With Pawsitively Sheltered, my goal is simply to help shelter animals to find new homes. I spend time with the animals at the shelter, seeing their behavior, watching their personalities come through. I then try to capture glimpses of those personalities and behaviors in my photographs. I try to showcase each animal in the best possible light. Having worked with dogs for nearly my entire adult life, I am very attuned to dog behavior. I try to use that knowledge while working with these dogs. So much about shelter life is stressful to the animals - it's a very unnatural way of living for them to be stuck in a cage, away from people and other dogs for the vast majority of the day. The sounds, the smells, the activity is all foreign and stress-inducing. I try my best to get the dogs out into the fresh air, away from the shelter building, giving them time to relax, explore and have fun. Though I love to get the shots that I know will attract the most attention, I will never push a dog to do anything he is not comfortable with. During our entire visit and photo shoot, I allow the dog to set the tone and I take their lead. The dog's comfort will always be my top priority.