7-2-06

Famous Photographers Raise Money for Homeless Pets

Chicago/Evanston, IL. Internationally renowned portrait photographers David B. Sutton and Marc Hauser are joining forces to benefit PAWS* Chicago (*Pets Are Worth Saving), Chicago's largest no-kill humane organization. For a limited time, fundraiser participants can commission a portrait sitting with one of these greats at a dramatically reduced fee. Photographers will donate ten percent of their session fee and print order sales directly to PAWS to support their work on behalf of Chicago's homeless pets.

David Sutton is the leader in a pack of pet photographers with his poignant portraits showing the warmth, wit and humor of the relationships we have with our pets. His work has been recognized by Forbes FYI, who called him the "Best pet photographer in America". David Sutton has been an active sponsor of PAWS for many years, and is focusing his most recent fundraising efforts entirely for their benefit and the work they do to alleviate the problems of pet overpopulation and homeless animals in Chicago.

Marc Hauser, founder of Marc Hauser Photography Inc., is celebrated internationally for his dramatic portrait illustrations and varied list of prestigious clients that include Rolling Stone magazine, Pepsi Co., Ameritech, Arista Records, and Microsoft. Hauser's sharp eye and his love of the photographic portrait come through in his soulful images of well known figures such as Aaron Copland, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Dr. Timothy Leary, Sophia Loren and Julia Roberts.

PAWS Chicago works to alleviate pet overpopulation through prevention and education. Their Lurie Family Spay/Neuter Clinic in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood effectively addresses these problems from the "supply side", and their new Adoption and Humane Center in development on the North Side will help connect homeless pets with loving homes while informing the public about the tragedy of pet overpopulation.

The benefit kicks off during the Dog Days of August, when animal overpopulation is at its highest after the Spring breeding season. PAWS' work is credited in large part for a dramatic decrease in the number of animals euthanized in Chicago. Since their founding in 1997, the number of adoptable animals killed has dropped from over 42,000 to 24,000 in 2004.