Under the vest - Service animals

The world of service animals is amazing. There are animals all around us that are trained to make peoples lives better. Some sniff out cancer while others can make one person's day better. I'll be photographing and sharing their stories here. If you have a service animal and would like to be part of this project, please contact me. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

[underthevest]

I got to meet some service dogs in training from NEADS at the Maynard Library. The wanted to see the Black Dogs Project photos that are up right now. It’s up for a few more days if you are in the area.

[underthevest]

Paige - seeing eye dog.

Paige, the black lab, is a seeing eye dog for Chi, a professor at Berklee College of Music. We often see blind people with their dogs but we don’t know much more about them. Part of this project for me is able to meet some people like Chi and find out more about them. It was great to spend time with Chi and see where he spends most of his time. There is a trusted bond that he and Paige have and it was evident spending time with them. It wasn’t that Paige was just there to serve Chi but that they had a mutual respect for each other. 

I asked Chi, how many times people pet Paige on a given day. He says about once a day. Paige is a loving dog and I’m sure people can sense that and gravitate towards that. It can be hard though because Paige is working with her harness on so it’s really important to respect that she’s working and not to bother her. While shooting, I found myself petting her because she was just so good with me and the craziness, a photo shoot can bring to a day. 

I’ll be talking more with Chi and his students so I can better share their stories. I think you’ll find it interesting.  

[underthevest]

I’ve started a new project where I’ll be photographing people and their service animals. This is my adventure into the world most of us only know just a little about. Over the next few months, I’ll be meeting all kinds of great people and the animals that support them on so many different levels. 

As I dig deeper into this world, I hope to spread my knowledge and create work that inspires people to care more about these people and animals. The more we all understand others outside our daily lives, the more enriched we will all be.