In Pictures: Portraits by pets-only studio in Edmonton
Chewed Slippers was started by two photographers who closed their individual businesses and went after a niche
A portrait by Chewed Slippers, a photo studio for pets in Edmonton. The founders of the company say they are off to a good start, but think they can grow more quickly.
The co-owners, Amanda Adkins, left, and Lorena Smalley, closed their individual photo studios and opened their pets-only studio, Chewed Slippers, last year. The pair first met in the late 1990s studying photography at Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.JASON FRANSON/The Globe and Mail
Another portrait by Chewed Slippers. The co-owners book about 30 clients a month. To build their business, Ms. Adkins says, they first need to convince skeptics that their service is no joke, and worth paying good money for.
Pets today, especially dogs, have become de facto children. Not only are scientists finding that dog-owner relationships bear striking similarities to those of child and parent, but people are spending more money than ever on their “fur babies.”
The Chewed Slippers co-founders also give back to the community. Less than a year after they began taking clients, they launched two projects: Miss You Already, a free service for clients with terminally ill pets, and the Christmas Paws for a Cause fundraiser, which supports a local initiative to feed the pets of homeless people.
Ms. Adkins and Ms. Smalley also shoot outside the studio.
The numbers look good for Chewed Slippers. The American Pet Products Association estimates that our southern neighbours spent more than $55-billion (U.S.) on pet expenditures in 2013, more than double the amount spent in 1994 after inflation. Nearly $5-billion of that is spent on various non-food and non-medical services.
Another portrait by Chewed Slippers.
More from Chewed Slippers.
Another portrait.
Another portrait by Chewed Slippers.
Ms. Adkins and Ms. Smalley still struggle with breaking through the skepticism of potential clients. Ms. Smalley says, “If I only had a dollar for every time somebody said to me, ‘Really? Can you make a living at that?’”