Rescue Dogs of Atlanta, Georgia
If you’ve been here a minute you probably know I have a big soft spot for rescue dogs. While I love ALL dogs and support preservation & responsible breeding, I feel a special calling to support rescue dogs. I was the kid who carried home every stray animal. And, I am the woman who co-founded a dog rescue and moved to a farm an hour away from the city to save special needs dogs. This week – I want to explore why we love rescue dogs and celebrate a few of the rescue dogs of Atlanta.


Why We Love the Underdog –
The Rescue Dog
Everyone loves an underdog. Whether you’re rooting for your favorite sports team who comes from behind to clinch the win or cheering for the abandoned pitbull mama and her 10 puppies that I fostered on the Dodo – humans love to see stories of overcoming the odds.
According to Psychology Today we love the underdog because, “They tap into the qualities we like best about ourselves and find most admirable in others. We love underdog stories because we feel like they need us. It creates that gravitational bond between us and the underdog because we love to feel needed as social creatures.”
Watching the rescue dog overcome impossible odds and find a loving forever home gives us hope.
Where to Find Atlanta Rescue Dogs
Atlanta is home to some really incredible rescue groups working hard to save more animals every day.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Humane Society of Morgan County – where I volunteer to photograph adoptable dogs & cats at my county’s no-kill animal rescue.
- The Rescue Ranch – the Boston Terrier, French Bulldog, & Pug rescue I co founded that serves medically fragile short nosed breeds.
- Atlanta Humane Society
- Best Friends
- Furkids
- Good Mews Foundation
- Lifeline Animal Project
- PAWS Atlanta

Photographing Rescued Dogs in Atlanta
My favorite rescue dog stories always end with finding the perfect forever home. And what better way to celebrate finding the furry love of your life than with a professional photo shoot? Here are just a few of the rescued dogs I’ve photographed in the heart of Atlanta.
I’m part of an international group of professional pet photographers bringing you blog posts every week. Just click the link at the end of each blog to read perspectives from around the world. You’ll complete the circle when you end up back here.
Next up: Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography, hanging with four gorgeous German shepherds of Spokane, WA.
What to read next?

DIY-ing Your Dog’s Photos
“Oh, I can totally do it myself."I know I’ve had that thought about DIY-ing my own dog's photos.I mean, I’m a dog photographer for goodness sakes – surely if anyone can do it, it’s me. … then I started thinking about how LONG it takes to wrangle my own...

Golden Sun? Cooler Mornings? Fewer Distractions? Just a few reasons I love a Sunrise Photo Session for your dog.
A 5 AM alarm clock might be something you hoped to leave behind, but hold your yawns and hear me out. We get two golden hours a day, and so many people completely miss the first one in the early morning hours in exchange for a few more presses of the snooze button....

Photographing Perfect Dogs
I don’t know when we decided that our dogs had to be perfect before we were worthy of having photographs of them. Perfectly trained with perfect off leash manners… Perfectly groomed & bathed with not a fur out of place… I mean, I love my dogs freshly bathed and...
3 Comments
Submit a Comment
Have More Questions?
Get in touch. I’d love to talk with you.
excellent post. so true that seeing the underdog pull through gives us hope.
We are on the same page when it comes to rescue pets. Lovely photos!
What a wonderful idea to educate people on local rescue groups – gonna have to borrow that one (which I’m hoping you won’t mind as it will help more rescue dogs find homes!) and your images are darling, the one of the pup chasing the tennis ball – I give that one a 10!!!