When we wanted to adopt a kitten, I remember people telling me not to get a shelter cat because he would be “defective” or “unpredictable”. I’ve seen people sneer or turn up their noses at cats and dogs who might be missing an eye or a limb, or even worse say nasty things. There’s also a terrible stigma that rescue animals are “flawed” in some way, especially those who have come from bad backgrounds, when nothing could be further from the truth. The love you get from a rescue dog or cat is something that will touch your heart forever.

These two fill my heart with happiness every single day, my two rescue boys

So with that said, I’m thrilled to announce that I have qualified as a Service Professional Member of HeARTS Speak. HeARTS Speak are a global organisation who partner with photographers, designers, and artists to help promote adoption of animals from rescues and shelters as well as reducing the amount of animals who are unnecessarily euthenised in shelters each year. They also offer grants to help support photographers such as myself who dedicate time to shelter and rescue work. I’m so pleased to be part of an organisation of like minded people, and I’m excited to see what opportunities this will help create with my rescue work. It’s my hope that through HeARTS Speak we can change public perception of adoption for good.

You can read more about HeARTS Speak by clicking the logo above.