When a Biggies Bullies pet calendar contest entry mentions something called “the great bacon heist of 2018,” it definitely leaves me “bacon” for more details. (C’mon, don’t act like you don’t appreciate the pun!) Lucky for me, that particular entrant, a six-year-old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier named Rawlings earned his spot as one of thirteen dogs appearing in the 2021 Biggies Bullies pet calendar, meaning I not only got to photograph this awesome dog, I also got to find out the juicy details of said bacon heist.
“The day [Michael and I] moved in together, we knew we had to get a dog,” says Rawlings’ mom Amber. “We went to IKEA for a dresser and came home with a dog instead.” (I mean, why not. Dogs require much less assembly.)
This sweet boy loves everyone and everything, from human to dogs, but especially cats. He has four feline siblings of his own at home whom he loves to play with.
I so enjoyed working with Rawlings, Michael, and Amber, who kept me laughing the entire session. Amber describes Rawlings, or Rawl Dog for short, as being a big old dingus with “the cutest nose; everything he does is funny, whether he means [it] to be or not. He is a camera ham and smiles for pictures.”
Amber and Michael chose the grounds around Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for their location, one of my personal favorites. As it was still relatively early in the spring, the flowers weren’t quite in full bloom, but we found creative ways to use what was available, including the main entrance’s front steps and the flowers and fountain near The Botany Hall.
At the end of his session, Rawl got to let loose for some action shots in the field just across the parking lot. While it looks like he was totally off-leash for these shots, that was certainly not the case. My husband, who often assists me and serves as my resident action shot runner, actually had him on a longer lead, which not only gave Rawlings the feeling running free (while keeping him safe near the city streets), but also made it a breeze for me to remove this lead for his final images. If that face doesn’t say pure joy, I don’t know what does!
To remember Rawlings’ special day, Amber and Michael chose one of my calendar contest collections that included a 20″ signature wall art piece in a finish of their choice, two 8×10 gift prints, a set of three matching 3×3 mini accordion albums, and three high-resolution digital files. Here’s a peek at their wall art choice, a 16×20 print in a black genuine Italian wood frame. I absolutely love the image they chose for this!
And because I know you’re just as curious as I was as to that bacon heist, here you go, straight from the bacon-breathed mouth of Rawlings. Go ahead and laugh because you can bet I did. (#relatable, anyone?)
“A few years back I pulled off the greatest magic trick of all time; I made an entire pound of bacon disappear without my family knowing. Yum! The great bacon heist of 2018 will go down in history, that’s for sure!”
Rawlings will be featured in the 2021 Biggies Bullies pet calendar, which will be released in mid-September. He earned his spot as one of this year’s calendar dogs by raising $1,007 for Biggies Bullies during the 2021 Biggies Bullies pet calendar contest, an annual fundraiser held every January. With the incredible support of dogs like Rawlings and 66 additional entries who collected 19,560 individual votes, this year’s contest raised our highest-grossing total yet: $12,688, all of which is going right back to the rescue!
If you would like to book a Bark & Gold Photography session for your pet, click here or give me a call at 724-913-BARK (2275). For more information on Bark & Gold Photography sessions, visit “The Experience” in the menu and be sure to share your email on my homepage to join the VIP list.