Higher Ground Portrait Event | Spokane Photographer | Dog Days Portraits

Before we moved to Spokane I researched the different animal sanctuaries in the area. It was really important to me and Clint that we know a place where the kids could learn more about animals and why it’s important to properly care for them. Anyways, we were delighted to hear about Higher Ground Animal Sanctuary up in GreenBluff. Cheri Scandalis is the owner and she does such an amazing job caring for the animals at the sanctuary. They have all kinds there – goats, horses, sheep, pigs, donkeys, etc. and they hold adoption events every weekend with their kitties and doggies. Cheri works tirelessly to help all these animals, some who have been abused or are sick and in need of a lot of medical care. I really wanted to help them out in some way. While we’ve donated our own funds, I wanted to do something that would bring awareness to the work they do at Higher Ground as well as bring them in some extra cash.

So the Dog Days Portraits for Higher Ground Animal Sanctuary was born. Donors received a mini session and five digital files. We had such a great time meeting so many dog and animal lovers. And I met breeds I’d never heard of, including two Bouvier des Flandres and a Azawakh (a North African Breed that protects and guards). The dogs were so beautiful and it was so much fun getting to know all the stories of how the people and the animals came into each others’ lives! One of the dogs is actually Cheri’s dog Phoenix. He was burned alive a year ago. A rescue took him in and saved his life but in the process he underwent multiple surgeries to stretch and graft his skin. It was incredibly painful for him and he has a hard time meeting strangers. But Cheri has been working so hard to help him and it’s obvious in his beautiful smile!

Anyways, because of all the great donors who came out that day, we raised $665! Thank you so much everyone!