The publisher of this image is Erick Pleitez, a frequent disaster/animal photographer. This background influences how we interpret the photo because it allows us to understand the image from his own lens – these animals in shelters are in poor condition and need better homes than what they have had previously. The intended message of this image is to go out and adopt animals in shelters to keep them from being alone and suffering further. This is mainly perceptible because the dog is reaching out for the person’s hand as if it hasn’t interacted with a human in a while, and the fact that it is locked up in the fence and can’t reach the outside world indicates that they are trapped in a different world.
The photographer puts an emphasis on a pathos approach by the black and white color scheme which indicates darkness, sadness, or memory.
The intended audience is the entire world, Pleitez is exposing the reality of animal cruelty and shelter life. A more specific audience he is likely targeting is those who have a stable enough home and income to take care of a sheltered animal. This is so that he can hopefully encourage the viewer to adopt and care take to prevent further abuse or mistreatment.
The image was taken on November 11, 2007. Details on where it was taken are not presented to us, but it is rational to assume it was in the Southern California area because that is where all of his other photos are tagged. Pleitez uploaded this image to his Flickr photo album, indicating it was an impactful image that had a meaning to him instead of a simple “going out with my friends” social media post.
As analyzed previously, the color scheme is monochromatic which indicates a dark, depressive tone to the viewer. This is then multiplied by the body language of both the person and dog – the dog is reaching out of its fence cage revealing it wants to be around the human, but at the same time, it is resting on the cage indicating it is tired and possibly unmotivated. The person is reaching out as if they wish they could help the dog but is unconnected to them. The focus is on the dog reaching out to the human wanting to be taken into their home instead of remaining in the animal shelter. The use of depth of field blurs out the outside edges of the photo. This leaves the center of the photo in focus and allows the viewer to easily see the dog reaching out to the person’s hand, wishing for a better life.
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