I've had the pleasure of being a member of HeartsSpeak for 9 years, and it's been amazing to see this organization grow to be such an influence in the animal welfare community. I've also had the privilege and pleasure of working directly with them to create diverse sets of images for a free stock library, made available to nonprofit and government animal welfare organizations. The time and energy they put into creating resources to help both artists and animal shelters to save animal lives is truly invaluable, and much needed. I'm proud to be a contributing member of this organization!
I have been a member of HS since its inception and the organization is beyond help in so many ways. Their creative, thinking outside the box to help shelters and other animal organizations are top notch. They are always one step ahead and try to foursee new and innovative ways to help solve sheltering issues and help get animals adopted.
The resources I have been able to access has made my volunteer work so much better. The camaraderie, the educational materials the wealth of information is just amazing.
Someone is always will to brainstorm or help or give creative input. I love being a member and I love seeing all the talent that HS has. It's inspiring.
HeARTs Speak fundamentally believes in the virtuous circle of partnership and in win-win outcomes for pets, people, and communities. Importantly, HeARTs Speak enables a single donation to have exponential effect for homeless pets, artists, and the bringing together of local communities - and in doing so helps ~1 million pets a year. Given the non-profit has been doing this incredible work for 13 years, that's an incredible amount of lives positively affected. With a strong nod to the importance of artists and HeARTs Speak's long history of "collaboration, innovation, and creativity", HS's ~500 artist members donate over 12,500 hours of creative services each month. The organization's resources and template library provide time/people/financially-resource constrained shelters with excellent marketing tools - all with the goals of helping people ultimately save more pets, alongside great programs like the Perfect Exposure Project. I am an extremely proud Board member and donor who believes in the beautiful outcomes HS has facilitated for pets, their people, and shelters.
I have been a member of Hearts Speak's Artists Helping Animals program for around 5 years. The community they have created for shelter and rescue photographers is amazing. The resources they provide to us and to shelters on positive marketing is life-saving. They are doing truly amazing things in our communities to support the work that shelters and rescues do and increase positive outcomes for shelter pets.
I've worked with HeARTs Speak for many years. The contributions, ideas, and inspiration that they present to animal welfare employees and volunteers is amazing, and their resources are always so helpful. It's always presented in an easy-to-digest way, and their ideas are always so creative. Not to mention it's all FREE! I live by their editorial calendar too for fun ideas and content. I recommend all animal welfare professionals to them all the time!
Hearts Speak helps hundreds of shelters and rescues annually with marketing resources and expertise to help ensure shelter pets are seen. A compelling photo can make all the difference in motivating someone to give a pet a chance and for ten years Heart Speak has mobilized professional photographers across the nation to donate their time and talents to animal welfare organizations.
They are the sole nonprofit at this scale helping shelters and rescues market better. A critical service in the lifesaving movement.
I’ve been a photography artist member for HeArts Speak for a few years now. They are wonderfully supportive of their members and are a unique platform for creatives to help shelters and rescues find new and innovative ways to market and adopt their animals. I’ve found it to be such a positive environment where I’m able to learn so much from other members in ways that truly help the shelters, rescues and animals in my community!
Previous Stories
I’m relatively new to HeArtSpeak as an artist member photographer and I am so grateful to have found this organization and community! They offer an amazing library of free education and materials to aid me in photographing and marketing shelter dogs. And the community of artists is amazingly supportive of each other. I love seeing all the work members are doing to get shelter dogs exposure so they have a better chance at being adopted! I’m proud to be a member of this amazing non profit!
I can't say enough good things about this organization. Municipal shelters often lack staff, but Hearts Speak provides creative support to help them connect with their community. Their graphics are customizable to reflect each shelter’s brand, and they stay up-to-date with the latest animal sheltering trends. Their stock photos reflect the communities shelters serve, and their support for shelter staff and professional photographers in creating adoption-promoting images is unparalleled.
What I have always appreciated about HeARTs Speak is their big-picture goals and ideals, and that supporting this organization translates to an impact on animals all across the country (and the world!). This organization does a lot with limited resources and continuously keeps their focus on how to help more animals and the people who love and care for them. Programmatically, that means they stay focused on the needs of those working and volunteering in shelters and what they need to save more animals each day, and financially it means that every dollar donated has a tremendous ripple effect and touches the lives of multiple animals.
As a professional pet photographer for decades I learned early on what a big help it is for a pet rescue organization or an animal shelter to be able to show really good photos on their website to help get the animals adopted. Often shelter volunteers with no photographic training or professional equipment would take the photos that were posted online for adoption. Many professional photographers are willing to volunteer to take better photos for shelters and rescue groups. The problem was photographers didn't know which shelters/adoption groups needed the most help and the shelters didn't know where to find professional photographers to work with. Hearts Speak changed that dynamic! Hearts Speak has become a "clearing house" of sorts by being the intermediary through which both shelters and photographers can find each other.
I watched as Hearts Speak evolved into so much more. They not only teach photographers how to hone their skills in photographing shelter animals, they also send travel teams to shelters to teach the staff how to take better photos, even if only with cell phone camera.
They also provide amazing education and resources to both their members (all photographers and artists) and to the shelters. If you have a chance to join as an artist or to support as a donor, please do it. It's money or time well spent. The photo I attached says it all.
HeARTs Speak is a unique organization I do not know of any like them. As a member they have lots of resources on their sites for members to get training, tips to make the most impact for animals. Not only for volunteers but resources for shelters as well. So important to not only have a place to feature those that are willing to help animals in need but also get adequate training and tips. I joined them in 2020 and I fully enjoy all the stuff they have for members like special zoom meetings. I am so happy to have found them. I have learned a lot since joining about photographing animals. Stuff that other photographers charge a great deal for to learn and they give valuable tips that else where would cost great dollars. I am grateful for this organization and all they do at helping others help animals in need.
I found Hearts Speak through another member and couldn’t be more delighted to have found a group that solves a problem so common in animal rescue: staff and volunteers being so enmeshed in their mission that effective marketing takes a back seat. Hearts Speak has filled that gap with a wide array of materials provided by artist members. The group has been welcoming, kind and honestly passionate about this mission and I am proud to have joined.
This is truly an underrated nonprofit that doesn’t get nearly the amount of recognition they deserve.
The free resources and training they provide to animal shelters and rescues are invaluable.
Their resources help to promote animals looking for homes and helps to get them noticed and adopted, thereby saving lives and completing families!
I'm very proud to be a member of Hearts Speak. I am a rescue photographer and the resources made available to us are invaluable. Through Facebook groups, webinars and their website, they offer such great advice for photographers and rescues/shelters. They go beyond just photography, too. They offer help with design of flyers and marketing techniques to get animals adopted quickly. All of the members are also friendly and happy to help answer any questions.
I have been a shelter photographer for over a decade and utilize the resources Hearts Speak has to offer on a frequent basis. Whether it’s bio-writing tools, free graphics, moral support or the sharing of ideas with colleagues on their social media platforms, Hearts Speak offers the tools to help me excel at my volunteer job! As an example, today is National Black Cat Day and I was able to whip out some social media pieces directly from their resources!
Previous Stories
Hearts Speak is the reason I started photographing shelter dogs. I went to one day seminar they sponsored for our local open intake shelter. Because of their investment into our shelter I’ve photographed hundreds of dogs. Being able to replace a blurry photo of a dog cowering in a truck to a bright, clear photo showing a dog’s personality can make the difference between a dog getting adopted or not. Their phrase “seen equals saved” really rings true in rescue. Because of the skills I’ve learned from Hearts Speak and their continued support I’ve been able to contribute to the happy adoption of several dogs and have even been able to hold holiday photo fundraisers for local rescue dogs.
Previous Stories
A few years ago Hearts Speak came to AZ to teach volunteers & staff how to use our phones, cameras and social media to call attention to our adoptable friends in the shelter. Since then they’ve helped us photograph every adoptable dog in the open intake shelter in one day (something that has literally never been done before). I’ve also become a heartsspeak member and continue to receive a wealth of knowledge, encouragement and resources from Hearts Speak. I’ve been able to photograph hundreds of pets at this point and have been able to support pet fosters who struggle to have their foster dog stand out in an eye catching way. I can not express how thankful I am for them and for the fellow heartsspeak artists.
Heartspeak is an amazing organization that gives back beyond measures.
They are highly organized and present members and volunteers with a ton of content and training so that they can become educated and continue the message as well.
Their resources are hands down the best out there for shelters and rescues!
Hearts Speak is a wonderful resource for photographers and artists who want to use their talents to help animals. They also have resources to help shelter staff and volunteers who may be novice photographers improve their adoptable pet photography skills—increasing the odds of the animal being adopted. Their social media, newsletters and website are a constant source of encouragement and creative inspiration. I have made friends, virtual and in person, through this great organization too. I've been a member since 2017.
Unfortunately, there is no Hearts Speak photographer in my area. But I have taken hundreds of photos of rescue dogs, and written bios for even more. But I’ve used a lot of their marketing resource tools to help me market the dogs I’ve spent 20+ years helping.
HeartsSpeak is a fabulous organization. They provide an online support group for its artist members; they are always so nice, positive, and engaged. They provide tools for artists to help animals in their communities and also hold monthly events including guest speakers on relevant topics.
As a rescue photographer, the information that I have learned from this group has been invaluable. Not only does everyone provide practical tips and tricks but everyone lifts each other up and encourages greatness. It's so important to get rescue animals seen and I'm proud to be a part of what they're accomplishing.
Nothing but wonderful things to say about this earnest and wonderful org! Everything I’ve participated in and all the great people I’ve met and worked with are a testament to the mission of helping animals in need- from the shelter and corporate side
I have been a volunteer photographer with my local shelter for years. I was introduced to heartsspeak and became a member and am so impressed with not only how they help to promote animals for adoption but also provide tools and training for the photographers to do their jobs better. Thank you hearts speak for helping me get better at what I do and playing a huge part in helping so many animals find their forever homes.
I have been a member of HeARTs Speak for a while now and it has become my go to for a wide range of resources and inspiration for anything and everything related to rescue and shelter animals. I am always learning something new through their educational webinars. With so many creative minds working together, the solution to a problem is never far away. It is always inspiring to see, read or hear what other members are doing to help rescues and shelters. It is pretty awesome to be part of this amazing group of artists and creatives!
I love this organization. They provide shelter and rescue tools and expertise on how to make their animals seen. From hands on photography/ shelter marketing workshop to downloadable overlays and learning videos. Their member are artists who donate their time to help HeArtsSpeak mission to make shelter animal seen. I had the great opportunity to be in one of the hands on workshops and thanks to that overcame my fear of studio photography in shelter and that I am not good/ professional enough to help with my photos animals in need.
As an artist member of Hearts Speak Inc I’ve seen first hand how this charity impacts homeless animals finding forever homes. Truly seen = saved.
I have been a member of Hearts Speak for several years. They are amazing and do so much to help homeless animals. They are so supportive of its members, offering several resources to its members. I am very fortunate to be involved with such an amazing, caring group!
The mission of HeARTs Speak in one close to my heart. After adopting our dog, we realized how crucial it was for shelters and rescues to get resources that would make it easier for others to get connected with their own magnificent shelter pets. This is important work and HeARTs Speak is the only organization with this focus.
HeartsSpeak is an amazing organization that partners rescue organizations with tools they need to help animals find their forever homes! As a photographer, I’m honored to be a part of this amazing program, and to partner with organizations in my area to help get animals seen and adopted!
HEARTS Speak uses the power of marketing to help shelter pets get noticed by adopters who will save their lives. They offer a huge selection of materials to animal shelters to help their pets be seen.
I have worked with HeartsSpeak for four years as an Artist Member. They provide an amazing program with complete integrity. I’m proud to be a part of it.
I’m an Artist Member and wildly enthusiastic supporter of HeARTs Speak. This small but mighty org sparks creativity, encourages camaraderie, fosters compassion, and provides invaluable tools and inspiration to the rescue community.
I have been a Hearts Speak fan long before I wanted to volunteer with this awesome organization. The idea of using photography and other creative arts to help shelter animals get adopted is very near and dear to my heart since I've been a long time social media volunteer at my local shelter. Hearts Speak provides various resources that can found on their website and social media on how one can also help their local shelter and rescue animals. I absolutely LOVE the heart and passion of everyone involved in Hearts Speak's programs!
I'm a pro pet photographer who volunteers much time taking portraits of rescue dogs to help them get adopted more quickly. I joined HeArtsSpeak years ago after hearing how supportive they are to those of us who work in what can be an often thankless environment of shelters. On occasion after occasion, HeArtsSpeak has helped us with online tools, equipment, training, graphic design templates, group support, a rescue pet stock photo agency, group shoots at many shelters across America and educational forums through social media. For instance, one year the prestigious Lowe's camera bag company gave HeArtsSpeak members wonderful camera bags that normally we could not afford. Another year, Savage Company donated rolls of expensive backdrop paper to HeArtsSpeak members. HeArtsSpeak has connections with Petco for stock photo licensing of our shelter photos. I love being a part of HeArtsSpeak and highly recommend them as a Great Nonprofit.
I've been an artist member since 2012 and have been extremely pleased with the support provided to me as a volunteer shelter photographer. HeARTs Speak actively promotes the adoptables that its members share, which then helps their exposure in getting adopted. The Perfect Exposure Project is a great program for shelters as well. I have been very happy with the member resources provided including ideas, calendars, business notes, overlays and general support.
I really respect what HeARTs Speak does to use creativity and art to help shelter animals. The mission is unique and their impact on shelters and animals is undeniable. Marketing and catching the attention for shelter animals is critical to getting community members to think differently about pet adoption and open their hearts and homes to pets in need. By making it easy for organizations of every size and resource-level to do this, HeARTs Speak is impacting animals in every community across the country.
HeARTs Speak offers so many valuable resources to shelters, rescues, and many other organizations. They make a huge impact on communities by teaching how to positively market animals and how to take great photos. I am forever grateful to this organization who has donated cameras and time to my local shelter + organized an event that photographed every single adoptable animals at my shelter!
HeARTs Speak continues to amaze me. Such great work being accomplished with minimal resources (they would certainly make great use of any donation). Every year they “up their game” and come up with more and more terrific programs. I love working with this group!
Previous Stories
This charity does so much with so little! Because each of their members are helping hundreds of animals get adopted, the total impact of HeARTs Speak is compounded far beyond the means of the original founder and her small team of executives/staff. I can't say enough good things about them. With more financial resources at their disposal they could accomplish even greater good.
HeARTsSpeak is an amazing non-profit filling a void in the animal welfare community, and accessible to all shelters and rescue groups focused on shining a light on homeless animals and saving lives. Hands-on photography and marketing training is available based on funding and sponsorships, but their expert guidance and useful materials are available free of charge to all, which makes their impact so scalable!
They are run by a small but mighty team on a shoestring budget. A true inspiration!!
Previous Stories
I’ve been involved in the animal welfare community for the past 20 years and am truly honored to serve as an Artist Member and Board Director of HeARTsSpeak. The organization empowers individuals to give back in a meaningful way, while at the same time helps shelters better fulfill their mission of finding homes for animals in need. Fueled by committed individuals and gifted artists giving generously of their time and talents, coupled with the power of a compelling photograph, HeARTsSpeak is incredibly successful at helping shelters all over the world promote adoptable animals through captivating imagery and artwork, resulting in increased adoptions.
A small but mighty core team leads the organization, championing it mission while supporting and leveraging the reach, passion and talents and of its hundreds of members worldwide to increase the visibility of shelter animals. HeARTsSpeak provides the training, support and resources needed for shelters and artist members to create beautiful adoption photos and creative campaigns that capture the attention of potential adopters. It’s a strong and supportive network of like-minded individuals, all working together toward a common objective of improving the image of shelter animals with an end goal of saving lives.
I first learned about HeARTs Speak in April and was immediately a fan! Then I joined and was completely blown away by the amounts of info available, the dedication of the staff to serve animals in need, and the enthusiasm they instill in all of us to serve this mission. Could not be more proud to be a HeARTs Speak Artist if I tried!
Heart Speak taught a seminar at my shelter to help us get more interest in our adoptable animals. It was well attended, we all learned a lot and have become more creative in writing bios, our photographs are better than they were before and Val and Caitlin remain responsive if we have any questions. Just a great non-profit doing terrific work in the animal welfare community!
Previous Stories
Hearts Speak is an incredibly well-run non-profit with programs to help shelter animals by teaching shelter staff and volunteers how to take better photographs, connecting shelters with professional photographers who volunteer their time to the shelters, and by making available educational materials and templates to improve the appearance of shelter promotions and adoption photos. In addition, professional photographers provide Hearts Speak with images for its photo bank. Companies using the photos pay fees that go directly to support Hearts Speak's programs. Hearts Speak supports its volunteer photographers by providing ongoing education on best practices and provides a platform to connect the volunteers to each other for additional peer support.
I absolutely love being a HeARTs Speak member!
I went to the Perfect Exposure Project over a year ago and it has helped tremendously in taking pictures for adoptable dogs. They have great benefits as a member, including educational videos, materials, and always fun overlays for pictures. They do so much to help animals get noticed and adopted.
Previous Stories
HeartsSpeak is a fantastic organization that pairs photographers and artists with animals in need. As a photographer, I took part in the 2019 Seen = Saved event where hundreds of us helped L.A. shelter animals by photographing them to improve their chances of adoption. Because of that event, I now regularly photograph my local shelter's animals and have gotten very involved, resulting in many more adoptions. HeartsSpeak has programs to educate those who want to use their skills to help, provides resources, and has built a friendly, encouraging, supportive community. They deserve our support.
HeARTs Speak Inc is a game changer for animal welfare organizations. They work tirelessly to be able to bring knowledge and supplies to the shelters and rescues who are in need. Their work and mission truly has saved countless lives - and I personally put their teachings and assets to use everyday at the shelter I work for. As the Communications Coordinator, I use their freebies in their EDU library to elevate a photo or bio of a homeless animal, and that had resulted in quicker adoptions! Our data shows that great photos have increased viewership online, which most people check out before deciding to come to our facility. We were also lucky enough to host the Perfect Exposure Project, in which they taught us and surrounding organizations throughout Virginia photography and creative biography writing. HeARTs Speak not only helps shelters and rescues one-on-one, they have created a network of professional artists that will help shelters in need of great photos! They are willing to meet you where you are in terms of experience and equipment, and will even get equipment sponsored and donated to those in need to bolster their resources!
Such a great organization making a huge difference in the lives of so many animals! As a photographer member, this organization has been so helpful and supportive.
Thanks to the skills HeartSpeak shared with us at our shelter, we are able to help get our animals noticed by the public in a way which leads to higher asoption rates and a better life for these creatures we care so much about. Their seminar led to the start of a group of dedicated volunteers who photograph our pups every Saturday. We love doing this as we see how it helps get them adopted faster. Today it’s all about social media ans HeartSpeak has shown us the way.
In 2013 my adoption group was lucky enough to have a member of HeartsSpeak come to our foster home to photograph our adoptable dogs. The photos she produced were amazing and helped the two dogs get adopted very quickly. The HeartsSpeak member also took the time to teach me some tips on taking better photos and how to use my camera. Because of this, it started my path to becoming a pet rescue photographer and 2 years later I was able to join HeartsSpeak as a member artist to pay it forward. I strongly believe in HeartsSpeak’s mission and i’m a very proud member. An image is worth 1000 words, and it can save many lives.
This is one of the most amazing non profits for photography and animal lovers. I love it so much! People are so kind to help you, and everyone is soooo lovely! I’m only 17, and I started when I was 14 with photography. I love this so much! And I love HeartsSpeak!❤️
One of the best community ever, members are supportive and always available to motivate and help everyone to grow. There is no competition, but the awareness that we are all here for the same reason: making a true difference in shelter animals' lives!
I love being part of this nonprofit.
They have helped me refine me skills as an artist/photographer to better help rescues. I’m able to produce better quality photos to “market” dogs and cats to get adopted faster
I have been involved with HeartSpeak for many years and the passion of the community to do good for animals is like no other. Working together allows the whole organization to make a difference all over the world in helping shelters and rescues improve their adoption rates and marketing strategy. I am proud to be a part of it all!
The HeARTs Speak community is a dream for budding and veteran photographers alike. The ideas and inspiration shared among peers are incredibly helpful, and the support members offer one another is such a blessing. We give our time and our hearts to this cause, and it is sometimes very challenging. But knowing we have a network of like-minded people who have likely had similar experiences to support us and share their insight makes it that much easier. The resources HeARTs Speak offers help take my work to the next level so I can do even more to help animals, and I'm go glad to be a part of this community.
I hear again and again 'your photos made me want to adopt that dog'... this is why I do what I do, and I'm proud to be a member of HeARTs Speak Inc. They support me and many other photographers and artists, who donate our work to help save animals. I'm thrilled to be in the company of so many like-minded volunteers, and am very grateful to HeARTs Speak for their constant support. Any time I reach out for advice, they are there to assist. Their programs and resources are vital for changing the lives of shelter animals.
Previous Stories
I've been a member of HeARTs Speak since 2012. I have found it to be such a welcoming organization. Being surrounded by like-minded artists, all working to help promote animal adoption has been so fulfilling. The knowledge, support and education, and resources freely shared is so valuable and encouraging.
Hearts speak is an amazing organization helping rescue groups ensure that rescue pets sparkle and shine and help them find a forever home! They also help teach rescue groups on how to improve their own photographs of adoptable pets. They also offer great resources and are incredibly supportive, kind and generous.
I absolutely love this organization. They work hard every single day to help animals in shelters and rescue. They also help teach others to photograph dogs in shelter situations. They are truly an amazing group.
I've been a member of Hearts Speak for several years and I photograph animals at my local shelter. Hearts Speak is a great resource for me and offers a lot of resources, positivity and group support. They help us do better and do more for our local shelters and animals. The fact that go around the country teaching shelters to take better photos is amazing! Better photos save animals lives! I love Hearts Speak!
HeARTs Speak is a unique organization in the animal welfare/rescue world and they fill a very important role by focusing on positive marketing, photography, advocacy, and partnerships. This small but mighty team travels the country training shelter/rescue staff and volunteers how to effectively promote the animals in their care. They have also created an active and supportive community of artists and I am proud to call myself an Artist Member.
Hearts Speak provides a wealth of tools to help artists to help rescues to help save the lives of homeless animals! Their library of resources is comprehensive and educational. Their community of artists are very supportive and encouraging. I feel fortunate to be a part of their initiative.
HeARTs Speak is an emerging nonprofit in the animal welfare world. Having worked in shelters in California, Hawaii and Wisconsin, one fact holds true across these different areas: images and storytelling save lives.
What is great about HeARTs Speak is that it serves so many different stakeholders in animal welfare - the animals looking for their furever home, the shelters that often need their animals receive that "perfect exposure" to be adopted, amateur and seasoned photographers looking to lend their skills to help save lives, businesses looking to make that connection to animal welfare cause marketing as well as the potential adopters who can now get the best "first impression" because HeARTs Speak's impact.
I photograph cats and dogs for a rescue local to me, and this organisation is a godsend! So many ideas, and resources available to members plus the ability to share work and discuss issues with other members is invaluable. Thank you HeartsSpeak
HeARTs Speak has helped me improve my photography skills to photograph shelter dogs. The skills I have learned from them are helping dogs get adopted in my community. Their free online materials are so helpful and the organization is always there to help!
I love HeARTs Speak's mission and am proud to be a part of their team, volunteering as a photographer at shelters and rescues. They provide artists with wonderful resources, tips and a community of team members who are always willing to critique work and share their experiences. I know the shelters and rescues that I have worked with appreciate the photos I take and they certainly help in their efforts to find homes for pets in need.
A few years ago, I began helping a couple of shelters/rescues in my area with photos so they could get their animals adopted sooner. It was so great when I found HeARTS Speak - an organization whose purpose is to ensure no shelter animal goes unseen! Match made in heaven! Thank you for all you do and the exposure you give to the cause!
HeARTs Speak is the reason I really got into photography. I've always loved photography, and I've always photographed my own foster dogs to help get them adopted, however, then I heard about HeARTs Speak. I was so excited to learn about others doing the same thing. I pushed myself to keep learning photography so I could join HeARTs Speak. I was so excited when I was accepted into this wonderful group of artists. Not only have they been a great support system for me, but they have also helped me grow as a photographer and a person. This non-profit group means the world to me and I can't say enough good things about HeARTs Speak!
I was welcomed into the HeARTs Speak family this year. I am very proud and honored to call myself a member. It is a very supportive group of people, everyone is willing to help each other out, share knowledge & stories or lend a sympathetic ear when needed. It's a wonderful organization filled with wonderful people sharing a common goal of raising awareness of the plight of shelter/rescue animals all around the world and I couldn't be happier to be a part of that!
I value my membership with HeARTs Speak. From them, I've learned about the importance of presenting a professional bio and photograph for homeless animals. I've also gained many tips about how to work with shelters, take photos, and network with other artists. HeARTs Speak leaders and members regularly encourage and inspire one another in passion for animals. This is a truly supportive and dedicated organization.
I am honored to be a part of this outstanding organization. The staff, volunteers and artist members are compassionate and dedicated to helping animal welfare organizations all over the world. Collectively, they are a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills which they share freely. The level of professionalism and willingness to help can be see at all levels in the organization. Hearts Speak is saving lives and developing programs that save animals, promote social change and bring communities together.
I’ve been working with HeARTs Speak for two years now, first as a volunteer and more recently as a board member, per the vision to achieve the widest reach possible in supporting animal welfare organizations’ efforts to better promote themselves and their adoptive animals. I began working I’m so impressed with the passion, professionalism and drive of all HeARTs Speak employees, board members and supporters with whom I’ve interacted, and was amazed to experience the enormity that this organization manages to accomplish with such a lean operation. Their vision and the impact of their work continue to inspire me – in my efforts to support the animal welfare community, and just generally on a personal and professional level.
I belong to one of thier artist members and they have provided me with a great platform to reach out to other like minded artists and draw upon the nuermorus resources to help shelters in our communities get animals re-homed faster.
This amazing group is so supportive and provides so many tools to help those of us who want make a difference. It can be scary and it can be heartbreaking, but it can also be the best feeling in the world when you know an image saved the life of a dog or cat. And this group understands that and supports you thru the technical issues, emotional issues and everything in between. Their passion and their genuine love for the animal shines thru in every way.
I learned about HeARTs Speak from seeing their logo on beautiful images of adoptable animals across social media. I went to the website to learn more about the organization and immediately set a goal for myself of achieving Artist Member status. I had been photographing dogs for my rescue of choice for a couple of years, and wanted to become a member in order to gain access to the amazing tools and resources they offer. At the time, I was unaware of the awesome community they also foster for members. The knowledge sharing and support is just wonderful, and I'm thrilled to be able to learn from the talented members gathered there. I have learned so much and have been able to expand my volunteer photography to a large city shelter where they were thrilled to be offered the services of a HeARTs Speak member. I'm very proud to be a part of this dedicated community of talented animal lovers, and wholeheartedly encourage anyone interested in donating or joining to do so.
I've been a member of HeARTs Speak since the beginning and I am still amazed at all great things they do for shelter pets around the world. HeARTs Speak is made up of so many great people and artists, who work tirelessly to promote adoptable animals through great imagery and artwork. It's really an amazing organization and I am proud to be a member.
This wonderful organization made such a difference to Charleston Animal Society. It is amazing how the photos of our animals have changed so much for the better, after their HeARTSpeak's visit and seminar. The result is that animals are being adopted sooner, which is what HeARTSpeak is all about - getting animals adopted by showing them in their best light. The professionals who visited us were so patient and helpful, and the materials they provided were exceptional. There is no doubt that good photos of adoptable animals make a huge difference in helping animals to get adopted sooner.
I have been a member of HeARTSspeak for many years now. The organization and members are extremely generous with their knowledge and expertise and I've gained valuable education and guidance with my rescue photography. I have had several rescues reach out to me through HS "find a member" resource guide and have been able to help rescue pets find their forever homes. Every single person associated with HeARTSspeak is incredibly dedicated and passionate about making sure all shelters, no matter how big or small, are provided the resources to showcase their animals to the public.
HeARTs Speak has given me the tools and confidence I needed to donate my photography to my local shelters and rescue groups. Through my involvement as an artist member, I've been able to help one of these rescue groups raise monumental funds toward helping the dogs of its organization via a calendar contest.
One of the best parts of this organization is the amazing support of its community who is there to cheer one another on every step of the way as we work together for a common cause: more lives saved through beautiful, heartfelt adoption photos!
HeARTs Speak is a fantastic organization that does so much through their members to help more shelter and rescue animals find loving home. And their members benefit from this organization too. Hard working and honest organizations that get important work done are wonderful and me need more like HeARTs Speak Inc.
Love being part of HeARTs Speak, a great community working so intensely to help animals from all over the world (I'm from Brazil, for instance, and they already helped me sooo much)! It is a great way to share knowledge and learn, whether we talk about mainly about ART and pets, some of the passions that unites all HS members, or about kindness, love and finding solutions for any challenge we face, since we can easily see a huge community of members willing to help everyone!
I want to submit a review for a Heart Speak photographer - Elaine from I Got the Shot, in northeast PA.
Elaine takes time about once a month to come to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter and showcases her talent by capturing the spirit of each animal she photographs. Her photos are crisp, clear, and beautifully edited. Each animal she photographs is posted with a brief paragraph about that animal. Elaine will blend her own experiences with the animal, with its general description, adding an animated dynamic to an already stunning portrait.
I also want to point out that Elaine photographs not only dogs, but also cats and small animals just as beautifully!
Heart Speak brought Elaine to the shelter, and in turn Elaine is bringing adopters to the animals she photographs. She also has referred another Heart Speak member to our neighboring county's shelter. Through this non-profit, two shelters near and dear to those who live in North East PA are now benefiting from the artistic endeavors of amazing professional photographers. 5 stars!
Personally, I heard about Hearts Speak by reading some posts from my friends on Facebook - with the same goal in mind - to save as many dogs as possible! I found out about Valerie Bruder through Barbara Blackman (pittie angel) and Gina Giordano (Fassa's Friends Boxer Rescue). I contacted Valerie Bruder approximately 6 months ago about her FABULOUS dog photos for rescues... The rest is history - I am convinced that if it was not for some of Val's photos - that she so generously took the time to do - some of Fassa's Friends would still be looking for Furever homes!!! Valerie Bruder is awesome and a PERFECT representative of Hearts Speak : )
I have worked with not 1 but 2 Hearts Speak members! One more than the other.
I have worked with Janice Smith, who had a prettiest pittie contest and my Ellie Mae won a photo shoot! It was absolutely a wonderful experience.
I have worked with Valerie Bruder on several occasions, and she is my GO TO photographer. Every experience with her has been a fantastic one. She knows EXACTLY how to capture the dogs in their element. They are always crisp, clear and BEAUTIFUL photos! She is the most patient, funny, creative photographer I have ever worked with. She is a true gem and an asset to the Hearts Speak group! Thank you Valerie Bruder and Janice Smith for your talent and sharing it with the world and also of course with Hearts Speak!
I have been volunteering as a membership committee member and photographer for over a year and I love it! Such great, sharing and wonderful people.
As a co-founder of a non-profit dog rescue, we couldn't be happier or excited about a group such as Hearts Speak! There is such a need in the community for better photographs of animals waiting for their forever homes. Valerie Bruder our friend and local Hearts Speak volunteer and photography has done such an amazing job, not only with photographing the dogs in our rescue, Lilo's Promise Animal Rescue but many urgent and homeless dogs in the area. She has a true passion and love of both photography and animals and it shows! Hearts Speak is a God send to animals in need!
As a photographer at HeARTs Speak, I travel to local animal shelters and rescues, creating quality images that bring out the best in shelter animals. The adoptions in our area has increased DRAMATICALLY due to my participation. I am able to increase my skills thanks to the expertise and kind encouragement of the staff and members at HeART's Speak. The organization is attempting to branch out in all areas, and the staff is always willing to answer questions and communicate thoroughly. I endorse and would recommend working with a HeART's Speak Member, or the organization as a whole with the utmost confidence.
I have been a member of Hearts Speak for a short time (about 5 months). It took me a long time to find a place to use my talents to help a cause so close to my heart. My fellow members are extremely supportive and caring individuals who feel as strongly as I do about the plight of homeless animals. I am honored to be part of such an amazing group of talented and generous people who actually are making a difference.
Review from Guidestar
I do a lot of volunteer work with a variety of shelters and rescues. Many shelters do not realize the affect that an animals image can have on how quickly they may get adopted. By utilizing the members of HeartsSpeak to take images of their adoptable pets, they will greatly increase their chances of improving their adoption rates. By using professional photographers - they are getting images that are clear and bright and focus on the personality of the dog to be able to showcase them in the best light. And who does not love sharing pretty pictures of animals across the social networks? The more shares, the more visibility, the more visibility, the more adoptions - it is a win win!
Review from Guidestar
Creating gorgeous images to give gorgeous animals a better shot at the life they deserve with loving families - a fabulous cause. heARTspeak is wonderful for facilitating the connections between photographers, artists, shelters and rescues. Through the group many thousands of animals have been saved and helped.
When I started photographing shelter animals I thought there weren't many others out there with the same goal - to show that shelter and rescue animals are not just "pound puppies and kittens". When Lisa approached me to join HeARTs Speak I was immediately on board. It's so rewarding to talk to fellow artists all over the world that all have the same ideals. It's amazing to be part of a group that truly supports and admires one another without competing. Together we've already saved thousands of animal lives!
Review from Guidestar
I have been volunteering with rescues for several years. I donate my services to take better photos so that the animals have a better chance of finding a home. I was thrilled to find a group dedicated to this very thing.
After learning about HeARTs Speak and their work with shelters and rescues, I knew I had to become a part of it. In 2011 I was accepted as a service professional.
Through HS I have been able to reach out to more organizations and offer my services. I have been able to make a difference in so many lives; many more than had I continued to go at it alone.
The members of HS are dedicated, inspiring and have such compassion for the homeless pets. Through their charitable work they make a huge difference.
Lori Fusaro
Review from Guidestar