Valentine Mercury is like any other user of Instagram, except he’s a dog.
In pursuit of social-media fame, Valentine’s owner has been hoping to take more high-end photographs of the American pit bull terrier.
“Most of our pictures are just me snapping pictures of him,” said his owner Amanda Joa.
But on Sunday, Valentine will get his chance to pose for a professional photographer as a part of a photo-shoot fundraiser to benefit the Alachua County Humane Society.
Adam Goldberg, a self-taught pet photographer, will be taking photos of dogs, cats and other pets at Swamp Head Brewery from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. to raise money for the shelter.
“I try and set myself apart from other photographers,” he said. “All my pictures are kind of goofy and silly.”
The 29-year-old used to work for the Humane Society of Broward County, Florida, and said he had the idea for this fundraiser when he realized he could pair his gift of photography with his passion for animals to make a difference.
Of the $100 fee, half of the money raised will go to the humane society, Goldberg said.
Joa said she’s excited to have photos of her four-legged friend. The fee is a small price to pay, she said.
Margot DeConna, the director of development at the Alachua County Humane Society, said the money will go directly to animal care. The humane society is striving for Gainesville to become a no-kill community in 2017.
“Every donation counts, and every donation helps us inch closer to that overarching goal,” she said.
