Allowed to Grow Old

There’s nothing quite like a relationship with an aged animal —a dog or cat who has been at our side for years, forming an indescribable bond. Pampered animals, however, is often only seen with cats and dogs. Farm animals, for example, are usually slaughtered before their first birthday. We never stop to think about it, but the typical images we see of cows, chickens, pigs, and the like are of young animals. What would we see if they were allowed to grow old?

Isa Leshko shows us with this collection of portraits. To create these portraits, she spent hours with her subjects, gaining their trust and putting them at ease. The resulting images reveal the unique personality of each animal. Each portrait is accompanied by a brief biographical note about its subject, and the book is rounded out with essays that explore the history of animal photography, the place of beauty in activist art, and much more.

 

We are honored that three Pasado's Safe Haven animals are featured in this book: Bessie the cow, Babs the donkey, and Gandalf the turkey. These sweet animals have since passed, but lived long lives at our sanctuary and are beautifully captured in Isa Leshko's book.