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Posts from the ‘ABANDONED BOOK’ Category

Sep 19

Inside Abandoned: Jacks

It is almost October, which is National Adopt-A-Dog Month!

Today, I am sharing an individual dog’s photographs and story from my forthcoming book, ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024.

In ABANDONED, each dog’s story is emblematic of the 2.2 million dog adoptions that take place in this country each year—but they are also a reminder that due to our dog overpopulation crisis, 1 million rescues do not result in adoption annually.

Pictured immediately above on the left is Jacks’ photograph before adoption; and pictured on the right is Jacks’ photograph after adoption. Jacks was renamed “Taco.” Roughly one year separates the two above photographs.

In the Autumn of 2014, Jacks, an English Bulldog, was surrendered to a shelter by his owner and then transferred to a rescue organization. Obviously underweight, it was noted that he had not been fed regularly. 

After about a month in the rescue, he was adopted and renamed “Taco.” “Taco has had a huge impact on our lives,” said his new human companion a year later. “He is the definition of love. He loves all people, he loves all dogs, and he loves everything.”

Jacks/Taco is just one example from ABANDONED illustrating how dog rescue and adoption not only changes the lives of the dogs, but it simultaneously enriches the lives of the human companions as well. My sincere hope is that ABANDONED helps compel people to consider dog rescue and adoption, helping many dogs in need find permanent, loving homes, especially with our current dog overpopulation crisis in this country.

31 people endorsed ABANDONED including: Dr. Jane Goodall, Sally Mann, Susan Orlean, and John Grogan, to name a few, along with other New York Times bestselling authors, artists, and Presidents of large dog rescue and animal welfare organizations. 

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Sep 16

ABANDONED: Partnering with the SPCA International

I am excited to announce that the I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of  ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe, giving back to the important cause! You can read more here and here.

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

Sep 12

Inside ABANDONED: Beans

It is almost October, which is National Adopt-A-Dog Month!

Today, I am sharing an individual dog’s photographs and story from my forthcoming book, ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024.

In ABANDONED, each dog’s story is emblematic of the 2.2 million dog adoptions that take place in this country each year—but they are also a reminder that due to our dog overpopulation crisis, 1 million rescues do not result in adoption annually.

Pictured immediately above on the left is Beans’ photograph before adoption; and pictured on the right is Beans’ photograph after adoption. Roughly one year separates the two above photographs.

Before his arrival at a Maryland rescue, Beans, a Boston Terrier, spent an appalling six years at a puppy mill in Missouri.  The early years of his life took place in a cage devoid of human kindness.  Despite this, the veterinary team at the rescue did not report any health or behavioral issues.  “Beans is a very shy and timid little guy that is afraid of people,” they noted.

Happily, Beans was adopted after two months and soon integrated nicely into his new family.  “He has come out of his shell quite a bit since adopting him and he is able to frequently interact with people without the awful fear reactions he previously experienced,” they report.  “He is progressing nicely and seems to be a much happier little guy in general than he was when he first came to us.”

Beans is just one example from ABANDONED illustrating how dog rescue and adoption not only changes the lives of the dogs, but it simultaneously enriches the lives of the human companions as well. My sincere hope is that ABANDONED helps compel people to consider dog rescue and adoption, helping many dogs in need find permanent, loving homes, especially with our current dog overpopulation crisis in this country.

31 people endorsed ABANDONED including: Dr. Jane Goodall, Sally Mann, Susan Orlean, and John Grogan, to name a few, along with other New York Times bestselling authors, artists, and Presidents of large dog rescue and animal welfare organizations. 

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Sep 9

ABANDONED: Thank you for your Pre-Orders

Our girls, Alex and Victory, wanted to say “thank you” for pre-ordering ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024! Many thanks for your support!

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Sep 5

ABANDONED Featured on Visura

ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024, has been featured on Visura. To read more, visit Visura.

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Sep 4

Inside ABANDONED: Humphrey

It is almost October, which is National Adopt-A-Dog Month!

Today, I am sharing an individual dog’s photographs and story from my forthcoming book, ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024.

In ABANDONED, each dog’s story is emblematic of the 2.2 million dog adoptions that take place in this country each year—but they are also a reminder that due to our dog overpopulation crisis, 1 million rescues do not result in adoption annually.

Pictured immediately above on the left is Humphrey’s photograph before adoption; and pictured on the right is Humphrey’s photograph after adoption. Roughly one year separates the two above photographs.

Humphrey and his sister arrived at a Maryland rescue in 2013 riddled with mange, hair loss, and skin irritation issues. Adopted once, he was returned to the rescue for excessive barking—but I found him to be calm and easy to photograph, noting his “beautiful and soulful eyes.”

Happily, he was adopted a second time and re-named “Ricky-Bobby.” “The impact of adopting Ricky-Bobby has been nothing short of happiness and love,” his human companion reports. “No matter how tough of a day I have had, he always greets me at the door with a smile and a playful romp around the house.”

Humphrey, renamed Ricky-Bobby, is just one example from ABANDONED illustrating how dog rescue and adoption not only changes the lives of the dogs, but it simultaneously enriches the lives of the human companions as well. My sincere hope is that ABANDONED helps compel people to consider dog rescue and adoption, helping many dogs in need find permanent, loving homes, especially with our current dog overpopulation crisis in this country.

31 people endorsed ABANDONED including: Dr. Jane Goodall, Sally Mann, Susan Orlean, and John Grogan, to name a few, along with other New York Times bestselling authors, artists, and Presidents of large dog rescue and animal welfare organizations. 

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Aug 27

My Miracles

The image below contains all of my miracles in one photograph: My daughter, Alex; my rescue Shetland Sheepdog, Victory; and my newest miracle–my book: ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, which is is released on October 1, 2024, to kick off ‘Adopt-A-Dog Month!’ My copies just arrived, and it is quite surreal to hold this book, in my hands, after so much work, effort, and dedication–a dream realized. Alex is especially excited to see this book in physical form!

Abandoned is a result of a ten-year project following nearly sixty dogs from rescue to adoption, showcasing “before” and “after” photographs, which are accompanied by each dog’s personal story.  No other book has captured dogs in this manner.  It is a unique project that encompasses more than just photographs—as the dogs’ stories are integral, providing context and augmenting the photographs.  In addition to the dogs, I hope that people see that the human companions’ lives are equally changed in such positive, immeasurable ways. This project has been a labor of love, and I hope you will consider pre-ordering Abandoned now. My sincere hope is that Abandoned helps compel people to consider dog rescue and adoption, helping many dogs in need find permanent, loving homes, especially with our current dog overpopulation crisis in this country.

31 people endorsed the book including: Dr. Jane Goodall, Sally Mann, Susan Orlean, and John Grogan, to name a few, along with other New York Times bestselling authors, artists, and Presidents of large dog rescue and animal welfare organizations. 

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Aug 23

ABANDONED: Sally Mann

In addition to Dr. Jane Goodall, it is also surreal that the words of Sally Mann, one of America’s most renowned photographers, who I have always admired greatly for her wonderful work, adorns the back cover of my book, ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs. It is unbelievable to me that our paths crossed, and I am so grateful and beyond ecstatic they did. I was first introduced to her work during high school, and I have followed her prolifically ever since, and I have been fortunate enough to see a few of her exhibitions in person. I especially love her landscapes and family pictures. Sally also created her work while raising a family, which is not an easy feat and it is very admirable. In addition to being a photographer, Sally is also an acclaimed writer, and I thoroughly loved her memoir, Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs.

“Abandoned is a testament to the nobility of dogs, their willingness to forgive, and the great love they offer their humans. Carver has caught all this and more in her moving portraits of these long-suffering animals whose faces will remain in your mind long after you finish this book. The stories are heartbreaking as well as affirming—and a tribute to the hard-working and dedicated people who protect and care for our best friends.”—Sally Mann, photographer and New York Times bestselling author of Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings and Hold Sill: A Memoir with Photographs

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Sally Mann, “To be able to take my pictures, I have to look, all the time, at the people and places I care about. And I must do so with both ardor and cool appraisal, with the passions of eye and heart, but in that ardent heart there must also be a splinter of ice.”  —Sally Mann

I love this interview with Sally Mann, and I hope that you enjoy it as well.

I have learned, through this great journey of creating ABANDONED, a journey that has been over a decade in the making, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing your vision come to fruition, and I sincerely hope that this body of work helps many dogs in need, as there is a current dog overpopulation crisis in our country, and it is my hope that this body of work raises awareness about the benefits of dog rescue and adoption, for both humans and dogs alike. If it were not for our beloved, Biscuit, the inspiration for ABANDONED, this project and book would not exist.

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Aug 10

ABANDONED: Dr. Jane Goodall

It is surreal that the words of Dr. Jane Goodall, an iconic woman who I have always admired for her wonderful work and her perseverance, adorns the cover of my book, ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs. Dr. Jane Goodall is such a kind, warm person and she has done so much vital and impactful work on behalf of animals and our planet. And, it turns out, dogs are her favorite animal! She is an exemplary model of someone who has persevered and followed her dreams, no matter what others might have thought of them. It is very admirable, and as a result, Dr. Jane Goodall has blazed the trail and changed the world.

“In Abandoned, Carver describes, with words and beautiful photographs, the plight of abandoned dogs and how a caring home can transform a frightened cowering being into a confident and happy companion who will give unconditional love. For me, a life without a dog is a life only half lived. A must read.”—Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE; Founder of The Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Jane Goodall, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE; Founder of The Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace

Additionally, I love this advice Dr. Jane Goodall would give her ten-year-old self.

I have learned, through this great journey of creating ABANDONED, a journey that has been over a decade in the making, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing your vision come to fruition, despite navigating problems and disappointments, and the uncertainty of it all. I will never forget the feeling of holding the final proof of ABANDONED in my hands, this summer, after working so hard and for so long to make this dream a reality. I hope our daughter, Alex, can witness this, first hand, as she learns to lean into and follow her big and wild dreams! Most of all, I hope that this body of work helps many dogs in need, as there is a current dog overpopulation crisis in our country, and it is my hope that this body of work raises awareness about the benefits of dog rescue and adoption, for both humans and dogs alike. If it were not for our beloved, Biscuit, the inspiration for ABANDONED, this project and book would not exist.

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

Jul 9

3 Comments

My Book: ABANDONED is Available for Pre-Order!

I can hardly believe I am typing this blog post after so many years of working on this project! My book, Abandoned: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, is finally finished, and it is now available for pre-order, and it will be released on October 1, 2024, to kick off ‘Adopt-A-Dog Month!’ This project has been a labor of love, and I hope you will consider pre-ordering Abandoned now, as it is vital to the book’s success. My sincere hope is that Abandoned helps many dogs in need find permanent, loving homes, especially with our current dog overpopulation crisis in this country.

Abandoned is a result of a ten-year project following nearly sixty dogs from rescue to adoption, showcasing “before” and “after” photographs, which are accompanied by each dog’s personal story.  No other book has captured dogs in this manner.  It is a unique project that encompasses more than just photographs—as the dogs’ stories are integral, providing context and augmenting the photographs.  In addition to the dogs, I hope that people see that the human companions’ lives are changed in such positive, immeasurable ways. 

The idea for Abandoned, literally came to me on a summer day during 2012, roughly a year-and-a-half after we had adopted our first rescue dog named Biscuit, a Shetland Sheepdog, for whom this blog is named after.  He forever changed my life in so many ways—he opened my heart in a way like no other; and he brought me back to my love of photography. My curiosity and experience with Biscuit made me aware of the dog overpopulation crisis in our country, and this set me on a path to learn more about what happens to these abandoned dogs.  I began documenting the fate of roughly 60 dogs of various breeds, who found themselves in shelters or rescue organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region.  I first photographed each dog prior to adoption, and I then photographed these same dogs, again, roughly a year later.  Written narratives accompany the dogs’ photographs providing, to the extent possible, how, and why each dog was abandoned.  I also explore the significant positive impact these dogs have had on their human companions’ lives, and vice versa. It is my great hope that Abandoned will help raise awareness of this overpopulation crisis and encourage people to adopt a shelter or rescue dog.

It is an understatement that the publication of this body of work required contributions from a large number of people whom I owe such a great debt.

Here is a look inside Abandoned, shown below, and you can learn more about Abandoned and read editorial reviews, here.

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.

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