I am very excited for today’s blog AND it’s a two parter! This is seriously one of my favorite shoots to date, and I remember it well! I was 8 months pregnant at the time, and drove a few hours to this lovely couple’s farm in Maceo, Kentucky. They not only had dogs for me to photograph, but they also horses and beta fish. I grew up with horses and felt right at home with theirs.
Once Sherri and Jeff were married, they knew they wanted to buy a small farm and build a farmhouse. They have 40 acres in Kentucky and call themselves “gentlemen farmers” (so fun!). “We are a bit like Green Acres but with more animals,” Sherri told me. They always rescue when they can and still foster.
For part one of this blog, I want to introduce you to the Harris’ dogs. With each pup they have kept their original name or a variation of that name. Each one of them has a unique story as to how they came to be a part of the Harris pack. Ages are guesses because they were all adopted as young adults.
Huckleberry, a full blooded bluetick hound, is about ten. Sherri loves this breed and found Huck on Petfinder in Alabama after losing another bluetick to cancer. Sadly, he was already promised to another family. Sherri did not give up on him and called the shelter a week later. The family never picked him up and he was scheduled to be euthanized within the hour! Sherri paid for him over the phone and found a way to get him.
Gracie, short for Princess Grace of Maceo, is around six or seven years old. She is a foster fail from their local rescue called Saving Paws Animal Rescue of KY (SPARKY). She is mostly Chihuahua and though Sherri had never planned on owning a Chihuahua, once they fostered her they fell in love and adopted her. What makes Gracie really special? She is a tripod! The little lady had been hit by a car which required her front leg to be amputated at the shoulder. She runs and jumps as if she has no idea she is a tripod. She is the glue for the dog pack that makes sure everyone plays.
The Harris’ next pup is Butters (formerly Utterly). She is between six and eight. She is a stocky mix of a lot of things per her dog genetic test. Sherri and Jeff fostered her after she was found in someone’s carport and given to Robyn’s Nest, a rescue in Nashville. Butters had a lot of fears and issues at first, and it was hard to keep her safe from herself. Sherri and Jeff felt they would do a better job than most, so they adopted her. Butters is lucky to have them. The Pet Community Center who did her spay found out she had survived being shot AND hit by a car!
And last but not least, Darla is a six year old hound. She was a Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC) dog. Sherri got her as a short-term foster during a Bow Wow Breakout held by MACC. She asked for a dog that was overlooked and ther’re the longest and they showed her Darla. After spending a long Breakout weekend together, Sherri tried to get someone to adopt her on social media, but no takers. Sherri had to go back for her. She is hilarious and maintains her job of chief mole hunter as a serious mission, often digging up plants and making huge holes in their yard!
The fish is a male Betta named Steven Tyler, who sadly is no longer with us. However, Sherri did tell me they got another Betta that looks just like Steven Tyler and named him JT (Justin Timberlake). I love their fish names!
Be on the look out for Part 2, the all their horses, next week!
~Mandy
