Life Saving Photography

There’s something magical about the way professional photographer Diane Lewis reveals the personality and spirit of every animal she captures on film. Her camera shows the tilt of the head, the soft expression in the eye, the way the light makes those little whiskers on a puppy’s chin stand out. So when Diane turns her camera on the Saving Grace dogs, she brings their individuality to life for potential adopters, making that special match all the more likely.

Diane’s first dog came from a shelter, and photographing wayward dogs to help them find homes has always been important to her. In fact, she left the world of financial analysis to become a full-time photographer specializing in dogs (she also photographs other animals and children). Her amazing talent for getting a squirmy subject to show off their best side is nationally known; her work has been showered with awards and her dog images have been featured in books, on magazine covers and in advertising for major corporate clients.

Each week Diane photographs the Saving Grace dogs with the same care and professionalism she takes with any pet she works with. Her generous gift to Saving Grace in the form of these photos is also a gift to anyone who visits the Saving Grace website. You can see some of the magic for yourself on "Our Dogs" page.

Diane is available for private photo sessions; visit her website at www.dianelewisphotography.com.

Babs

Super Woman will have to relinquish her title. Babs is the most dedicated and amazing volunteer and we’re fortunate to have her at Saving Grace. She spends hours of her personal time, each and every week, to keep this organization running smoothly. Babs is a personal chauffer to the dogs, picking them up and taking them wherever they need to go. She does the worst of the work without ever complaining and does much more than her share. If a job at Saving Grace has been done perfectly, you know it’s been done by Babs. Simply put, Saving Grace would not continue to exist without her.

Lisa

The underdogs of this world have at least one champion and her name is Lisa. She is a kind person who cares for those in need not only in our community, but also beyond our country’s borders. Lisa dedicates hours each week to helping the dogs of Saving Grace. As a groomer, she performs “extreme makeovers” for the rescued dogs, as well as cleaning, feeding and carting them around. As a person with a real spiritual connection, she helps maintain the sanity of the Executive Director and the dogs!

Karen

It sometimes takes the patience of Job to work with rescued dogs, and Karen has that in abundance. She takes on the difficult cases, acting as foster mom to dogs with greater emotional needs. And even more difficult, she helps raise money by collecting donations from her clients. Karen is the official Saving Grace photographer, getting just the right shots to showcase the dogs for adoption. She also takes the dogs for hikes and helps care for them - giving the Executive Director a much-needed break.

Courtney

Rescued dogs wouldn’t get adopted if no one knew about them. Courtney puts her great marketing skills to work for Saving Grace. She does an amazing job organizing all our invitations and newsletters. Although not as visible, Courtney spends many, many hours using her creativity and talent for the benefit of Saving Grace.

Lisa C.

The lives and reputation of shelter animals are improved every day thanks to Lisa. She works long, grueling hours at the Johnston County Animal Shelter and still finds time to volunteer for Saving Grace. And thank goodness! Her knowledge and passion are huge assets. Lisa is the paperwork queen, handling the not-so-fun, but still important, part of rescue work. She’s great at working with volunteers, and her experience dealing with the full range of dog personalities comes in handy when dealing with humans too.

Dr. Jennifer Derby

Dr. Derby is not only a top-notch veterinarian, but she’s also very creative with numbers. She has an amazing ability to take the limited amount of cash donated to Saving Grace and make it cover every medical issue we bring to her. Without her generosity, Saving Grace would never be able to afford all the medical care required for our rescued dogs. Without her sense of humor, we would never be able to laugh at ourselves and some of the bizarre situations in which we find our animals.

Wake Forest Animal Hospital

The entire staff of Wake Forest Animal Hospital offers amazing support to Saving Grace. The veterinarians have donated their time for after-hours emergencies and surgeries; they send families looking to adopt dogs to our organization; and they donate supplies they no longer need.

SNAP Team

This mobile spay/neuter clinic makes a HUGE difference toward animal welfare in our community. They help Saving Grace by working around the organization’s schedule and taking in last-minute surgeries every week. They help the rest of our community by traveling where they are needed most, reaching lower income populations and offering their services. This goes a long way toward reducing the pet population and the large number of dogs that end up in shelters. In most instances, it’s the only vet care those animals will ever get. Visit them at www.snap-nc.org

Isabelle Derby

The 4 year-old daughter of a veterinarian, Isabelle is destined to work with animals. She’s practically a fixture at Saving Grace, and is the reason most of our dogs get along well with children. As young as she is, she has a great sense of dog behavior, understanding which dogs like children and which ones won’t tolerate little people. Isabelle is learning the value of volunteers as she rides shotgun to deliver many of the dogs to their appointments. She takes great care of her dog Moon Pie, a Boxer, and her cat, Spider Man.

Georgia Mae Bryant

Georgia Mae’s love for dogs must be in her genes – she’s the niece of Saving Grace’s Executive Director Molly Goldston. At only two years old, Georgia Mae already likes to play with the puppies. She’s great at holding them and socializing them. It’s tough to find good volunteers, so we start training them early! Georgia Mae has two dogs at home, a bloodhound mix named Mabel and an English bulldog named Lulu.