You may know that I do pro bono photography for the Dogs Trust in Canterbury – I photograph many of their dogs who are ready for rehoming and some of their long-stayers too. Great photographs of a dog can immediately catch the eye of the potential adopter and often results in the dog being rehomed more quickly which reduces the stress that these poor dogs, through no fault of their own, sometimes endure.

In order to raise awareness of the Trust, the centre held an open day on 24 July 2016 and I was invited to attend as a roaming photographer, capturing some of the many varied dog breeds who came along with their owners to enjoy the day.

And here are just some of those gorgeous faces …

Esther, who is shown below, has an unusual story, her adoptive mum told me. She was originally rehomed and her mum was just a bit too late but told the staff that Esther was returned, she would snap her up in an instant. The staff said that was unlikely … but three weeks later, a delighted mum got the call that Esther was back up for adoption and now Esther is being cherished in her forever home. A lovely story!

Many of the dogs there on the day had been rehomed through Dogs Trust and Alfie, who is pictured below, was one of their long stayers. Rehomed from Ireland with such terrible infections in both eyes, the vets were only able to save one … but he is the most handsome and delightful dog who won “Best in Show” against some very stiff competition and who has now found his forever home with a wonderful local family.