Rover to the Rescue Raising Money for Animal Rescue Fund

Rover to the Rescue is coming to Southampton from Aug. 22 to 24 to photograph local dogs for the fourth and final edition of its popular Rover books and to raise money for the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. 

Andrew Grant, a professional photographer from California, started the Rover organization four years ago when he was struck by the statistics of animal abandonment and the rates of  dog deaths within animal rescues. More than 56 percent of dogs and puppies in shelters are euthanized, with more than 4 million dogs and cats killed every year. That’s one death every eight seconds.

Grant decided to turn his talents toward aiding animal rescues by offering professional-grade dog portraiture and a chance to be immortalized in a coffee table book in exchange for donations to local animal shelters. Though he had intended it to be a one-year project, the popularity of Rover photoshoots exceeded his expectations. Ellen Degeneres has featured Rover on her show twice, and even gave the book to Oprah Winfry for Christmas. Since then, Grant has traveled the country collecting portraits and putting out a new Rover book every year.

“We’re really focused on educating people with this project,” Amanda Hedlund, the marketing director for Rover to the Rescue said. “For instance 30 percent of shelter dogs are purebred, so we try to show people that they can find healthy, loving and even purebred dogs at rescues. We always suggest people go to shelters before pet stores or puppy mills.” 

If you would like your dog to be photographed and featured in Rover, donate $5,000 to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons before Aug. 22. Grant will be at the Southampton Inn to photograph for two days, but the calendar is already filling up quickly. 

“We can extend if we get enough interest,” Hedlund said.

Rover to the Rescue’s goal is to raise $1 million for animal rescues in 2013. To help Rover and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, visit www.RoverToTheRescue.com or http://www.arfhamptons.org