So many sweet faces ! Through the volunteer ’s lens system , these animals are transformed into friends who are ready for someone to bang .
As every prospective Tinder dater knows , the first discharge often bulge with a photo . Kentucky lensman Maggie Epling is using that philosophy to help a group in desperate need of matchmaking : saving pet at thePike County Animal Shelter .
A 20 - year - one-time writing , ornateness , and digital study major at the University of Kentucky , it ’s in Epling ’s nature to incur way to help and give back . So when her grandpa undergo open meat operating theatre in the beginning this year , there was no question that Epling would be pass the summer in Pikeville , Ky. , about three minute from her study in Lexington . In add-on to helping her grandparent , Epling want to regain something else to keep her engaged and ask in the community during her summer month .
Photo: Maggie Epling
" I was become to do an internship , but I wanted something that would give me tractability to take my grandfather to his appointments , " Epling tell Daily Paws . It was that desire for tractableness that led her to the local animate being shelter .
" The Pike County Animal Shelter is often overwhelmed and at electrical capacity , " she pronounce . " There are nospay - and - neuterlaws in Kentucky , and here in Appalachia isolated dogs and computed axial tomography are a big problem . When I offer to help , they seemed really grateful and appreciative . "
Epling drop as much of her free time as possible at the shelter , getting to make out some of its hundreds of animals and doing her good to aid them find forever homes by give way them the well potential start : a good see photo .
" Because the shelter is so inundate , the stave and volunteers are way too busy to pass sentence snap the dogs , " she says . " I spend anywhere from half an hour to an hour with each bounder . I really reckon it ’s key to be patient .
" Because it ’s time - run through , I commonly only get to four or five dogs per daytime , " she adds . " But I think it ’s worth it . I ’m not just trying to take photograph of what the bounder looks like , I also desire to capture their personality . "
The consequence of that time and longanimity are often remarkable . The photos that Epling provides for the protection are often engaging , lighthearted , and show each creature ’s personality and inner warmth . These are n’t just stray frank and African tea to scroll through on a website : Through Epling ’s lens , these animals are transformed into living , breathing booster who desire someone to screw .
It can be a slow process . Each frump or computed tomography that Epling act with derive with their own personality that she needs to figure out . Sometimes there ’s an unsung , past trauma that she needs to work through to gain their trust . Other time , it ’s just a matter of work through the pent - up muscularity of a good dog in a small kennel . Epling does her best to meet each brute where they are .
" The end is get the heel 100 % well-fixed before we go to the studio , since the igniter can be a bit scary for them , " she says . " If they trust me and are loose , it makes the photo process much less trying . I would never push a frankfurter to do something that made them uncomfortable ; if they ’re reallystressed , we just try again the next sidereal day . "
All of that work and love and solitaire is beginning to pay off off . Epling say that the tax shelter has seen an uptick in interest coming from people who say they ’ve get word the novel photograph , and recently the shelter had its first adoption that was a verbatim final result of Epling ’s work : abeaglenamed Wynonna .
" She is such a precious dog and had huge puppy frank oculus , but had issue finding a menage because there are so many hound hound looking for rest home around here , " Epling suppose . " I place her photograph tomy Facebook pageon a Saturday , and when I went to the shelter on Tuesday the staff say me someone had come in and said they knew they had to adopt her after envision those photos . It really warmed my heart and instantly made all the effort worthwhile . "
When the summer comes to an end , Epling will go back to Lexington to summarize her studies . But as long as there are shelters full of animals look for homes , the crusade of tax shelter voluntary and people like Epling with immense hearts and a desire to help will always be appreciated .
" I bond with every dog I photograph , " she says . " It take redundant effort but I think it makes a big deviation . People have told me they ’ve fallen in love with a certain Canis familiaris from my photograph alone . "
