Foreword by Francis Battista
Afterword by Deborah Samuel
Striking, emotionally charged, fine art photographs chronicle the lives of approximately 60 once-abandoned dogs, illuminating each one’s journey from a shelter or rescue organization to a loving, permanent home. The “before and after” photographs illustrate the profound benefits of animal adoption for both dogs and humans alike.
Abandoned: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs is a decade-long project inspired by Carver’s own adopted Shetland Sheepdog, Biscuit, who had been abandoned on a rural highway, terrified and malnourished. Biscuit’s evolution from a sickly and emaciated shell of a dog to a confident, trusting, and beloved family member positively changed Carver’s and her husband’s lives forever. This set Carver on her quest to examine the lives of other abandoned dogs, illustrating how dog rescue gave these dogs a second chance with completely new lives.
The photographs capture the salient emotion, spirit, and dignity of each dog, despite their circumstances. From Whippets to Jack Russell Terriers and Saint Bernards to Golden Retrievers, along with many mixed breeds, Carver’s book showcases dogs of all breeds, sizes, ages, temperaments, and backgrounds, including written narratives, derived from interviews with shelter and rescue personnel and adopters to provide additional context to each dog’s journey.
Carver initially met and photographed each dog shortly after they entered a shelter or rescue organization, and then again approximately a year after being adopted into a permanent home. The juxtaposition of these two photographs is a powerful testament to the transformative experience of dog rescue and adoption. Carver witnessed abandoned dogs that were given entirely new lives and became integral family members as a result of rescue and adoption.
Abandoned: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs is a tribute to dogs like Robo, Murdock, Mario, and Trucker. The book chronicles how dog rescue and adoption enriches not only the lives of the dogs, but how it unequivocally enriches the lives of their human companions as well. Carver hopes this work compels viewers to consider dog rescue and adoption. This book will appeal to dog and animal lovers far and wide.
“In Abandoned, Carver describes, with words and beautiful photographs, the plight of abandoned dogs and how a caring home can transform a frightened cowering being into a confident and happy companion who will give unconditional love. . . . A must read.”—Jane Goodall, Ph.D., DBE; Founder – The Jane Goodall Institute & United Nations Messenger of Peace
“Abandoned is a testament to the nobility of dogs, their willingness to forgive, and the great love they offer their humans. Carver has caught all this and more in her moving portraits of these long-suffering animals whose faces will remain in your mind long after you finish this book.”—Sally Mann, photographer and New York Times bestselling author of Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings
“This is a gorgeous, emotional tribute to the resilience of dogs and our special connection and responsibility to them. By telling the stories of these abandoned dogs and photographing them so exquisitely, Carver ennobles them and rescues them for all of us.”—Susan Orlean, New York Times bestselling author of On Animals
“The luminous photographs, and the stories behind them, will break your heart but also fill it with wonderment and joy. This extraordinary book reminds us that for every forsaken creature, for every cruelty and abandoned promise, a happy forever can await, if only we humans step up and say, ‘Come home with me, won’t you?’”—John Grogan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog
“This book will break your heart—and then heal it all over again. In words and photographs, Carver has captured both the callous cruelty that led to these dogs’ abandonment, and the transformative power of love for both the dogs and their forever humans. May these compelling photographs and stories bring together the people and animals who will love one another until death do they part.”—Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author of Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell
“Carver’s gorgeous photographs show the individuality of each abandoned dog. Both dog lovers and people who admire black and white photography will love this book.”—Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author of Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions
“The word ‘abandoned’ is just a category, giving us a sense of devaluation, perhaps even of lost hope. But this book, Abandoned, gives us just the opposite. Exquisite views of individual creatures, the hope for whom is never lost.”—Carl Safina, New York Times bestselling author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel
“Each of the individual dogs profiled by Carver is given such dignity by the attention and care taken in her photographs of them. Their personalities, their emotions, their anticipation are all on full display. I felt relief at each adoption story and heartbreak at each loss. Carver’s photographs remind us that every dog is a wonderful dog, and it is only up to us to open our hearts to find one.”—Alexandra Horowitz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
“I love this book! It tugs at the heart-strings! I think it is a wonderful book and will undoubtedly be cherished by all dog lovers, especially those who have had the heart to adopt a dog from a shelter. One thing I learned from this book: Do NOT buy a dog, there are too many wonderful dogs desperate for a home. Get your dog exclusively from a shelter or rescue organization.”—Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, New York Times bestselling author of When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals
“From sad, wary, tired, disheartened, to bright-eyed and joyful, Carver’s elegant portraits capture more succinctly than words can ever manage, the glory of finding a home, and the miracle of love. For anyone who has suffered from loneliness or disappointment in their lives, Abandoned is a masterful inspiration: get closer to animals. Their emotions are deep, complete, and visible, and they are waiting to wrap you in love.”—Erika Abrams, President, Animal Aid Unlimited
