Supporting Our Four Legged Friends: My Journey with Animal Charities

In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, finding ways to give back and support those in need can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment. For me, one of the most rewarding ways to contribute to my community has been through partnering with local animal charities. By using my skills in photography, I have been able to raise funds, increase adoption rates, and bring awareness to some of the most deserving yet often overlooked animals. Here’s a glimpse into my journey and the incredible impact it has had on both the animals and myself.

Why I Do It

Supporting local animal causes has always been close to my heart. Animals provide us with unconditional love, and helping them feels like a natural way to give back to the community. By partnering with charities, I can use my talents to make a real difference in the lives of these animals. Whether it's raising funds or finding forever homes for the "hopeless cases," my goal is to contribute in any way I can to ensure these animals get the love and care they deserve.

Dogs Angels Charity: Calendar Competition Success

One of my most memorable projects was with Dogs Angels charity. Dog’s Angels does amazing work in Bosnia and Eastern Europe by bringing dogs out of kill shelters and getting them into local foster care to save their lives. Then they pay for their vets bills, making sure these dogs are vaccinated, de-wormed, microchipped and given a pet passport, ready to be adopted into loving families throughout Europe.

We organized a charity calendar competition that turned out to be a phenomenal success. Participants bought votes for their dogs to win a professional photo session and a free print. The top 12 winners were then featured in a high-end fine art calendar, which I designed and curated with great care. Each photo was selected to give the calendar a unique appeal, with every month offering a different feel and look. I undertook the printing through my top end print lab, as well as organising postage of all orders to Switzerland and abroad.

The calendars were sold internationally, reaching homes in Switzerland, France, Italy, the UK, and even Australia. This initiative raised just under 4,000 francs for Dogs Angels, with all proceeds going directly to support their cause. This project not only helped financially but also increased awareness about the charity’s work. The annual necessary budget that the association requires to do the bare minimum of work is 3,500 francs. Through the calendar competition, Mont Blanc Photography raised 2,885 francs, and another 1k in calendar sales, bringing the total to just under 4,000 francs raised for the association’s work.

See details of the competition here: https://www.gogophotocontest.com/dogsangelscalendarcontest

See Dog’s Angels review of my services below.


Trust Pilot Review

Photos from the Dogs Angel’s charity calendar.

Association Paw'Pattes: Capturing the Beauty of Adoptable Cats

With the association Paw'Pattes, I focused on photographing cats that were struggling to find homes. Many of these cats had unique beauties and characteristics that weren't being effectively communicated through standard shelter photos as these animals were extremely shy. By capturing professional, high-quality images, I aimed to showcase their true personalities and charm. I have a lot of experience of photographing shy and even extremely shy cats, so I manage to bring out the best in them and get beautiful portraits showcasing their true and beautiful nature.

These photos were shared across my social media platforms and gifted to the association for their use. The result was a noticeable increase in adoption inquiries, proving that a great photo can truly make a difference in an animal’s chance of finding a forever home.

You can see the posts I created for Association Paw’Pattes here:

https://www.facebook.com/MontBlancPhotography/posts/pfbid0nRWU2zg1UzFyKtWSD4odzPZKHkkPXdGDkaJmyphUhk3HQexFk9EQmuPr6ayN1Zrgl

And here:

https://www.facebook.com/MontBlancPhotography/posts/pfbid02tBufH78eswfEu1geQ7DyUYCH4fAfgA8UqnmX7XXup7oQUWfRT6XEXNpZcZmkZ5p9l

Google review:

Free Services for Charities

It’s important to note that all the services I provide to these charities are completely free of charge. My aim is to support and uplift these organizations without adding to their financial burden. By offering my skills and resources, I hope to make a positive impact without any cost to the charities themselves.

Future Plans

One of the key reasons for sharing my experiences is to help other animal associations know that my intentions are genuine and that my work can bring real benefits to their causes. Trust is essential in these partnerships, and I am committed to being transparent and reliable.

Looking ahead, I plan to continue my support in new and exciting ways. One initiative I’m particularly excited about is donating photo session vouchers to local animal charities and associations for auction. Each voucher will include a photo session worth 150 francs and an additional 150 francs credit towards photo products, making the total prize value 300 francs. These vouchers can be auctioned by the charities to raise additional funds for their important work.

Conclusion

Working with animal charities has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my career. It’s a privilege to use my photography skills to support such worthy causes, and I’m committed to continuing this work in the future. To all the animal associations out there, I am here to help, to collaborate, and to make a difference together. Let’s continue to support our four legged friends and give them the love and care they deserve.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. Your support means the world to these animals and to me.