Westdale student’s book profiles Dogs of Hamilton
Ace, 4. Taken from the Dogs of Hamilton website.
Westdale student Luca Simpson’s passion for dogs and photography fueled the inspiration for the book Dogs of Hamilton.
Simpson, a Grade 12 student at Westdale, created the book last year as part of her co-op placement.
“About four years before beginning the project, my uncle bought me the Dogs of Oakville book with the intention of me creating a similar book for Hamilton,” says Simpson. “I was planning to do a co-op with a media element. That’s when the Dogs of Hamilton idea popped into my head.”
Simpson’s project involved visiting dog parks across the city. She explained the project to owners and asked permission to take photos.
“Taking the photos was difficult at times depending on the dog,” says Simpson. “Some were camera shy. Having a squeaky toy often helped focus their attention. The most important thing for me was to capture the dog’s personality.”
After compiling the photos, Simpson designed each part of the book, organized a book launch, and connected with local businesses to sell the photo books.
Dogs of Hamilton is available at eight locations across Hamilton. All proceeds go to Ladybird Animal Sanctuary, an organization Simpson is passionate about. Currently, Simpson has raised $6000.
Simpson continues to grow a community of dog lovers by posting photos shared with her by followers of Dogs of Hamilton’s social media pages.
Nixon, 16 months / Dallas, 16 months / Yoko, 6 months / Nash, 14 months. Taken from the Dogs of Hamilton website.
“I hope to sell all of the books to continue donating money to Ladybird Animal Sanctuary. And who knows? Maybe there will be a second book.”
To learn more, visit the Dogs of Hamilton website.
Updated on Thursday, March 23, 2017.