Giving Back

If you have come here to support my mission, a big wet nose THANK YOU! Reaching out to animals in need through photography has changed my life! I look into those eyes and see innocence, a forgiving spirit, a welcoming wag. My mission, called Unleashed, has also prompted something deep inside me, a true realization that knowing what you love, and allowing it to be part of you, opens your heart in ways unimagined. So here I am, opening my portrait photography business to encompass a love I could not live without, animals. I hope you will join me as I post and share the precious animals I come in contact with each week in an effort to find them true love and a place they can call home.

Pablo Picasso said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Unleashed is and ALWAYS will be a mission to save those in need. I am fully aware that my photography will not save the world,  I am also aware that a good photo can speak to the world. For the dogs that I meet, I am their silent voice, where no words are needed. I produce an image that tells their story, it is this story that I hope will bring them love, safety, and happiness.

Pictured above is all 3 of my favorite rescues, the boy who started it all is on my right. His shelter name was Dexter, he is now a Gator. We adopted Gator on the heels of losing our beloved Lab, Moto. I never thought I could love another dog like Moto, but Gator has changed my heart. Gator occupied a kennel in a shelter for over 3 months, waiting. By the time we walked into his life he was 6 months old, he had been surrendered because they “were having a baby”. I was still mourning the loss of our sweet Moto, but Gator and my son had an instant connection. It took me time, time to fall in love, time to feel less guilty about bringing another dog home, into Moto’s space. I believe him to be “our gift from Moto”. He is gentle, smart, loving, loyal, playful. He stares at me watching, waiting to see what I will do next and hope with all his might that it includes him! He speaks to my soul, he is my meditation, my inner peace, he is where I go to relax.

What I am doing is for him, for dogs like him. It is for the dog that has been given up on too many times to know what a real life looks like. It is for the senior dog that arrives in the shelter with defeated eyes and a broken heart. It is for the ones that humans have simply let down. It is for the dog that has felt pain at the hand of our fellow human. And, it is for my children, for our future, to teach them that we have a part. We ALWAYS have a part, we can ALWAYS make an impact and we can ALWAYS make a difference.

If you are interested in following my journey, the best way to keep up is to “like” my  Facebook page, Sarah Wood Photography Unleashed.

My arms and heart are always open. If you own a rescue, work or volunteer in a shelter or know of a dog in need, please contact me. My rescue work comes straight from the heart, I believe with everything that I give and have that it makes a difference. Because of this, I NEVER charge rescues, we are in this together one dog, one life, at a time!