“I started the project in March 2014 as an in studio portrait series. I wanted to show the happily ever after that many of these dogs have and the positive impact they have on their human’s lives. In September 2014 I started the street series of photos shooting in both Brooklyn and Toronto. You see so many sad stories and people pleading to adopt, but you never see what happens years afterward. I have been rescuing dogs since 2006 and I feel like the rescue dog community needed a bit of a positive bump to dispel some nasty misconceptions about rescue dogs. I have had 10 wonderful years with my rescue dog Charlie, and he always inspires me to do more work to help promote how awesome rescuing a dog is.

The response to the project has been positive. People are very excited to share their dog’s story and how much saving a dog has helped them. I photograph every weekend, rain or shine, in 35C to -30C – people show up no matter what! It’s been fantastic for me, because truly, rescue dog people are some of the kindest and most outgoing people. I get to meet all sorts of wonderful dogs who seem more than happy to show off for the camera. I get letters from many people who were inspired to adopt a dog rather than buy a dog. That’s the bees knees to me.” – Nicole Simone