IMAGINE scrolling through your socials for a perfect match and finally, your eyes are locked on an innocently big-eyed, smiley furry face.
The next thing you know you have found a forever canine companion.
Born out of pure affection towards homeless dogs, the people behind My Forever Doggo (MFD) aim to connect households and shelter pups for adoption through the foundations of unconditional love.
Low adoption rates and the lack of resources to dedicate towards the process is just the reason why the shelter-neutral and free service platform was conceptualised.
Just browse through its Instagram profile (@myforeverdoggo) and you will be left feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
Being pup-arazzi friendly
If you think photographing human portraits is hard, imagine how the team got the featured "paw-some" models to pose perfectly for the camera.
“That is why we have volunteers as we need a lot of hands for the photoshoots,” said MFD lead photographer Jason Chow Wai Chun.
Done with full compassion, the 25-year-old shares: “A lot of treats and trickery are put in play to entice the dogs for that perfect ‘money shot'.
“Photographers need to be quick because each dog has a different personality. Sometimes, the time window to photograph is between 5-10 minutes, but there can be times where it extends to 30 minutes,” said Chow.
“There have been times where the dogs would be so smart, and not easy to be manipulated, which is why there is a delay in some photography sessions. Puppies are usually either the most excited or reluctant – but we have dog whisperers for that."
Clarifying that the ‘dog whisperers’ aren’t necessarily certified like the famous dog trainer Cesar Millan, he does note, “they just need to be comfortable around dogs and know how to pick up on the behaviour.
“Usually when the volunteers take part, we provide guidance on the signals and notify if the condition might get dangerous for them,” he added.
On the significance of creating a portfolio of profile images for the shelter dogs, “the humanising aspect here comes in the form of restoring (or correcting) the view we have towards these dogs.
“People generally see them as fierce and untamed (Ie. do not have the right domesticated behaviour, which may stem from past trauma and untrained).
“While it may be true for the latter part, the takeaway is that some do not bother because they do not look well-groomed,” expressed Chow.
Pictures say a thousand words and having these pooches captured in a presentable light rids them of the misconception.
The existing images of shelter animals are already depressing so what MFD hopes through the makeover is that the dogs can tap into the empathy of its audience.
“The amount of shelter dogs is greater than the number of people willing to take them in, and this leaves a great imbalance,” stressed the photographer during a phone interview with The Vibes.
“MFD simply wants to showcase shelter dogs to the society, taking professional photos so that they can also have a chance to shine – extending the reach via social media for the mass to see."
Rooted with kindness
Detailing on the number of shelters the platform works with, he said: “Top of mind, we work with seven shelter places; Second Chance Animal Shelter Malaysia, PAWS Animal Welfare Society, Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA), Malaysian Animal Welfare Association (MAWA) among them.
“However, due to Covid, we have not been active that much”.
Established in August 2019, Chow shared that since its inception, “we managed to find about 160 dogs safe homes in the adoption process. It is basically the equivalent to the size of a small shelter.
Whether there are any plans to extend the efforts to more than just dogs, he highlights, “We want to stabilise and focus our mission on dog welfare first before opening to other animals (Ie. Cats) but of course, we do see it as an opportunity.
“I am a true believer in making this world a better place, and this is my part to do so eventually we can leave it with a higher quality than how we found it,” said Chow.
Sharing his thoughts on whether our society could reach an ‘every pet for each household’ status, where the advocacy of pet ownership is at a mature level: “I think it will take a long time for every home to have a pet.
“We do not need every dog for every house to solve the issue because the root of it is to control the population from growing uncontrollably,” he said.
“There are also cultural (mostly religious) sensitivities that we need to be mindful of because the society is not too dog-friendly,” added Chow.
These sensitivities, according to him, can be cared for. In doing so, “it should be done in a manner that educates and informs – on solutions that are deeply rooted with kindness.
“I have spoken with so many Malays where the concern of dogs is not so sensitive as we might make it out to be.
“They can touch and pet dogs, and if society can understand this, then probably we can change the status of Malaysia to become a more dog-friendly place,” he expressed.
Chow adds that it is also partly why MFD encourages those who would like to help be part of creating a shared space to grow.
“As of now, the main goal is putting shelter dogs in good homes,” he said, agreeing on the possibilities of having pets as therapeutic support in public spaces (such as offices) as a realm to explore. – The Vibes, May 5, 2021
