For the two years that we were living in Raleigh before moving to DC, I volunteered weekly at the Wake County SPCA. I worked every Monday as a dog and puppy matchmaker. Seriously, that was my title. Does it get any cuter? I may not be great at matching humans with humans but I’m an expert at matching humans with dogs and I’ve got a title to prove it. Those few hours were always the highlight of my week despite leaving filthy and covered in drool. Originally, I was most excited about being around puppies (duh, puppy breath), but almost immediately I knew I wanted to focus my time on the adult dogs. Luckily for the dogs (and for me), the Wake County SPCA is a no-kill shelter meaning that the animals are there to stay until they’re adopted. For some dogs, that means months and even years. Those were the dogs I loved the most – the ones that, for whatever reason, were always overlooked. In most cases, they were pit bulls. The most loving, kissable, loyal, happy, non-threatening pit bulls I ever did meet. Did you know that upwards of one million pit bulls are euthanized each year in the US? If I blogged all my love for pit bulls, we’d be here til next week and I’d have carpal tunnel. In the deep depths of Pinterest a few weeks ago, I stumbled across Sophie Gamand, a French photographer based in NYC, and knew I wanted to share her work. In one of her most recent series, Flower Power: Pit Bulls of the Revolution, Sophie partnered with several shelters to photograph adoptable pit bulls wearing flower crowns. The goal was to challenge her own perspective on pit bulls and to highlight a softer side to the breed against their harsh stereotypes. The result? See for yourself. (all photos via Sophie Gamand)
^^ Casper is my favorite. I think those colors really work on him.
To view more pit bulls in flower crowns or to purchase prints if your heart so desires, visit Sophie’s site here. You can also join the #pitbullflowerpower campaign on social media.