This cute puppy photography is not what it seems

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The six-month-old’s big brown eyes, trusting and calm, pierce right through your computer screen.

The shy puppy, perhaps a chocolate lab, sits ever so patiently on a pedestal as he’s photographed. He could be getting his picture taken for a dog food commercial, a Fido ad or an adorable owner-and-pooch glamour shot.

Then you read the caption: He’s on death row, and will be killed after this photo shoot. The realization hits you – he’s already gone – and it stings.

That’s the point, says photographer Tou Chih-kang, who will launch his first photo exhibit of the dogs next month.

Mr. Tou has been photographing canines at the Taoyuan Animal Shelter in Taiwan, capturing the last moments of life for some 400 dogs – most of which have been abandoned by their owners.

“I believe something should not be told but should be felt,” he told the Associated Press, adding that he hopes the painful images help viewers to “understand the inhumanity” these dogs face.

In Taiwan, 80,000 stray dogs will be euthanized – 70 per cent of them killed after 12 days in the shelter, according to the Washington Post.

Mr. Tou has taken more than 400 death-row dogs' photographs in an effort to get pet owners to consider their roles more seriously.

There are, of course, other viral pooch picture collections: Who can forget dogs underwater, or dogs in cars? But this particular gallery has stirred quite a reaction, way beyond the typical ‘aww’, in its adueince.

Some question his motives. “There are other ways to show the cause and to fight it. I say find another way to gain fame!” writes one commenter. “One of the saddest slideshows I've ever seen on here! I feel sick. May they rest in peace and find joy in their next lives,” writes another.

For me – a certified crazy dog lady – these images are unbearable. They make me angry and sad, but more so, disturbed. I made it four seconds into this video before losing it. Photographing these adorable beings in their last minutes would be an impossible job for me, but I’m glad he was able to do it.

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On July 06 2012 16:57 AgentChaos wrote:
feeding them would be too expensive isnt it? so i understand why they have to be killed

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On July 06 2012 16:57 AgentChaos wrote:
feeding them would be too expensive isnt it? so i understand why they have to be killed

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On July 06 2012 16:57 gugarutz wrote:
i dislike that title, could've been from a penny press...

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there's also way to much drama in the article imo

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On July 06 2012 17:24 Supamang wrote:

I agree. All we need is some presumptuous captions about what the animals are "saying" and Sarah McLachlan singing some sad sounding song and we got a cable TV worthy commercial here.

Im not being an asshole for the sake of being an asshole. The worst part about articles like these and commercials like those adopt-a-child or animal cruelty commercials is how sensationalized they are. They try so hard to manipulate people into giving them money. Their whole point is to guilt trip the shit out of their audience so hopefully some people will throw money at them in an attempt to feel less bad about themselves.

Seriously, commercials like Vince with his ShamWow are not nearly as bad because all hes trying to do is tell you how good a product is. These guys are trying to tell you how bad of a human being you are for doing nothing. Manipulation like this pisses me off. If you want to convince people of something, just tell us the fucking facts and let us decide for ourselves. Stop playing the sad music, stop doing the slow motion doggy bambi eyes, and for the love of God stop pretending like you know what the animals are thinking. Even worse are those adopt-a-child commercials. "If this kid came up and asked you for help, would you just walk away...?" Nice...asshole.

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On July 06 2012 17:24 Supamang wrote:

I agree. All we need is some presumptuous captions about what the animals are "saying" and Sarah McLachlan singing some sad sounding song and we got a cable TV worthy commercial here.

Im not being an asshole for the sake of being an asshole. The worst part about articles like these and commercials like those adopt-a-child or animal cruelty commercials is how sensationalized they are. They try so hard to manipulate people into giving them money. Their whole point is to guilt trip the shit out of their audience so hopefully some people will throw money at them in an attempt to feel less bad about themselves.

Seriously, commercials like Vince with his ShamWow are not nearly as bad because all hes trying to do is tell you how good a product is. These guys are trying to tell you how bad of a human being you are for doing nothing. Manipulation like this pisses me off. If you want to convince people of something, just tell us the fucking facts and let us decide for ourselves. Stop playing the sad music, stop doing the slow motion doggy bambi eyes, and for the love of God stop pretending like you know what the animals are thinking. Even worse are those adopt-a-child commercials. "If this kid came up and asked you for help, would you just walk away...?" Nice...asshole.

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On July 06 2012 17:29 KwarK wrote:

They're not asking for money, it says the guy wants dog owners to be more responsible and take owning a pet seriously rather than abandoning them when they don't want them anymore.

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On July 06 2012 17:34 drumsetjunky wrote:




Although I find commercials like that a bit over the top they are like that for a REASON.

Just like the overly verbose drama we see in TV and movies....it is there to EVOKE EMOTION.

maybe if you can't see that you are an asshole

EDIT:

I get that some people aren't animal people and don't think/care about them. But when you bring in kids, etc...I think maybe you just feel guilty for not actually stepping up and doing something about it.

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