The Delamar West Hartford hosted a photo shoot on Monday for a dog who is in need of a home.

By Ronni Newton

On a rainy Monday morning, Novak was looking his best, getting the star treatment at the Delamar West Hartford hotel.

He reclined nobly on the hotel bed ensconced in a luxe blanket, struck dashing poses in front of the hotel’s main door and while glancing out at the view from the balcony, and nattily clad in a bow tie he stood majestically at the base of the lobby stairs. And he stuck out his tongue and smiled playfully as he lounged on a rug.

Novak’s “star” treatment was the Dog Star treatment, and he was the subject of a photo shoot by Sara Huber, owner of Paw Print Studio, who donated her time, just as the Delamar donated their space, to help Novak – a 7-year-old German Shepherd – find a home.

“Novak has been with us for a year,” said Michelle Brown, a West Hartford resident who is a volunteer and communications director for Dog Star Rescue, a volunteer-run nonprofit which is headquartered in Bloomfield.

“He’s been overlooked because he’s missing a leg,” she said, and that’s how he arrived in Connecticut from a shelter in the south. He’s also missing a few teeth, but he’s friendly as can be and had no problem gobbling up the treats that Brown, and Dog Star Rescue Executive Director Nichole Fortenbaugh, used to incentivize him to pose for Huber’s camera.

“We have 90 dogs in our nonprofit rescue,” Brown said. The dogs are a mix of local surrenders and dogs from shelters across the country with which they partner. Dog Star, as the name implies, takes only dogs, but they do have a low-cost clinic that provides services for cats as well. Fortenbaugh said one of the reasons people surrender their pets is because they can’t afford the care.

“Good photos are everything. They’re really important for potential adopters,” Brown said, because they can really show the dogs’ personalities. She was excited to finally coordinate Novak’s photo session at the Delamar with Huber.

Huber formed Paw Print Studio in late 2022, several years after she reignited her love of photography and as a side hustle began taking photos of rescue dogs. She didn’t like seeing photos of the dogs looking frightened, behind the bars of cages, and used her own style of engaging with the dogs and studio lighting to help the dogs look happier, and find forever homes.

Her core business is creating professional, “fashion-shoot-style” pet portraits of furry family members, at the Paw Print Studio in West Hartford as well as in Fairfield County and the Boston area. But in addition to the work she is doing with Dog Star Rescue, Huber still works with various rescues, including Outrider Dog Rescue, and One More Dog Rescue.

“I have my portrait business, but I am always dedicated to photographing rescue animals because that’s how I got my start,” Huber said.

All of the dogs that are part of the Dog Star Rescue organization are housed with fosters while awaiting adoption. Novak has been being fostered at the Bloomfield home of Lori Myers, who has a teenage son. “He’s kid-friendly, and really just wants a quiet life” filled with short walks, Brown said. He would prefer to be the only dog.

West Hartford is a top destination for adoptions, and most dogs are with their foster families for three weeks at most, said Brown. For fostering, they prefer a home without other pets, “but are happy to have anyone foster – whether they have pets or not. They just need to be over 21 and live close enough to Bloomfield to get dogs to weekly events,” and are always looking for more volunteer foster families. “We pay for everything,” she said.

While the Dog Star Rescue facility on Tobey Road in Bloomfield does have some kennels, they’re really used for back-up. The organization is moving this spring to a new building they purchased at 20 Northwood Road in Bloomfield, and they will have more – and nicer – kennels, she said, but foster homes are preferred.

Brown loves her volunteer role, and is hopeful that the new photos, which will be added to Novak’s profile on the Dog Star Rescue website, will help him find a forever home. And then it will be on to helping the next rescue.

For more information about Dog Star Rescue click here.

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