A South Florida pet photographer will be showcasing around 100 photographs of women and their dogs at ArtServe from June 1 to June 30. The VIP opening night reception will be held on June 10th from 6pm-8pm and  a voluntary donation of any amount is requested to benefit an animal rescue group Nina’s Network.

The exhibit will be open to the general public for the entire month of June. Admission is free. (Plantation resident Paola Paladini is a photographer who specializes in pet portraits. This exhibit will feature some of the women she has photographed with their dogs for a photography series called “Me and My Human Mom”.

The photography project was inspired by her English Bulldog Mooza. It was around Mother’s Day 2013 and Paola wanted to honor the love she had for her.

“While I didn’t have a human baby, I loved Mooza so much and wanted to recognize pet moms as mothers too.” Paola created the idea of “Me and My Human Mom”, started the mini sessions in May 2013, and since that time, more than 150 women have been photographed with their dog or dogs.

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the “Me and My Human Mom” portrait series.    

A portion of the sales of all sessions has supported two local animal or pet charities.

“I have donated almost 50% of my session fees in the past five years to Friends of Broward Animal County and now to Nina's Network, a local non-profit dedicated to helping Broward pet owners in need to provide for their pets to keep them at home and out of shelters,” said Paola.

Since the start of this project, many of the dogs have passed away, including Paola’s beloved Mooza who died September 2016.”

“I miss Mooza dearly, but it was because of her that this wonderful project started,” said Paola.  “This year marks the 5th anniversary of my series, and because Mooza is not longer with me, I wanted to honor her life by putting together an exhibit. I feel blessed to do what I love and to photograph so many amazing women and their dogs.”

The feeling is mutual, as Paola’s clients have all expressed their love for their portraits.

Me and My Human Mom provided me with photos of my 4-legged children that will last a lifetime. The images that Paola captured of my 18-year-old dachshund Maggie, now 19, are breathtaking,” said Debbie Henriques of Plantation. “It is not easy to help a senior dog feel at ease. Paola truly has a gift. Her photographs are artwork on my walls that I look at every day. They give me great joy and warm my heart.”

“The picture Paola took of me with my dog Pepper captures a moment in time, a memory that was captured so beautifully. It's a wonderful picture that shows the love and bond we as humans have with our fur children. I'm excited to have this memory on display for others to enjoy,” said Mercedes Cabrera of Fort Lauderdale. She was photographed with her dog Pepper, an English toy spaniel in 2014.

“I loved being part of M&MHM because it allows my fur children, two rescue Pit Bulls, to be photographed and shown to the public in a positive light and the world can see how amazing the breed truly is. This amazing annual photo shoot allows the love a human shares with an animal to be shown in the most beautiful way,” said Kali Galvan of Davie.

“Last year I decided to do the photo shoot again, this time with my rescue daughter, Frances. Paola was able to capture my blind girl's personality in pictures. I will cherish these photos forever,” said Jan Stenger who lives in Tamarac.

Jennifer Cohen of Davie was photographed with her beloved dog Jake twice.Jennifer adopted Jake from the Humane Society of Broward County in September 2002. Jake passed away in April 2017 at the age of 16. “I treasure the photographs Paola took of me and Jake,” said Jennifer. “I miss Jake terribly and I am so thankful we took those pictures. She really captured him.”

Paola is now accepting men to be photographed with their dogs, just in time for Father’s Day.

For additional information visit www.paolapaladini.com