She had been doing it for six years, but Dottie Evans was still surprised at the turnout. In front of her was a notebook with over a hundred entries and, further in front, a line was politely standing in wait. This testified to the appeal of Bushwick Bark’s annual “Awkward Family Holiday Pet Photo Shoot” fundraiser, which celebrated its sixth year at the metalworking shop-turned-bar Precious Metal.
For $20 per, all proceeds going to Korean K9 Rescue, pet owners held their festively-garbbed dogs and a remarkable number of cats to a back corner in the bar, which Bushwick Bark had turned into a scruffy pop-up studio, like something you would find in the back of a mall.
The pets and their families were small, large and numerous. Cats hid in jackets waiting for their turn. Pugs lay exhausted on the shoulders of their human companions, who enjoyed discounted drinks in exchange for an additional donation.
Two tables were taken up by volunteers distributing plastic cups of dog food, a donation from The Honest Kitchen, who had also chipped in a few gift cards for the raffle (Other prizes include: 1 free dog training consultation from someone advertising themselves as “Brooklyn’s Finest” ($100 value), a package of 5 consecutive walks from Bushwick K-9 (same).
Photos courtesy of Andrew Karpan