Fluffy Friend in Trapani, Italy

In these unusual times I find myself reaching out to more friends and family that I don’t talk to on a regular basis. I’m concerned about them. But I also know our furry friends are affected. I know that there are an increased number of abandoned dogs as a result of the stress that people feel.

It’s important to remember that they have feelings too. They feel when they are abandoned, and they feel loneliness just like we do. Dogs are the only animal on the planet that look to humans for approval. Psychologically they need us. And are lives are better when we care for them.

This photo is from a time when the world wasn’t thinking of a pandemic. But the scene that played out supports what I’m saying here.

The little guy is sure to be considered part of his human family. While strolling down the broad streets fo Trapani, Sicily, I heard his family doting on him. Then as the women pictured here walked off, he went running after her.

He didn’t have a leash on and was free to roam about the pedestrian boulevard. But he stayed close to his human. And she knew it too. She was looking at her phone the entire time he ran to catch up to her.

On this trip I was focusing on capturing humanity. But this fluffy friend told me more of a story. He gazed at my camera as he ran up to his human family member. This tells me that he thought I was quite interesting as well.

Originally published at https://dogdays.photography on August 14, 2021.