A Canmore-based photographer has been bringing adoptable dogs on day trips and documenting the animals at their happiest in an effort to help them secure a forever home.
Given the success of her Instagram account consisting primarily of photos of the outdoor adventures of her own dogs, Rachael Rodgers sought a way to use the platform for good.
“Living in Canmore, everybody’s dog has an adventurous lifestyle,” “A regular day for our dogs would be going in the canoe or biking and one of the pictures of my dog Denali started getting shared everywhere.”
“I was trying to think of how I could use Instagram as a tool and I saw a picture of a dog in a shelter. It kind of clicked a little bit that maybe I could help dogs in shelters with my Instagram, just getting them that extra exposure.”
Rodgers began to take adoptable dogs on outings where she would photograph them away from the shelter. “I started just wanting to provide different photos for shelters than the regular photos. There are awesome shots of the dogs online but I wanted to put them in other places – social media.”
“It’s really rewarding for me, as cliché as that sounds. I feel like I have a responsibility to use this tool that I inadvertently made out of my Instagram for dogs to find their homes.”
The photographer has gone on hikes to Kananaskis, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake with at least 80 adoptable dogs and the drive gives her an opportunity to bond with the animal and get a sense of the nature of the animal.
“It’s about showing your best self. In the shelter, a lot of dogs don’t have the opportunity to do that,” explained Rodgers. “Getting them out into a place where they’re really comfortable, it just allows us to show who we really are.”
“I know that I can increase their chances in finding, not just a home but, a home that’s really suited to their lifestyle by showing videos of them doing everyday things like hiking and picnicking with me.”
The outings occur outside of the shelters’ regular hours of operation to ensure that the dog isn’t missing
Rodgers’ ‘trailsandbears’ Instagram account now has more than 35,000 followers. She has created an e-guide, ‘Instagram for Adoptable Dogs’ to encourage shelters, foster agencies and volunteers to adopt social media and to harness its potential for bringing together adoptable animals and owners.
With files from CTV’s Stephanie Wiebe
