Cause for Paws {Nashville Pet Event Photography}

I just want to say that I am so grateful to be part of such a great community of animal lovers. Not only do I get to photograph pets and their people, I have had the opportunities to give back by doing photography for local pet charities, including events for the Pet Community Center and Agape Animal Rescue. I really love being able to support the local pet charity community through my work!

On the blog today, I get to share an event I did in October called Cause for Paws which benefits the Nashville Humane Association (NHA) at the Belle Meade Country Club. (You can check all the photos here on the Cause for Paws website). The Nashville Humane Association is “committed to finding responsible homes, controlling pet overpopulation, and promoting the humane treatment of animals, all while supporting pets and pet-families in our community.” Please check it out if you are interested in adopting a pet, they have a wonderful facility in Nashville. For the event, NHA brought adoptable puppies for the guests to love on and potentially adopt!

The event always has a fashion show, and this year the designer, Shoshanna, showcased some of the beautiful dresses in her collection.

And a big congratulations to the 2023 winner of the Julia Colton Award for Excellence in Animal Welfare to Kimberly Wise. Ms. Wise is the President of the Pedigree Foundation, and also Senior Manager of Foster Programs at Greater Good Charities. Congratulations Kimberly, we are all so grateful for the great work you do!

Enjoy!

~Mandy

Here is a list of other vendors involved in the Cause for Paws pet event:

Gus Mayer 

Southern Events 

Please Be Seated

Knestrick by Design

Hair and Makeup: Aubrey Heller

Titos Vodka

Contact a Premier Pet Photographer for an Event in Nashville!

Mandy Whitley Photography is Nashville's premiere pet photographer. Mandy Whitley creates fun and playful photographs with pets and their people. She photographs portrait sessions, family sessions, couple portraits, and weddings - as well as just pets! To inquire about booking a photo session, contact Mandy!

Homecoming Tales {Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary}

This week on the blog, I would like to take the opportunity to spotlight the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary (OFSDS). Their mission is to provide lifetime homes for senior dogs. Senior dogs come with their fare share of challenges, which is why older dogs do not get adopted as quickly or as often as younger pups. OFSDS is a place where senior dogs can live out the remainder of their lives with love, comfort and good medical care. Another option they provide for the senior dogs is to be placed within a loving home as a “Forever Foster”. This is truly amazing and they have so many super sweet pups there. I wanted to take so MANY of them home with me!

I was so honored to photograph a few of these sweet pups for the front and back covers of a recently published book, Homecoming Tales: 15 Inspiring Stories from Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary. The book has been published by Harper Collins Publishers and available to order now! All of the author portion of the proceeds are going directly to OFSDS.

The cover dog is Mack, “America’s Best Friend”, a blind (no-eyed) cocker spaniel. He is between 10 and 14 years old and loves to climb. He also likes to sit in his forever foster Mason's lap and 'help' him work. (Mason and Nell adopted Mack and also work at OFSDS). You have to check this guy out and read about his Presidential nomination for the 2020 election! He and The Geezer Party he represents “have values that all of America can agree with”. Outside of the Presidential Candidacy, he also took part in the Dog Bowl this year!

Junebug is the little dog on the back cover of the book. She is a chihuahua, terrier and corgi mix and is between 11 and 13 years old. She chirps instead of barks. She was rescued from a hoarding situation in 2017 and after only 3 weeks in the shelter the Williams family decided to forever foster her.

The other dog on the back cover, Maverick, arrived at the shelter after his owner passed away. He is a plott hound mix and is about 1o years old. He loves his pup sister Maisy, also from OFSDS. He was such a sweet boy to photograph!

Please consider purchasing this sweet book to support OFSDS, and check out the OFSDS website to consider becoming a forever foster for one of the sweet pups they have there!

~Mandy

Contact a Pet Photographer in Tennessee

Mandy Whitley Photography is Nashville's premiere pet photographer. Mandy Whitley creates fun and playful photographs with pets and their people. She photographs portrait sessions, family sessions, couple portraits, and weddings - as well as just pets! To inquire about booking a photo session, contact Mandy!

Rutherford County PAWS {Nashville Pet Photographer}

One part of my job I love doing on a regular basis is taking photographs of current dogs and cats available for adoption!

Rutherford County PAWS is a wonderful local pet adoption center based in Murfreesboro, TN. From one week to the next, there is rarely an animal there for too long, which means that I'm always getting the chance to meet new furry faces (and also means that the ones I already met have found forever homes!). The staff there really care about the sweet pups and cats that stay there until they are adopted. PAWS also works closely with other rescue organizations in the area, so very often animals will go out to rescues and foster homes. 

Here are some of the sweet pets I've had a chance to photograph lately, and although they may not be available any longer for adopting, you can visit the adoption page on the PAWS website to see which ones are still available or which newcomers have arrived! 

Thank you Rutherford County PAWS for all you do for these sweet animals!

~ Mandy

This is Hazel, who's my current favorite and has been at the shelter for a little while now. She's an absolute sweetheart, and I loved her photo session. Hazel is an 8 year old labrador/retriever mix, and she may be getting passed over because of her age, but she's a happy dog that won't chew up your house!

This is Lucy! She's a 6-year-old Maine Coon Mix and is very regal.

Meet Meika, a 1-year-old spayed American Bulldog Mix. Her previous owner surrendered her as they didn't have enough time for her but didn't want to neglect her, so we hope she finds a better home soon! 

And lastly, here's a success story! These last two images are Great Pyreneese mixes that were SO scared the day I was there, the gal who works with them had to carry them outside to do photos (and they are not small). They were surrendered by their owners and had been outside dogs, and the shelter just wasn't comfortable for them. I was concerned about them and later asked her what happened and found out they were adopted together by a sweet family with older kids and a German Shepard puppy. Apparently, when they saw the kids and the puppy they just came alive, and it was a perfect match!

Adopting a Pet? Capture the Moment on Camera!

Mandy Whitley Photography is Nashville's premiere pet photographer. Mandy Whitley creates fun and playful photographs with pets and their people. She photographs portrait sessions, family sessions, couple portraits, and weddings - as well as just pets! To inquire about booking a photo session, contact Mandy!