Lacey Photographer 'Saving Lives' at Local Animal Shelter

The Friends of the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter recently dubbed a Forked River-based photographer Volunteer of the Year.

Michael Bagley received the 2011 Lisa B. Flynn Volunteer of the Year Award for volunteering his services at the shelter and creating photographs of the dogs available for adoption.

“I’ve always had dogs and loved dogs,” Bagley said. He explained that last year, he read about how professional photography was making a difference in animal adoption rates at shelters across the country.

Staff at shelters were using cell phone cameras and snapping shots of the homeless animals and those images aren’t “particularly flattering,” Bagley said.

“With a well-captured photograph, you can look into the soul of a dog or cat,” he said. “That’s what I was hoping to do at the shelter.”

Bagley had called several shelters and got no response, except from the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter. He began volunteering at the shelter in the early part of 2011.

“The benefit of having professional photography portraying the shelter animals was immediate,” he said.

He has since photographed thousands of hundreds of dogs and cats, he said.

“(Bagley’s) photos captured the dogs in a new light, showed their personalities and were a window into their very soul,” said Lisa Flynn, whom the Volunteer of the Year Award is named.

When Bagley began photographing the animals, people started to comment on Facebook, email and go to the shelter to see the dogs they saw online, Flynn said.

“They were in awe of the beauty of these animals,” she said. “It also transforms the typical reputation of rescue dogs from “problem dogs” to the forever pets who are filled with gratitude and loyalty.”

Bagley’s photos are more than just an image of an animal, Flynn said. They enable potential rescue families to visualize the animals in their lives.

“(Bagley’s) pictures tell a story and the story is saving lives,” she said.

During the spring, Bagley began creating a book documenting successful adoption stories, visiting 20 homes of families who rescued a dog, cat or both from the Manahawkin-based shelter. 

His 80-page book “Because Someone Rescued Me” was sold by the Friends organization at fundraisers and events and raised a significant amount of funds for the shelter.

“I cannot get over how fortunate we are to have such a talented person giving his time and talents to benefit our shelter dogs,” said Dottie Reynolds, President of the shelter.