【台灣動物緊急救援小組網路編輯組／綜合外電報導】台灣流浪狗系列萌照躍上國際媒體！台灣動物緊急救援小組多年前護送至美國洛杉磯新家的流浪犬柔伊，被一位專業女攝影師葛瑞斯認養，這位攝影師最近在網路上發佈「男孩與狗」一系列可愛的攝影照片，將她年幼的兒子與狗兒打扮成相同造型，看起來就像是人狗雙胞胎，萌翻了的照片在網路上引起轟動，更躍上英國每日郵報和美國電視新聞網。台灣動物緊急救援小組跨海認養志工在多年後再次看到台灣流浪狗的照片躍上國際媒體，都驚訝直呼不可思議、另類的台灣驕傲。(加入愛心捐款幫更多貓狗跨海重生)
台灣動物緊急救援小組表示，這隻流浪狗「柔伊」是台灣動物緊急救援小組在2007年的夏天營救，當時牠被扔在台北永和一家烤鴉店門口，孤苦無依，經台灣動物緊急救援小組安置康復後，牠在當年八月搭機飛往美國洛杉磯，由一位女攝影師葛瑞斯認養。
與自己十月大小男孩合照貼網 人狗雙胞胎萌照引轟動
這位名叫葛瑞斯的女攝影師以拍攝貓狗等動物聞名，她近日在網路上發佈「男孩與狗」一系列的攝影照片，她出生十個月的年幼兒子傑士伯與台灣流浪犬柔伊打扮成相同的裝扮一起入鏡，造型變化多端，從絨毛帽、飛行頭盔、慶生帽，甚至還有太陽眼鏡、聖誕帽等等，人狗天真無邪又溫馨可愛的模樣在網路上造成轟動。
人狗雙胞胎的萌照一夕爆紅，一系列的照片也登上國際媒體，除了被刊登在英國每日郵報，甚至連美國電視新聞網也專題報導，其中還兩次提到台灣動物緊急救援小組營救並護送柔伊赴美重生，讓多年前參與營救牠的志工們都稱讚這是「另類的台灣驕傲」。
韓裔攝影師當廣告公司藝術總監 因緣際會認養台灣狗
女攝影師葛瑞斯是一位韓裔移民第二代的美國公民，曾經在一家屢獲殊榮的廣告代理公司擔任藝術總監，因緣際會之下，她透過台灣動物緊急救援小組與美國洛城動物保護組織，認養了來自於台灣的柔伊。
葛瑞斯說，柔伊喜歡陪著她一起散步遠足，吃起麵包來總是掉了滿地的麵包屑。平時有時間，葛瑞斯常會帶著柔伊在大洛杉磯地區拍攝無家可歸的狗狗，希望幫牠們尋得被認養機會。
葛瑞斯最大的希望，就是能捕捉到動物最為開懷活潑的瞬間畫面，因為她認為，那才是生活熱情與成就感的最大來源；幾年前，她自己成立寵物攝影工作室，之後她生下一名中、韓混血兒傑士伯，初為人母的她欣喜若狂，總是想盡花樣打扮這一人一狗，沒想到拍出令人驚豔的作品。
攝影專家：照片應是人狗分開拍攝 該學習創意與用心
台灣流浪犬「柔伊」和小男孩的系列萌照在網路上爆紅甚至登上國際媒體，擁有超過十年攝影經驗的台灣動物緊急救援小組資深攝影翁志宏看過照片後說，這些照片部分應是人狗分開拍攝再重合，但重點是攝影師的想法與用心程度很高，創意十足，是台灣該學習的地方。
翁志宏進一步解釋，從照片中光線的位置、方向、物體邊緣的銳利度、背景的顏色等等，不難看出人與狗是分開拍攝再作疊合，但翁志宏強調，重點並非刻意去「拆穿」照片拍攝的手法，而是該去讚賞攝影師的創意與用心，因為寵物與小孩都是最不易受控制的兩個個體，拍攝時得花上加倍的耐心。
相對台灣的攝影作品，翁志宏感嘆「原創性不夠」，他再次強調除了攝影技術之外，更重要的是攝影師要肯「花心思、花時間、花耐心」去構思創意，才能拍出撼動人心的畫面。
報你知：救援小組十多年送逾三千貓狗赴海外重生
台灣動物緊急救援小組十多年來從事傷病流浪動物救援工作，已營救五千多隻，但因傷殘流浪動物在台灣相對乏人認養，台灣動物緊急救援小組十年多來積極和美國和加拿大多個動保團體合作，已成功護送逾三千多隻傷病流浪貓狗跨海找到新主人，連國外動保團體都稱「不可能的任務」。
台灣動物緊急救援小組表示，十多年投入流浪貓狗救援工作感觸頗深，雖然努力在國內替牠們找適合主人，但認養率極低，還得忍受部分民眾非理性歧視，例如白腳掌狗不吉利、養兩隻狗會帶來厄運等等，以致認養出去的狗退貨率高，甚至無故失蹤、被虐待，只好強制帶回，對台灣認養人痛心又失望。
台灣動物緊急救援小組自十年多起陸續與美國西雅圖、舊金山、洛杉磯、紐約和加拿大溫哥華等地動物保護組織合作，跨海在地球另一端替受虐和傷病流浪狗尋找新主人，至今已有超過三千隻幸運台灣流浪貓狗因此獲得重生。
台灣動物緊急救援小組表示，跨海認養後續追蹤發現，國外認養家庭多會主動寄來貓狗生活照，讓動物救援小組了解貓狗在新家適應狀況，成果令人滿意，動物救援小組因此把跨海認養列為重點工作。許多在台灣乏人問津的白腳掌狗、三腳殘障狗、兩眼全盲狗、後半身癱瘓輪椅狗、身心受創、重度受虐貓狗等等，跨海認養後在美加等地都過著像天堂般的日子，讓台灣動物緊急救援小組感到欣慰，覺得一切努力都很值得。
不過，跨海認養任務也充滿困難和挑戰，雖然十年多來不少好心的留學生和商務人士看到報紙和網路主動報名擔任「護犬大使」協助護送台灣的傷殘貓狗到美加新家，但人數也常不足；台灣動物緊急救援小組甚至曾花大錢在飛機雜誌上刊登尋人啟事，尋求搭機前美國西雅圖、洛杉磯、舊金山或紐約，以及加拿大溫哥華的愛心旅客伸出援手，加入「護犬大使」行列，希望讓跨海認養任務不致中斷。
【English Version】
'Zoey and Jasper' stunning photo series featuring Taiwanese former stray dog and baby becomes international sensation
Taiwan, April, 28, 2014
A Taiwanese homeless dog that was rescued seven years ago and placed in a new home in the United States leapt into international fame after being featured in a photo series along with a 10-month-old baby, whose mother and professional photographer recently posted the album online.
Animal Rescue Team Taiwan (ARTT) volunteers said that "Zoey" was rescued from the streets seven years ago. "It was summertime and she had been helplessly abandoned in front of a store located in Taipei's Yonghe District," recalled a volunteer. After ARTT volunteers looked after her to make sure that she fully recovered, she was flown to Los Angeles where she found a new home with Grace Chon, a commercial animal and lifestyle photographer.
Grace is a second-generation Korean American and an award-winning advertising agency art director. Due to a chance encounter, she adopted Zoey from Taiwan through the efforts of ARTT and a Los Angeles animal protection organization.
Grace in recent days posted a new series of portraits, "Zoey and Jasper – a Rescue Dog and her Little Boy" featuring her 10-month-old baby Jasper and Taiwanese former stray dog Zoey wearing an assortment of matching outfits, from fur, aviator, knitted and birthday hats to cool shades. The series of adorable shots became and instant sensation on the Web.
Taiwanese pride
Zoey and Jasper's "twin" photos soon incited attention from international media as well. Other than the UK's Daily Mail newspaper publishing the story, U.S. television news network also ran a feature in which ARTT's rescue and sendoff for Zoey to start a new life in the U.S. was mentioned twice. "We feel that Zoey is truly a symbol of Taiwanese pride," agreed the ARTT volunteers who rescued her seven years ago.
"My greatest hope is that I can capture the animals' most joyful and lively moments," says Grace. "I believe that is my greatest source of passion for life and sense of accomplishment."
A few years ago, she set up a pet photography studio. Later she gave birth to a mixed Chinese Korean baby, Jasper. As a new mother she was ecstatic, always trying out different outfits for the baby and the dog, but not expecting that they pair shot together would result in such stunning photos.
Grace says that Zoey likes to accompany her in long walks. "When she eats bread she leaves crumbs all over the floor!" she laughs. "I also often take Zoey on shootings of homeless dogs throughout the Greater Los Angeles area in the hopes that they too can get the chance of being adopted."
Creativity and attention to detail
After reviewing the series of photos of Zoey and Jasper that captured the Internet by storm, senior ARTT photographer Wong Zhihong said that at least in some of the shots, the boy and dog appear to have been shot separately and then superimposed into one photo. "It's not difficult to tell the subjects were shot separately from the lighting, orientation, sharpness of the objects' edges and the blue backdrop," he says.
But he adds that whether the two were actually shot at the same time or not is not what matters, what is even more noteworthy here is the photographer's degree of careful thought, creativity and attention to detail, particularly in light of the fact that pets and children are the most difficult subjects – and require double the patience – to shoot.
Compared with typical Taiwanese photography, Wong lamented that there was generally a "lack of originality" at the domestic level. Aside from photography skills, what is more important is that the photographer is willing to "put effort, spend time and have patience" in creating an original piece in order to be able to achieve works that are able to captivate people.
About cross-ocean adoptions
ARTT has rescued more than 5,000 homeless animals in more than a decade. But because it is extremely difficult to find homes for disabled animals in Taiwan, ARTT has partnered with animal protection groups in the United States and Canada for more than 10 years and has successfully placed more than 2,500 dogs and cats in new homes – something that even international animal protection groups have deemed an "impossible mission."
ARTT has tried tirelessly to find new homes in Taiwan for stray dogs and cats, but the adoption rates are extremely low. We have even had to endure some people's irrational discrimination, such as believing that white paws is not auspicious and bringing up two dogs at the same time is bad luck.
What is more, those that are adopted have a high return rate, and there are even unexplained disappearances, cases of abuse, and others that result in having to take the animal back by force, leaving Taiwanese adoptive parents sad and disappointed.
That's why for more than 10 years, ARTT has cooperated with animal rescue groups in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, among other cities, to carry our cross-ocean adoptions and help formerly abused or otherwise disable or injured dogs in Taiwan find a new home abroad.
According to ARTT, cross-adoption follow-ups show that most families that adopt from abroad take the initiative to send photos of the cat or dog and make sure to update ARTT on how the animal is doing in its new home. Because of such good results, ARTT has made it a priority to implement cross-ocean adoptions.
Many animals that would otherwise be of little interest among would-be adopters in Taiwan, such as those with white paws, missing a leg, blind, paralyzed, physically or mentally traumatized or severely abused dogs and cats, have found happy new homes in the United States and Canada thanks to cross-ocean adoptions, making ARTT volunteers feel that their efforts on this front are well-worth it.
But carrying out cross-ocean adoptions is not without its difficulty and challenges. Even though several students and businesspeople have answered ads and applied to become "animal escorts" to accompany dogs and cats on their long journeys abroad to their new homes, often times the number is not enough.
ARTT has in the past even spent significant amount of funds to place ads on in-flight magazines to search for passengers traveling to Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York or Vancouver to volunteer to become "animal escorts" in order to carry on with the important mission of cross-ocean adoptions. To learn more about cross-ocean adoptions, click here
