Even though I’m a photographer, and I value images deeply and believe in their power, I simply can’t show you any pictures of River before telling you his story. It’s that incredible.

Sonia lives in Pensacola and loves outdoor activities, like hiking and canoeing. One day, she was out for a canoe trip and saw a ragged animal on the banks of the Yellow River. She fed it a bit of food, and continued on with her day. But she knew a thunderstorm was coming, and worried about the poor creature’s ability to find shelter. You see, Sonia’s a compassionate person – she had cats, at that point, and was generally very kind to animals. So after careful consideration, and a lot of worrying over what would happen to the animal if she did nothing, Sonia went back out to the Yellow River the next day on a  leap of faith and brought the dog back to her house, with the intentions of cleaning it up and getting him ready for adoption. Adoption by someone else, of course. Because, you see, she was really more of a “cat person”. Not a dog person. She had never owned a dog before. So it was to be a clean-him-up-and-get-him-adopted mission, just because she felt sorry for the poor thing. No dog should have to live its life alone and hungry in the wilderness, and Sonia stepped in to help.

She did so much more than help.

To begin with, the clean-him-up part of the process didn’t exactly go the way it was planned. This dog had problems on the inside and outside; his fur, stomach and intestines all had serious issues, and it’s so fortunate that Sonia didn’t wait a few more canoe trips later to take the dog home – he may not have been there. It took months – really, years – to clear up all his medical problems, of which heartworms were just the beginning. And since there’s no telling how he got to the Yellow River and what he’d been through there, he was, as Sonia kindly puts it, “a little crazy”, psychologically speaking. Even so, Sonia trained him! She went through several private classes (with Best Paw Forward!) with the river dog, all so that his future owner would have an easier time with him. Turns out, Sonia’s compassion doesn’t have a limit, even through enormous vet bills and obedience classes and the struggle of introducing a canine to a house of felines. All this for a dog she was going to give up to another person.

Of course, the last part of the plan – giving up the dog to someone else – failed miserably.

Today, the dog (who Sonia aptly named River) is happy, healthy, and downright beautiful. He has no psychological trauma to speak of, his obedience is impeccable, his insides are completely healthy, and his coat is luxuriously thick and smooth. You simply couldn’t ask for a more incredible turnaround. Today, Sonia is down to two cats and the dog that stole her heart. She’s now a proud “dog person” and never even saw it coming! I think it’s just incredible that she picked up a loving family member on the banks of the Yellow River.

If you ask her about it, Sonia references the Sea Star Parable. The lesson it teaches is that although there are many suffering creatures out there, and you can’t possibly save them all, you can save one. Save one, and it will make a world of difference for that animal. I can’t think of a better way to live.

So please enjoy these images of River – oh, and can you guess his breed? Sonia had a DNA test done, and the results were surprising. Hint: he doesn’t have ANY labrador!

What would a session of River be without going to the river?

We jumped and played around a bit…

And then went for a hike!

Look who greeted me at the window to his house! (I love all the nose-marks on the window!)

We also spent some fun time in the studio…

Okay, I admit it. We were a bit mean to River at times.

Yes, that’s a delicious treat in front of him. And yes, those spots on my backdrop are drool.

We also gave poor River a bath… aren’t we cruel? (wait till you see him shake off all that water!)

Sonia, thank you so much for introducing me to your handsome boy. I feel lucky to know you both.

~   Dog Photography by Allison Shamrell in Pensacola, Florida   ~