Alison Waring: Photography

I’m helping out a local Great Dane Rescue. Great Danes are very near and dear to my heart (I met one of best friends thru mutual Dane love). When I was 18 (a long long time ago) I convinced my parents, that I was still living with, that I NEEDED a Great Dane.  So I scoured the paper and found a Great Dane puppy for sale.  He was completely wonderful.  A playful puppy at 10 weeks old with huge feet and a beautiful blue Merle color pattern.  It was true bliss and I was in love.

My god that dog ate everything in the house.

He devoured at least 10 pairs of shoes, a couple pairs of underwear, a full pot-roast and lord knows how many loaves of bread. He peed on every inch of the carpeting in my room and decimated my mom’s wicker basket collection.  I’m surprised they didn’t kick me out the house within 48 hours of bringing him home.

Anyhoo, he truly was my best friend baby and nemesis to the future Mr. Bacon. I believe he prepared me for kids (I’ll tell y’all the story of how he vomited into his head collar after being neutered- later) and eventually loss. I swear there’s a point in here somewhere. He lived a fruitful life on the couch, lounging in the pool and hanging on my dad’s boat.  When he turned 5 he got bone cancer. It’s very common in large breed dogs and totally unfair. For goodness sake Great Danes only live 8-10 years.  He battled it for 2 years- he even got to meet the Pet Psychic Sonia Fitzpatrick- I cannot thank the doctors at the University of Florida enough, Go GATORS!

During that time I had moved out and my parents longed for a Great Dane of their own.  They contacted the Central Florida Great Dane Rescue. They adopted Dixie a harlequin who had had a rough life. She too lived a ripe old life. A couple years after my Dane (Surge) had passed I longed for another Dane. We adopted Bogart thru the same rescue CFGDR. That dog was clueless and happy all the time.  A month after living with us he moved in with my parents.  I’m not even kidding I got dumped by a dog.  Bogart passed a couple months ago. My parents can’t live without a Dane (or two) in the house so they decided to foster. They’re on their 3rd foster. His name is Ollie.  They’ve fallen in love with every Dane they’ve fostered so far. They’re hoping to adopt this one. And then foster another one (or two).  I’m helping out CFGDR by taking portraits of the Danes in Rescue.  There are a lot of Danes that are in need of homes.  If you’re smart you’ll skip the demonic destructive puppy stage and go for one in the 2/3 year old range. Trust me the moulding on your walls will thank you.

And here’s a couple pics I snapped of Ollie, the current foster at my parents house.

So do me and them a favor and check out their site, see if there’s a way you can help too. Maybe you’re not in the market for a Great Dane right now but you never know.