Key PointsMike Ruiz stated he began the calendars to “deliver consideration to the plight of animals in rescue”.Animal shelters in Australia are stretched with many abandoning their canines resulting from cost-of-living pressures or time constraints.RSPCA Victoria reported a 340 per cent improve in call-outs in three years.
Bodybuilders are baring their muscle tissues and posing half-naked alongside lovely puppies to encourage donations and adoptions from rescue shelters.
The Hunks and Hounds calendar showcases chiselled physiques subsequent to rescue canines every year and in 2024 is celebrating a decade of saving lives and spreading consciousness for rescue animals.
Celeb photographer and canine rescue advocate Mike Ruiz stated he began the calendars to “deliver consideration to the plight of animals in rescue” and lift funds for animal shelters.
Emily Gear, founding father of Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue, has partnered with Ruiz for the initiative and stated animal shelters throughout America are at capability.
It is a comparable story in Australia, the place many are surrendering their pets at an rising price, with RSPCA Victoria reporting a 340 per cent improve in call-outs in three years.
Animal shelters are stretched as Australians abandon canines resulting from cost-of-living pressures or time constraints, with many returning to work and unable to handle their pets after adopting them throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In New South Wales, the Animal Welfare League has an eight-month ready record for surrendering pets and a leap of about 34 per cent over the previous few years of animals coming into the league for care.
Ruiz says producing the calendar has led to hundreds of canines being saved.
“It has been ten years now and I am simply actually happy with it as a result of we have been capable of save hundreds of canines by producing this calendar,” he stated.
A number of the canines featured within the 2024 version are from shelters or adopted by these working in animal welfare. However not all needed to be photographed.
“Typically we are inclined to get extra canines for the shoot simply because some do not wish to be photographed. And, you realize, we definitely do not need to stress a canine out. They have been by means of sufficient already.”
Gear hopes the calendars will encourage folks to undertake animals from shelters, with many euthanised.
“Persons are not adopting any extra proper now … They’re adopting some, however they are not adopting on the price that they had been adopting earlier than COVID,” Gear stated.
“And so animals are sitting in shelters for for much longer and longer lengths of keep, which is the time durations they’re there.
“And, they’re creating all types of behaviour points and issues like that, which makes them much less adoptable, which suggests increasingly animals preserve build up on the shelter – and it is heartbreaking.”
– With Reuters