrier (APT). She is also among some of the most well behaved and happy dogs I have ever met.

Because of the actions of a few dogs that are like her, whether APT or a mix of that or possibly a completely different breed altogether, this breed of dog and her cousins are demonized as aggressive and dangerous. So, I did some research.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), statistically speaking, Chihuahuas are actually the breed most commonly associated with dog bites. While Pit Bull Terriers are among the top ten of most reported dogs to bite… they are among several other breeds as well that are not villainized and scrutinized as closely as PBTs. Aside for Chi’s and PBTs dog bite incident to the CDC, among the top reported dogs are also :

Bulldog, German Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Lhasa Apso, Jack Russell Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Bull Terrier, Pekingese and Papillion

Here are some more tidbits to chew on…. (sorry for the pun)

• Over 30 breeds and dog-types were associated with dog bite-related fatalities
• Most dog bites involve dogs who are not spayed or neutered
• 25% of fatal attacks were inflicted by chained dogs of many different breeds
• 6,244 U.S. Postal Service employees suffered from dog bites in 2017 from over 60 different breeds.

While PBTs have a strong jaw as stated in many news reports when a “pitbull” like dog was involved in an injury, there are several breeds that have stronger jaw strength and could potentially inflict more damage. With this said, there are well behaved and happy dogs of these breeds just as there is with PBTs, especially when paired with responsible owners… Here you will find breed and jaw strength as PSI (pounds per square inch) (Reported by PetComments.com)

1. Kangal: 743 PSI
2. American Bandogge: 731 PSI
3. Cane Corso: 700 PSI
4. Dogue De Bordeaux: 556 PSI
5. Tosa Inu: 556 PSI
6. English Mastiff: 556 PSI
7. Dogo Canario: 540 PSI
8. Dogo Argentino: 500 PSI
9. Wolfdog: 406 PSI
10. Leonberger: 399 PSI
11. Akita Inu: 350-400 PSI
12. Rottweiler: 328 PSI

While on my journey as a pet photographer, I have to say that my encounter with any dog, cat or other pet has been nothing but positive, I believe it goes back to responsible ownership and education. There are certainly owners that have PBTs that are not responsible, but that is across the board for every breed and mix of breeds as well. I don’t think it is responsible to make laws that discriminate on breeds when there isn’t information and science to back up the claims.

WARNING!! This article includes graphic images some readers may find disturbing.

Pain sucks. Always. In any form.

Pain isn’t fun for anyone, and our pet friends are no exception to this. The problem for our pets and animals is they aren’t able to vocalize their pain.

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month. This awareness helps educate and inform pet owners about animal discomfort. The goal is to help pet owners learn about their pets’ health and well-being when it comes to pain management, be it acute or chronic pain. This can greatly improve their quality of life.

If something is thought to cause pain in humans it will very likely produce pain in animals as well. Via these photos, I am hoping to encourage owners to take an active role in recognizing the signs of pain in animals and seeking veterinary care. Pain can cause our pets to become less active and even cause a lack in their appetite. Pay attention to their behaviour even if there are not visible signs of injury. By seeking care immediately, they are able to recover and also receive pain medications as needed per their injury or disease.

The photos in the post are of Nikki. She was found in Warren, Mi by an animal control officer. She had a severe injury to her leg and while she is stoic and able to endure the pain of her injury, I assure you, this injury has been awful for her. No pet should have to go through this. It is important to pay attention to our pets and what they get into in our homes, it is also important to do something immediately. While Nikki’s injury could have been worse, it also could have been taken care of much sooner than it was.

Nikki is very fortunate to have been taken in by a rescue that is able to care for her. Canine Companions Rescue Center (CCRC) in Clarkston, MI has been fostering her until she is well enough to be adopted. Her veterinary care is extremely expensive and will continue to add up. She needs daily changes of her bandage as well as various medications for pain and to prevent infection.

CCRC is great rescue and deserves our attention and donations. They are a 501 (c) (3) and all donations to this rescue are tax deductible. While she is not up for adoption yet, she will be soon. If you would like to donate to CCRC or potentially adopt Nikki, see their website at ccrcdogs.com.

Today is an annual day to mark awareness of the squalid conditions of puppy mills. While there are many good and reputable breeders out there, there are many more backyard “breeders” or Puppy Mills that confine puppies and their parents to terrible and filthy conditions inside cages. Their whole lives they have no room to move and never any time outside.

Meet Ralphie. He is from a puppy mill. He was born in a confined space and then sold as a puppy in a store in Nashville, TN as Jack Russell Terrier. As you may have guessed, he is not a JRT. He is actually a Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, American Eskimo and Poodle Mix. After the purchase in TN, the folks that bought him possibly realized he wasn’t a JRT or maybe it was because of an issue he has with his back legs, they then decided they didn’t want him anymore.

He was fortunate enough to be rescued before bounced to a shelter. The group Pilots and Paws flew him to Grand Rapids, MI to were he was placed with a rescue called Pet Tales. From there he was adopted and living the most amazing and best live in Howell, MI with his brothers Thomas and Rufus. (Cat and Dog)

Because he was born in a confined space when he was a puppy and never let out, he now has problems with his back legs. You may notice when you see him that his back legs are rotated and his knee caps are on the outside of his legs…. but quite honestly, this doesn’t keep him from moving! He is a quick little guy.

When puppies are born in mills like he was, they often receive no veterinary care, are abused, never get any socialization, receive poor food, no clean water, and lack adequate exercise space.

In Michigan we have yet to completely ban the sale of animals/puppy mill dogs in pet stores and last year (2018) there were even legislators that were trying to disallow cities and townships from banning the sale of pets in stores. This wasn’t passed and now cities like Royal Oak, MI have passed ordinances that will not allow the sale of pets in stores. This ban cuts back on the amount of potential puppy mill dogs that could be sold in the city.

We can only hope more and more cities and townships will move forward in banning these sales. This will, we hope, eventually lead to the puppy mill industry ceasing to operate.

It seems larger pet stores are more frequently asking rescues to come in and have adoption days with rescue dogs versus dogs from potential puppy mills. These events have dogs get adopted and also bring awareness to the need for rescue groups and their efforts to save dog lives.

Big thank you to Erica for allowing photos of Ralphie for this and for sharing his story with us. Ralphie has his own FB page where you can follow his journey and read more about his wonderful life. See his page at: https://www.facebook.com/RalphieDoodleDandy/

Ralphie also has his own Instagram and you can follow him- @ralphie.the.rescue.dog

While we see Service Dog/Pet information and articles in the news, there is a lot of miss information out there. I’m finding more and more people are claiming to have a service animal when in fact their pet is not. It is troubling as it affects those that really do have a service animal and need them. When a “fake” service animal could potentially misbehave or even be aggressive in public when they aren’t properly trained, it can potentially affect those that have them.

Service Dogs/Pets are those animals that help an individual perform a certain function and are trained to perform certain tasks. Service dogs assist specific individuals that have a disability. These dogs can include any sex or breed as long as they are trained.

Where some confusion steps in with “Service Dogs” is there are also Emotional Support Dogs/Animals (ESA) as well as Therapy Dogs/Animals. Emotional Support dogs fall under SOME of the same guidelines as Service Dogs with regard to access and rules per the federal government, but are not granted all the same access as Service Dogs. ESAs help individuals with emotional problems by providing comfort and support. This could mean someone with PTSD or anxiety has an animal (not just dogs) that will alert or assist when an attack may occur. Service Dogs and Emotional Support Dogs also have more training to potentially guide a human or even pull them to safety if needed. ESAs aren’t necessarily trained this extensively, but they can be. It isn’t a requirement to be an ESA, but Service Animals MUST be trained and are also trained to stay in place when emergency personnel arrive if there is an emergency. Service Animals are the only ones that are considered “Medical Equipment”

Therapy dogs are a different category that can get lumped into service animals, but they are not allowed the same access as Service and Emotional Support animals. They are trained to provide comfort to people, especially in hospitals, nursing homes and schools. While therapy dogs receive training and need to have several levels of certification (Canine Good Citizen, etc) on how to handle themselves in public, medical facilities and around the people they’re comforting, they may not be trained to do specific task to help with a disability. Stay tuned for a separate blog post on just therapy animals and their roles and jobs to help humans.

The Americans with Disabilities Act through the Department of Justice has an excellent fact sheet on Service Animals and their requirements. See their website at: https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

While researching the information for this post, I found this article about “Fake Service Animals”. It is a good read and provides further information.

https://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/confusing-world-service-dogs?fbclid=IwAR0ZkX1YkM9YFzX5QUWzRSs8DbzOlj-EZ1SfsQKcE1OpcRm0a-BXV117dh0

Whether you see a pet in public with or without a vest, please also don’t assume you can pet them. Always ask the owner/handler first if it is appropriate to approach the dog/pet. Usually the dogs with vests will have patches associating the dog as a Service Dog, Emotional Support Pet or Therapy Animal.

A big THANK YOU to our doggie model Austell and her human Courtney for sharing time with me and helping educate on Service Dogs. These dogs are super amazing.

Courtney has Cystic Fibrosis, Liver Fibrosis and Liver Cirrhosis and when her enzyme levels get too high Austell alerts. She also alerts when Courtney is having anxiety, about to have a panic attack, she knows how to find exit doors and their car. She can do deep pressure therapy and item retrieval as well. She will also help her human get off the ground.