The winner of this year’s Four Foot Photography PetsWalk contest has become one of my favorite people. Katie, her husband Dave, and baby Casey share their  home and hearts with Mae Mobley and Minnie Mae.  I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite things about my work is meeting people who care so deeply for the animals that share and enhance their lives. Katie lives that to an extent that puts her in the category of extraordinary.

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Katie works at Kitsap Humane Society in Silverdale several days a week, even though Dave is in the Navy, and she is on her own with the baby and doggehs when he’s deployed. I do love red dogs! Both of these girls are rescues, Mae from KHS, and Minnie came to KHS in Silverdale with a group of little dogs that had run out of time in California shelters – she came home with Katie “for the weekend”, but that was a year ago…Katie is so passionate about her work and rescue that for their anniversary, in lieu of gifts, Dave donates to the shelter. I delivered the products she ordered the other night (all the better to get in one more snuggle with the darling Casey and pet those lovely red-gold girls. Aren’t they just perfectly matched?), and this morning I was preparing to deposit her check – across the top it says, “Adopt your next best friend.” Of COURSE it does.

Mae & Minnie haven’t had an easy go of it – last winter Minnie was attacked by a big dog and nearly killed, and both have been affected by it. So while we were doing our session, things unfolded in such a way that Mae became extremely protective of Minnie when strangers approached, and we shot more than half the session with Katie wrangling the girls and me holding Casey (so good natured!!!) on my hip and shooting one handed, unable to change my settings or zoom the 24-70mm lens I had on the camera, let alone switch lenses! I was not so hopeful about the results, and we made tentative plans to reshoot. I cannot tell you how surprised I was that some of my favorites from the session were shot under those conditions – all that studying and learning, those expensive workshops and training, and these images came out great in spite of many challenges. A great lesson in humility!

You will see Mae and MooMoo again, as we are going to do a “booster” shoot to get some photos of the two girls together, as they are as tight as can be. And also so I can get my hands on that sweet, juicy baby…

I was so excited when I received her float wraps – gorgeous girls!

Kitsap County, consider yourself lucky to count these amazing people among your populace!