Two Chihuahuas, a Shih Tzu, a Cat and an Iguana

I was thrilled when my friend, Joanne, asked me to photograph several of her pets. She has 19 (that is not a typo); for the first photo session she asked me to photograph her dogs (she has three) and one of her lizards (she has four), an iguana. I have photographed a number of her pets over the years—rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, dogs, cats and lizards—but these five hadn’t made the photo wall at her home yet, and she and her husband, Eric, wanted to add more photos to their fur baby wall.

Because she has so many pets, she wanted to focus on her three dogs, Nick Fury, Barton and Kaya, and her iguana, Bianca. We plan to do another shoot later, to photograph some of her other pets, but one of her cats, Aloysius, was having none of “You’ll have your turn during the next photo session.” He followed us outside, hopped up on the chair and sat there while I photographed him; I wish all cats (and dogs!) were so cooperative! :)

Joanne and Eric adopted Nick Fury 2 1/2 years ago.  He is an 8-year-old Chihuahua with one eye—Marvel Comics fan will easily figure out where his name comes from (for those who don’t know, he is named after the Director of SHIELD, who lost an eye as a result of World War II). Barton (named after Agent Barton, another Marvel character), is a 4-year-old Chihuahua/Pug mix, added to the family as a friend for Nick. And they truly are great friends.

Joanne and Eric rescued Kaya a few months ago. She is a 13-year-old Shih Tzu, who had been taken to the shelter by her owners. She has bad arthritis and cancer, but now has a happy home with the rest of the clan. Kaya adapted very quickly to her new life, not surprisingly when you see how well she is treated.

Bianca is a 23-year-old iguana, adopted at the age of 18, when her owner passed away. Her best friend is T-shirt, a cat whose two back legs are paralyzed—photos of the two of them coming in the next session.

Ellen Zangla Photography—Specializing in pets and the people who love them.

Professional Photographers of America—2015 Silver Medal Photographer of the Year