Landfill Dogs: Finding Beauty in Despair

When I first saw Mary Shannon Johnstone's photos of dogs in need of homes, I, like anyone with a heart, said awww. And then I was filled with sadness. And then a little hope. And then I wanted to go adopt every single one of the dogs. Since that's not an option, I'm going to help spread the word about Mary's project, Landfill Dogs.

Mary Shannon Johnstone started Landfill Dogs with one simple goal: to give dogs facing euthanasia one more opportunity to be adopted. Working with the Wake County Animal Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Mary takes one dog per week to a nearby landfill and photographs it in adorable canine poses. Working with dogs that have been at the shelter for more than two weeks and as such are at risk of being put down, Mary gives the pups a little fresh air, one-on-one time and one more chance to be scooped up by a loving human. The images of the dogs that she captures are a vast improvement over the low quality quick snapshots that shelters normally use. And that's part of what has made this photo project so successful. Many of the dogs that Mary has photographed have gone on to be adopted.

But what about those dogs that don't get adopted? Well, here's the sad part. The reason Mary chose to photograph the dogs at the landfill is because that's where they will end up if they're not adopted. That's right, folks. When unwanted dogs and cats are put down, they're buried deep under all the other human detritus. As Mary says, "This government structure reflects a societal value: homeless cats and dogs are just another waste stream. However, this landscape offers a metaphor of hope. It is a place of trash that has been transformed into a place of beauty. I hope the viewer also sees the beauty in these homeless, unloved creatures."

Kudos to Mary for spreading some beauty and giving hope to an otherwise grim situation.

Images: Mary Shannon Johnstone