KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The pets you see at a pet shelter are locked in a cage, often cowering in fear. That situation doesn’t usually show off the real personalities of the pets, and might get them overlooked. That’s why local photographers donate their time and efforts to capture the pets at KC Pet Project at their very best.

Photographer Kasi Orr has been taking photos of shelter animals for 4 years.

“It’s a lot of coaxing, a lot of toys and sounds and acting to get their attention,” Orr said. “It’s kind of my opportunity to give them a voice. I kind of love animals more than people sometimes, a lot of times.”

She said that one photograph can be life-changing, both for the pet and their owners. She takes a lot of care to capture the pet at just the right moment to show potential adopters what the animal is really life.

“They’ve got two minutes and people are going to be going through, flipping through pictures, and if they can see that in a picture, then they’re going to know that’s a dog they want to come look at,” Orr said.

Her most memorable model was a dog named Steve. Her photos helped find Steve a forever home. That’s what she hopes for all the animals she photographs.

A photographer can typically spend around 3 or 4 hours with a pet for a photo session.

Recently, a dog was found abandoned on Bannister road and brought to KC Pet Project, where he was found to have been a victim of abuse that left him with a painful laceration around his muzzle. The veterinary team managed to heal his wounds and get him healthy again.

They helped get Bannister ready for his photo session, and on Wednesday he found his forever home.

He was all smiles when he left the shelter.