My interest in the A.N.N.A Shelter started with the segment on my local news station, called “Jet Pet” and featuring an animal from the Humane Society or the A.N.N.A Shelter. My mother and I would watch just to see what adorable animal was featured and wish that we could just adopt them all. This interest turned into a desire to find out what the shelter is like during business hours, what goes into running it, and what kinds of needs it has. I got the opportunity to actually find out the answers to my questions in my Intermediate Photography I class at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. We were assigned to document something that we wanted to learn about and bring awareness to. I went straight for the A.N.N.A Shelter. I want to shed more light on the situation and the pets that end up in shelters. Purebreeds are just as common in shelters as rag-tag mutts. There is a misconception that animals in a shelter are 'broken' animals- when they are some of the best creatures to get; they are potty trained, friendly, good with people, and each one has its own personality.
I photographed people playing with cats in the cat condos, looking at dogs, bringing animals into the shelter, and photographed the building itself. I want to bring awareness to all animals in shelters, not just A.N.N.A alone, that are waiting for a home. I have always believed that the best pet is a stray. Adoption fees are often cheaper than buying a pet from a shop, and A.N.N.A makes sure that the animals are healthy and ready to go, with their vaccines and spay/neutering. A.N.N.A also offers low-cost rabies and microchip clinics.