In week two, I have walked down the old street where my children played; I have rediscovered the beauty of the Cairns Esplanade; I have been to an amazingly beautiful area of Cairns that I have never seen before; I have met up with old friends and made new ones; I have seen pound-rescued dogs and specially bought ones which equally share a special place in their owner lives; I have laughed out loud at some dogs antics and I have had my heart melted by their stories.
I want to thank everyone who participated in the second week of Canines of Cairns and let me have a small glimpse into their lives and the bond that they share with their canine 'best friends'.
While not everyone agrees with dogs as pets and perhaps finds them to be an unnecessary burden on an already fragile environment, I think that dogs bring so much more to us as humans. Pure joy. Unconditional love. Emotional intelligence.
While I acknowledge the argument against having such 'environmentally damaging' pets, I think the world can cope with humans having dogs with us for a little while longer. I certainly hope so! Dogs definitely make us into better humans and therefore make the world a better place.

After just over a week of photographing dogs and their owners for my 'Canines of Cairns' project and I am excited by the outcomes of my encounters. Each dog is a star in their individual owner's lives. Each dog and owner have a unique and precious connection. And each owner and dog have been welcoming, as well as gracious and open about sharing their special relationship with me.
I feel that this is a great privileged for me to see each person at their best and maybe at their most vulnerable - loving unconditionally. I thank everyone who has been involved so far and I look forward to meeting those that will be part of the project in the future. Dogs definitely make us beautiful humans!