New photos & Nuena & Curtis

Hi everyone!

As you can see on Facebook, we've added some beautiful new photos of our adoptable animals.

You may have noticed that we have been doing that a lot lately. Well, we are so lucky to have the incredibly talented Kira of award-winning Nuena Photography volunteering her time to come photograph our animals. We think that she has an uncanny ability to photograph the animals in a way that their true beauty shines through, helping them find their forever homes.

And me? I'm Kyle, I am Kira's friend and a volunteer at BEBHS. I assist Kira during the photoshoots. We call my position the "animal wrangler", as my job is basically to keep the animal happy and on the backdrop and, when possible, have them look at Kira (who is laying on the ground with her camera.)

These shoots are the highlight of my week. We come in after a long work week, get to hang out with the awesome staff at BEBHS, and work with them to take each animal in, one by one, and get lots of pretty photos. It is amazing, because we know that these photos will help them find their forever home.

Each animal is totally different, they respond to different sounds and react differently to people, Kira's flash, and the backdrop.  One thing is the same, we completely adore each of them by the time we are finished.

That is not to say that it is easy-- its exhausting. Kira is a saint and smiles and loves on these animals, even as they plow into her, chew on her camera, shove their noses onto her lens. I just sit and put my face in my hands and laugh and try to see if they will pay more attention to the sound of Velcro than they did to the jingly bells. We leave the day covered in drool, hair, sweat, etc.

Anyway, yesterday, I fell in love. More than usual. Normally, when I go get an animal, I give them hugs and kisses and they are happy and it all feels great.

When I got Curtis, and let him loose onto the set, my heart sunk into my stomach. I don't know what it was. He is very skinny and just... incredible. He is SO sweet and perfect. His paws look like hands, which I was told is likely a symptom of chronic malnutrition. So he sort of flomp-walks around, thrilled to be in your presence. His ribs show a little, and I found myself biting my lip to keep it all together, for the first time ever.

Listen, I know that every animal I hug, love on, walk, and eventually photograph has had a very rocky and tough life prior to walking into BEBHS, but this felt different. It felt worse and more unfair.

Curtis is pure sweet sugar. He is snuggly and happy and bouncy and big eyed and loving. There is something about him that makes you feel like you could hug him forever and that everything in the universe would be just perfect.

I left BEBHS and couldn't stop thinking about him. I sent a message to a staffer and said "I just love Curtis so much. He really got to me." and she said, "I know.  I love him too. He is at my house right now. I am fostering him until he gets adopted." Again, I melted. The staff at BEBHS is so in tune with each animal and their needs, and their hearts are about three sizes bigger than the average human heart.

Anyway, Kira caught this sweet photo (above) of me getting a sweet smooch from Curtis as I snuggled him to get him to sit still for some photos. I took the one below of him loving on Kira. He just wanted to live in her lap. (Note: most animals that we photograph do this. They view Kira as the good, safe place for kisses and pets, and they think I am the rotten one that keeps adjusting them, holding toys over their head, making them sit still on the paper, etc.)

So....will you help me find a perfect, loving home for Curtis? He is amazing and deserves the best home ever. I will owe you big time.

(:
Kyle

P.S. Below are the rest of Curtis' photos. Find out more about him on the BEBHS Petfinder page.