It’s no secret that we love dogs. Just look at the pet product industry. You can buy a ski jacket for your dog, or some vegan treats just in case your dog has issues with eating sustainably. Some people treat their dogs better than they would treat their very own child.
Then again, I’m only talking about the extreme in the above cases. What about all of those dogs who are mistreated or unloved? That is the case for more dogs than we’d like to think. It can break your heart to imagine the lonely dogs out there who don’t have homes.
Believe it or not, despite how well loved dogs are, there are still lots of dogs without homes all over the United States. It can be difficult for shelters to get an adult dog adopted, no matter how cute they are. That’s why this photographer’s approach is both brilliant and adorable.
Photographer Greg Murray wanted to do a new photography book project, so he got his studio ready with everything he’d need: moppable floors, tons of peanut butter, and a cavalry of adorable pups. That’s because it was his aim to photograph a bunch of rescue puppies while they eat peanut butter. Murray told TODAY, “it was chaotic but in a really fun way. I love what I do.”
The book is titled “Peanut Butter Puppies” and it does not disappoint. It is the direct sequel to his 2017 book tilted - you guessed it - “Peanut Butter Dogs.” Murray had to coordinate with over 30 animal shelters and different rescue groups in the Northeast Ohio area. The puppies involved were either recently adopted or were adoptable. They went to his Cleveland studio, and one of them even came all the way from Texas.
Murray chose puppies that were anything from 8 weeks to 12 months, and before you ask, yes, all the puppies have found homes since shooting. Murray is no stranger to peanut butter. According to him, “a jar of peanut butter is my biggest tool when it comes to dog photography.” Gibbs Smith is the book’s publisher, and they will be donating $1 from every presale to three different rescue organizations. This deal holds up until March 16 up to $3,000, so there is still time.
In case you were wondering, Greg Murray is very passionate about rescue animals. He has his own rescues, Leo and Kensie, but they aren’t main features in the book since they are too old to qualify. You can find them in the acknowledgments page, however, because how could you leave them out?
You might be wondering how safe it is to feed a dog peanut butter. Greg Murray is a couple steps ahead of you. He has a page in the book that is dedicated to teaching people how to safely feed their pets peanut butter. One of his main warnings is to avoid peanut butter with xylitol since it can be toxic for dogs.
“Just be safe and be smart. It’s a good treat, but too much of anything isn’t good. Be careful what you’re giving your dogs and always check the ingredients.” He even enjoys peanut butter himself, often eating it with bananas, though despite this memorable book series, he doesn't want to be known as the peanut butter guy. He offers a wide variety of photography services, though I’m sure taking photos of dogs for the rest of his life wouldn’t be a bad thing.
