NoVA Photographer Raises Transportation Money To Rescue Dogs

LEESBURG, VA — A Northern Virginia-based photographer raised $1,500 to transport dogs who would have been euthanized at shelters outside the region to Northern Virginia where they could find homes.

When Katherine Beliveau learned it costs $125 to transport one dog from a kill shelter outside of Northern Virginia to Fancy Cats & Dogs Rescue Team in Herndon, she set up photography sessions at Morven Park in Leesburg on Oct. 31, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the nonprofit Fancy Cats & Dogs Rescue Team. Twelve families signed up, paying $125 for each 15-minute photo session.

With each rescue, Fancy Cats & Dogs Rescue Team is saving two lives — the one they rescue and the one that fills the extra space they have made in a shelter. The Herndon-based rescue group pulls dogs from several shelters in Virginia, including in Wise and Rockbridge counties and the city of Danville. The group also partners with shelters in North Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.

Meghan Gaucher, dog coordinator at Fancy Cats & Dogs Rescue Team, said she is grateful for the help that the photography sessions provided.

"Not only is Katie an incredibly talented photographer, but the proceeds from the sessions helped save lives,” Gaucher said. "We are lucky to live in such a wonderful community with people who are willing to open their hearts to help animals."

Along with weddings, engagements and other types of photography, Beliveau takes family photos that include pets as part of her regular business.

Fancy Cats & Dogs Rescue Team holds weekly adoption events at Chantilly, Dulles Landing and Springfield PetSmart locations. They also hold events at Chico’s Natural Pet Market in Falls Church.

Since its founding in 1997, Fancy Cats & Dogs Rescue Team has found homes for more than 15,000 cats. About 600 dogs have been placed in homes since its dog program was started in 2018.