Joanie might be gone (stay updated on her new blog!), but you better believe I’m not done writing about her just yet. I’ve still got some stuff to share, starting with this beautiful pink collar she rocked all week:

You might have noticed it in our photo from visiting Chocko from Pittieful Love. I tried to put it on her any time we went out in public because, unfortunately, she’s um. . . not exactly the most inviting looking to someone who may be afraid of dogs. Yes, I know I know – how dare anyone be afraid of adorable miss Joanie – but let’s get real, she’s a black dog and she’s got cropped ears and big scars and some people might think that looks scary. So instead of saying *how dare they* and huffing at their preferences, I throw this on her and instantly make her silly to encourage interactions.

We actually never encountered anyone who was visibly afraid of Joanie’s appearance without the collar, most people didn’t take a second look, but when she had her collar on people would drive past us slowly, grinning from ear to ear at this dog who looked like a clown. I put it on her when we would walk by the playground at the elementary school, and the kids would squeal and say, “Look at that cute doggy!” Now if they would have said that without the collar, who knows – but as with all things having to do with my foster dogs. . . I like to set them up for success :-).

I bought this collar and three others like it in different colors from this great site called Just Dog Gone Cute. I’ve been wanting to get something like this – something easy, colorful, and bright to put on both my fosters and the shelter dogs I was photographing – for a long time, but my lack of artistic and creative skills were holding me back. When I finally stumbled across Just Dog Gone Cute, I immediately ordered a bunch! At a reasonable $12 a pop, these collars were a no brainer – and a portion of each sale even goes to rescue! Win-win. Can you tell I went a little online shopping happy for dog stuff?

I can’t wait to parade whatever dog I get next around in any/all of these collars. I would definitely recommend them or something similar to anyone who fosters or volunteers at a shelter and wants to add a little something extra to their adoptable dogs. A little color can go a long way in an adoption photo thumbnail!

For more information about adopting Joanie, email me at peacelovefoster@gmail.com or fill out an application on the Jasmine’s House website.