SJOTIME PHOTOGRAPHY

Dog Documentary-Jordan Sjostrand 

This is the first part of my "Shoot a Documentary" project. For this assignment I chose to take pictures of the animal shelters in which I volunteer at. Instead of just taking pictures of dogs and how sad they are, I chose to show the funds or lack of funds the city gets for the shelters and the conditions these dogs have to deal with. The lonely dog picture is meant to represent the longing for attention these dogs need because city workers do not have the time to play with them or interact with them outside of their cages. The second picture is of the building with at least 100 dogs in it. As you can tell, the hallway is empty which is normal for shelters unfortunately. Also, it is clean, but not the most inviting place to be. The third picture represents the crowding animal shelters have now forcing dogs to share a cage together. These dogs not only have to live in small cages, but they have to share them with another dog. The fourth picture is of a collar on a dog and the name tag is missing. This represents the idea that dogs in the shelters have no owners. They are owned by the city, but what does that really mean? They don't have a family to fill out a name tag with. The van is the vehicle in which dogs are brought in to the shelter on a daily basis. It is far from inviting and cramped as well. And finally, the last picture is a picture of the dog's playground. This small area, that looks like a cage itself, is an area prospective adopters can take them but they are rarely taken here. These pictures are in no way meant to criticize city workers or shelters, but is supposed to depict the lack of funds the city gets for the shelters and the lack of comfort dogs receive when they live in the shelter.