Last year when A Dog's Life Blog was getting ready to launch, Maine Today asked for a picture of me with my dog to use in the heading. After looking through old photos, it didn't take long to realize that I would need to have a new photo taken. Several friends suggested that I hire a photographer and have the photo done right. Mom to three kids, I had in my possession a coupon for a free photo and free sitting from The Picture People. The Picture People will shoot people and pet portraits at the Maine Mall by appointment , but only before business hours and on some nights. Charlee has been there several times with the kids for holiday pictures and they did a great job.

This was a no brainer.

I got on the phone and made my appointment for the next day.

Charlee and I arrived clean and spruced at 9 AM sharp. In attendance at the mall that morning were various folks on their way to work, a good sized cleaning crew, and the usual huge contingent of folks walking the mall for exercise. No one was surprised to see a dog, but I did get tired explaining that I was not a woman with 7 cats.

The first time it happened I was sitting outside the Picture People waiting for them to open, when several well meaning folks stopped over to visit, admire the dog, chit-chat and tell me about the woman who had been sitting in the same exact bench as me the day before. Apparently she had numerous crates, filled with cats, and when time for her photo shoot arrived, there were so many curious onlookers gawking through the window, that people could barely get a glimpse of the woman with seven cats having her portrait taken.
"Oh no"! I told the nice old mall walker lady, "not me, I am not a 7 cat lady, I need to have pictures taken for work".
"Sure you do honey," she said as she patted my back and walked on.

That mall walker woman was one in a line of many who stopped by to recant the previous day's cat woman and tell me just how fascinating the process had been to watch. I in turn retold the story of how I once saw a photographer shoot 11 ferrets in a basket at a pet store. The photographer had a lot of helpers, and the finished product was amazing. All the ferrets looked as though they had been lounging the day away, when in fact the whole thing had been one big blur of fast ferrets and faster hands.

The walker contingent all assured me that they would come back to see how my picture was coming along and wave hello in the window. I just smiled and wanted to run away with my tail tucked, but I needed my picture so I forced myself to stay. No picture, no blog.

I thought long and hard (again) about submitting the above photo in which my brother photo shopped my head with my dogs, but too many people told me it was scary and looked more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers than a dog trainer getting inside a dog's brain.
Not wanting to scare people away before they even clicked the blog link, I forced myself to stay and wait for my turn.

Finally the manager arrived and we went in. I explain to him that I had called on the phone and I needed a release form that says I can use the picture for promotional purposes. He replies, "don't be nervous, we have lots of people who come in and have portraits with there pets, just yesterday I shot a woman with her seven cats, and last month we had a 4H group bring in a pony".
"No kidding"! I exclaimed.
We both agreed that a pony in a mall was much more exciting then me, my dog and the woman with 7 cats put together.
"That is really great" I reply, "but really, I love my dog and all but REALLY this photo is for work". He nods his head in disbelief and goes to get the release form, while recanting the last weeks pet visitors. Woman with 7 cats, woman with 10 cats, woman with 4 cats, woman with 6 cats. No, I stop him, I am NOT the woman with 7 cats-I don't even have any cats and I am allergic to cats.

I ask him to use the back room for the shoot, but he insists that he has to shoot me in the front window. In no time there was 20 or so of my new best senior citizen walking friends waving to me outside the big window and waiting patiently for my photo shoot to begin and I am now officially mortified. See-

In the end, I didn't have to use this picture, because we had the good sense to use my logo dog, but I say again...
I am not the woman with 7 cats seen
here...
I am allergic to cats and the only one I have is this ninja kitty. Really!

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Don't forget this is Kitten season. Many local shelters are holding Kitten Showers next weekend to raise much needed funds and awareness.
May 21st in Westbrook at the Animal Refuge League

and
May 2oth at the Kennebunkport Shelter

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