Snickers and Lily

In 2012, I travelled up to New York City to watch the Westminster Dog Show. That year, a furry little Pekingese named Palacegarden Malachy won Best in Show. He was cute and all, but I think Snickers and Lily give him a run for his money! This Pekingese pair live in Birkdale Village and we spent their session exploring the local parks and greenway. The colors in every corner of the neighborhood were so bright and vivid - totally complimenting the utter cuteness of this duo.

Lily, the black lady, is a young and spunky girl! She was so excited about checking out every nook and cranny of the places we walked to. Snickers, on the other hand, is a little more reserved at his older age and was WAY more interested in the yummy treats I had. :) As long a they had smiles on their faces, I was happy!

I know Snickers is a male but this shot looks so boudoir to me for some reason. Ha! It makes me laugh!The tail in this image is just too graceful for words...Lily is all, "are you gonna let me down now so I can explore?!?"She's keeping watch in case anyone wants to cross her bridge... ;)I loved posing these two with the beautiful flowers!Hehe! This pair cracks me up! They soooo didn't want to sit next to each other for a picture. With enough patience and treats, they finally cooperated. Lily loves Snickers. Snickers likes Lily. Lol!

I can't wait to see the final artwork of these two. It's gonna be amazing! Maybe it will be displayed over Palacegarden Malachy's bed? Lol!

Bark For Life - Lake Norman

I'm not going to lie. When I got home Saturday after Bark For Life, I cried. I cried for the dogs, I cried for their parents, I cried for the survivors, I cried for the unlucky ones, I cried for anyone having to deal with Cancer. Hearing the stories of loss, struggle, and survival really hit me hard when I walked in my door and was welcomed home by my two dogs, Eva and Sadie. I couldn't help but look at them and think to myself, "What if those stories were my story? What if one of my dogs got Cancer?" I was scared, sad, frustrated, and heartbroken. After about a minute, those feelings turned around. I thought about what each Bark For Life event accomplishes and what each event stands for. A wonderful team of volunteers, survivors, and good samaritans organize and attend these events around the country to raise money to fight the "C" word we have all grown to hate. Maybe we can all take hold of the Hope that's in Pandora's Box? Hope that very soon there will be better medicines. Hope that there will be a cure. Hope that Cancer will no longer exist. Hope that no one - 4-legged or human - has to deal with the effects of Cancer.

This year, the Bark For Life event in Lake Norman/Birkdale raised nearly $25,000! The large crowd enjoyed beautiful weather, a relaxing walk, great vendors, and fun raffles and contests. I got to meet some incredible dogs and dedicated parents who are all ready to keep Hope alive! I want to give a huge THANK YOU to all that attended, volunteered, and supported this event. Thanks to you, hopefully I will never have to look at Eva and Sadie again and wonder, "What if?"

Mrs. Lake Norman and the *awesome* Chair of the event get things started!The large crowd gets ready for the walk and they are lead by Jax, the event's Canine Ambassador. This sweet man is available for adoption through Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love...And the walk begins!!!Some pups need a helping hand or a quick break in the cool grass.Sometimes, they just can't do it all on their own. Isn't that what this event is really about?After the walk, everyone gathered around to select Best Trick (being frisked by a real cop!) and Best Kiss...slurp!Many thanks to all of the lovable dogs (and people) that came out for such a great cause. You are all rock stars and heroes!

If your pup isn't featured here, it's not because he isn't photogenic! Find more adorable 4-leggers here: http://mcgrawphotography.zenfolio.com. A portion of the proceeds from sales of prints will go to the American Cancer Society.

Did you miss Lake Norman's Bark For Life event or would you like to participate in another walk? The American Cancer Society is holding a Charlotte Bark For Life event this Sunday April 28th at the Dog Bar in NoDa. For more information, visit the website: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=41705. Thank you again to everyone associated with these wonderful events!

Bark for Life - Lake Norman

Saturday morning marked a first for the American Cancer Society. It was their first Bark for Life event held at Birkdale Village in Huntersville, NC. The morning was cold and gloomy but spirits were high as a large group of dogs and their people came out to walk in support of the battle against human and animal cancers. The one mile walk began in Birkdale, circled through the adjoining neighborhood and finished along the wetlands behind the Village. The rain held off long enough to finish the walk and even include some Just for Fun contests. Many thanks to all of the participants that braved the cool weather and came out to support a good cause. I always enjoy events put on by the American Cancer Society and this was certainly no exception. I enjoyed everyone's laughs, smiling faces, and most importantly, their pups.

I'll start off the parade of dogs with the 2011 Canine Ambassador. This is Peyton, a playful 10-year-young Lab who was diagnosed with a Grade II myxofibrosarcoma that was removed from his ribs in late 2010 and is now cancer free. Isn't he handsome...This little fellow wrapped up the end of the pack. He wasn't too keen on walking very far... This was a shoe-in for best kisser!

For more photos from the event, click HERE. Enjoy! All of the images will be up by Tuesday, March 29th at 5pm.

If you missed Bark for Life - Lake Norman, don't fear! ACS is hosting another Bark for Life event in uptown Charlotte on Saturday, April 9th at the WFNZ Dog House. I invite you to come out and walk for a cause!

Thanks again to all of the great participants!!!