6 San Diego Uptown News | December 10–23, 2010 FROM PAGE 5


TAILS


Snowhite said, adding that she has her own repertoire of pet-enticing sounds.


“My iPod is loaded with animal sounds,” she said. “You’ve got one or two curious, intent looks from a pet when it hears a strange sound, after that, they’ve figured it out and lose interest. And the time you’ll have that attention is short. If a dog starts panting or tucks his ears back, he’s stressed and you’ve lost him,” Snowhite said, adding that a formal “por-


NEWS


trait” isn’t necessarily the way to capture your pet’s personality. She explained that sometimes the best photos come from un- posed, or ‘in the moment’ shots. Veit advised that should a pet owner want to use some of holiday accessories for their companion’s photo shoot he or she should make sure it’s a pet-friendly version. “Props can be cute,” Veit acknowledged. “But if you use antlers, use size-appropriate ones. And even for bigger dogs, use the ones made for dogs. They’re built to be more comfortable on a dog’s head and to stand upright.” Veit added that even simple


items you already have can add a little yuletide flavor to a photo. “Wrap pretty fabric around a pet’s collar, or even your own red scarf can add a seasonal splash,” he said.


Both Veit and Snowhite agreed that your chances of a getting a good picture are better if you use what nature has to offer.


“Natural outdoor light is best,” Snowhite said, although she admits photographing cats is usually eas- ier in an indoor setting. “And the sports mode (setting) gives you a faster shutter speed. I use 1/500th of a second for (photographing) horses or dogs moving around.” Veit advised budding shutter- bugs that must stay indoors to pick the brightest room in the house with natural light. “If you can go outside, that’s good,” he said. “But pick a secluded spot where your pet won’t be too distracted. And keep the leash on if you have to— arrange it behind the pet, out of the shot, or Photoshop it out later.” Technologically speaking, cam-


eras are making it easier for even the most inexperienced photogra- pher to succeed. Veit suggested taking a gander at the manual for a quick refresher, and to set the light balance (don’t rely on auto). He said that a flash is to be avoided, especially when the animal is look- ing at the camera. First, it tends to make animals uncomfortable and they may bolt, he explained, adding that it’s likely you’ll wind up with canine green eye. The key is to stay relaxed and your pet will too. That way, the resulting images will reflect “who” your pets really are. And, and Veit repeated: Don’t forget the treats!u


Sunny, shown above, a one-month old Labrador-mix puppy, was discovered in a dumpster in Mission Valley on Nov. 19. (Lauren Ventura / SDUN)


FROM PAGE 5 DOG


spay and neuter their pet and then giving up the ensuing litter to unfit homes.


“It’s a lot about ignorance and a lack of resources,” she said. “Espe-


cially now with the faltering econo- my, a lot of people are just not spay- ing or neutering.” Shumann started SNAP in 1991 after volunteering in a local animal control shelter and seeing how many dogs were euthanized on a daily basis. Shocked by the sheer number, Shumann set out to help “fix” the problem by forming the SNAP non-profit to offer low-income animal owners cheap, and sometimes free, spay and neuter services. The “Neu- ter Scooter” visits areas in and around San Diego County that re- ceive the highest Animal Control service calls.


In addition, SNAP is an advocacy


group for animals, like Sunny, who are residents of the County Animal Shelters.


As for why someone would try


to cut off the puppy’s ears, Shu- mann expressed that no one will ever know why. “I fostered a dog once that some- one slit it’s throat from ear-to-ear; I had another one that someone had put a rubber band around the dog’s muzzle and the infection was so bad we had to remove the lower jaw due to lack of circulation,” Shumann said. “Each time they come to me, people ask ‘Why would someone do that?’ and I just tell them there is no answer—someone was just being cruel.” If you have any information on


who hurt Sunny, please call Animal Control at (619) 236-2341. A $4,500 reward is being offered by the San Diego Animal Advocates for any in- formation leading to the arrest and conviction of the person respon- sible for the abuse.


“Whoever did this malicious act needs to be brought to justice,” said Dawn Danielson, Director of the Department of Animal Services, in a recent statement.


If a suspect is identified, they will face a felony animal abuse charges, which could include prison


time and fines. Sunny


will be up for adoption soon, and updates on his progress can be found on the department’s web- site, sddac.com. For more information on SNAP visit Snap-sandiego.com.u


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