Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 13, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 13, 2014


SIT, STAY, SMILE 

FOR THE CAMERA!

LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Looking For A Best Friend??

Mitzi is a 7 year old white Maltese mix, weighing 
around 11 pounds who came to the shelter as a stray. 
She looked like she had been living on the streets 
for a while � her fur was dirty and badly matted. 
Volunteers pitched in to send her for a professional 
grooming and the transformation was dramatic. 

 Mitzi is a very happy dog who loves people. She 
gets along with other dogs she has met at the shelter, 
including the two kennel mates she has had since 
she arrived with us, but her preference is being with 
people. She loves getting pets and cuddles, and 
will put her paws on your leg asking to be picked 
up. She will also dance on her hind legs for treats. 
She hasn�t shown much interest in playing with toys, 
and would rather be getting human attention. Mitzi 
enjoys going on walks and is easy to handle on leash.

 Mitzi is a friendly, good-natured girl who would 
make a wonderful family pet. She would do well 
with a single person, couple, or family who can give 
her the love and companionship she needs. She 
would love to have a yard to explore, but would be 
very happy to sit on the sofa with you to watch TV.

 Mitzi would qualify for our �Senior for Senior� 
program, although she would be a great dog for any 
age person or family. Please come in to meet her 
and see if she is the right dog to share your home 
and life. She will happily meet you with a smile on 
her face, and maybe a kiss or two.

 She currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley 
Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in 
San Gabriel. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., 
north of Mission and south of Las Tunas. 

 To arrange a �Meet and Greet� with the perky 
Mitzi, please stop by any time from 10:00am to 
4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. Her adoption fee 
is $120 which includes spay surgery, a microchip, 
first vaccinations and a free wellness check-up at 
a participating veterinarian. She is also eligible 
for our Senior For Senior reduced-fee adoption 
program. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for 
more information on Mitzi. 

 

See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for 
information and photos of all our available pets. 

 
The 21st century has been ever-so-kind to the 
modern-day lover of the canine, wouldn�t you agree? 
I am amazed at how much things have changed since 
just a few short decades ago, when your average 
dedicated dog lover would have been deemed 
obsessive compulsive if they were heard talking about 
their pet during a conversation in public. Anyone 
who may have been caught thinking or talking about 
their four-legged best bud in a social setting was 
assumed to be some kind of a weirdo, groping and 
hoping for love and in dire need of �getting a life�.

 Not so much anymore. In fact, most people I know 
are serious dog lovers and/or pet owners, and when 
we get together for a little social time in town, we are 
hard pressed to come up with an alternative topic to 
discuss! How is it that our precious pets have become 
such a major part of our everyday lives? I think it has 
to do with the fact that domesticated animals have 
proven to be consistently loving and affectionate 
through thick or thin, while we 
humans often choose to wiggle 
our ways out of being dedicated 
to relationships that turn out 
to be inconvenient or less than 
comfortable.

 Regardless of why pets have 
become such a major part of 
the average civilized citizen�s 
life on this planet, one thing is 
for sure; the human�s intensified 
friendship with the animals 
has had an enormous impact 
on our society, and has given 
birth to an entirely new and 
fast-growing market for pet 
pampering services, retail pet products and pet care 
paraphernalia. Who knew the average family dog 
might end up helping America�s economy stay afloat 
during a time when we need it most?

 Among the many fantastic facets for pampering our 
pets with products and services that have emerged in 
today�s market, is that of professional pet photography. 
There have been numerous famous photographers 
throughout history who�ve used their skills to document 
various subject matter since the art of photography was 
developed, but the concept of focusing specifically on 
pet photography is relatively new, and quickly becoming 
a prolific practice these days.

 Allow me to digress to the origin of photography, if 
you will. The art itself dates back to the early 1800�s, 
when daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes were 
the mainstream media used to preserve, print and 
document images captured by a rustic camera using 
the basic elements of light, time and an immense 
amount of skill to achieve desired results. Even then, 
way back in the day, when photography was a newly 
invented art form, the subject matter of photos often 
included animals, mostly domestic livestock or pets. 
Now, in 2014, vintage photos depicting animals in 
the subject matter tend to be more desirable and 
collectible than those wherein animals are absent; a 
known fact that I love to brag about!

 I recently caught up with a friend who happens 
to be a professional pet photographer here in Sierra 
Madre. I was already working on this article, so it 
seemed natural to ask him for an interview to add 
to my story. Steve Johnstone, owner of Canyon Pet 
Portraits is a talented artist who has photographed 
several of my canine clients as well as my bloodhound, 
Tatertotts. The photo shown is one that Steve took of 
Zola, a gorgeous Great Pyrenees and dear client of 
mine. When I first saw the results of his work, I was 
impressed immediately! Steve agreed to an interview, 
during which I became even more fascinated with his 
story, his work and his amazing skills.

 CL: So, Steve, how did you get into pet photography?

SJ: After I retired from the movie industry, I set up a 
small studio to continue in photography. I was doing 
fine art and portraits, but people kept asking me to 
photograph their dogs. I really enjoyed it. People 
seemed to like the results and I started doing more 
and more.

CL: So, you�re a dog person?

SJ: I�ve had dogs, cats and other critters throughout 
my life and always knew they 
are an important aspect, 
another dynamic in life. They 
become part of the family, true 
companions. And I try to treat 
them as such, with the dignity 
they deserve in my portraits. 
Of course, you can�t get too 
solemn because having a pet 
should be fun - even a little 
goofy at times!

CL: Today it seems everyone 
has a phone or camera to take 
pictures with. Why should they 
go to a pet photographer if they 
can take photos of their pets themselves?

SJ: Excellent point. Today�s phones and point-and-
shoot cameras are amazing. But nothing compares to 
an high-quality, archival print on the wall or in an 
album. There�s something about prints that you just 
can�t replace. It�s the difference between receiving an 
email versus an hand-written letter.

CL: What distinguishes you from other pet 
photographers?

SJ: There are some really fine pet photographers out 
there. I can only give you my approach: Everything 
I do is in my studio. With my background in 
motion picture lighting and photography, I feel 
I can get the best results under those controlled 
conditions.

CL: So, how is the business going?

SJ: Great! I work with my wife, Rosemarie who is also 
retired from the movie industry. Only this is a lot 
more fun for us both. And, it is also very satisfying 
to give our clients something they will treasure for 
years to come.

CL: What is the best way for a person to contact you, 
if they are interested in learning more about your pet 
photography services?

SJ: We are always reachable by phone at 626-
355-2808, or 818-292-5014, or visit our website at 
canyonpetportraits.com to view samples of my work 
and to contact us via email. 


THESE GUYS COULD USE YOUR HELP

A dear friend of mine passed away recently, leaving behind his three beloved bird-hunting 
English Pointers. They are in good hands, with my friend's bereaved widow for now, but 
since she is not into hunting, she has asked if I can be of assistance in finding a new forever 
home for her pups. Here are photos of "Luna", the mom, and her two babes, "Chuck" and 
"Pearl". 

All three dogs are cordial and in excellent health, with current vaccines and all vet care 
up-to-date. They are beautiful babes, I know personally because I had the opportunity to 
spend a little time with them when my friend was traveling, about a year ago. Please take 
a look, and share this post with anyone whom you think might be interested. They are 
excellent at the craft of birding, but would also make fabulous pets. Anyone interested, 
please contact me and I will put you in touch with the owner. Chris@canyoncanine.com