Para quienes tienen perros Pitbulsl, son cariñosos como cualquier otra raza. Sin embargo para quienes no están familiarizados con ellos, suelen ser sinónimo de temor, miedo y respeto.

Es por esto que la fotógrafa Sophie Gamand se propuso cambiar esta negativa percepción a través de una noble campaña llamada “Pit Bull Flower Power”

¿De qué se trata? Recorre diferentes refugios en Estados Unidos para retratar de una manera distinta a los perros abandonados, principalmente Pitbulls, con el objetivo de conseguirles un hogar en el que puedan vivir.

Desde que comenzó con la iniciativa, hace un año y medio, Gamand ha logrado rescatar a más de 140 perros de esta raza. Las fotografías las comparte a través de su página personal y en su cuenta de Instagram, en donde ya tiene cerca de 70 mil seguidores.

Para cada fotografía, la artista adorna con flores a cada perro para darle un aspecto más cariñoso. A través de su lente, Gamand busca generar consciencia respecto a la discriminación que sufre la raza Pitbull, los que muchas veces son abandonados por representar un peligro.

“Luego de realizar las primeras fotografías recibí numerosos comentarios positivos de la gente, y rápidamente se volvieron virales a través de las redes sociales, lo que sirvió para darme cuenta de que había desarrollado una gran herramienta de marketing para los Pitbulls”, comentó la fotógrafa originaria de Francia a la revista juvenil Hello Giggles.

“No son tan sólo perros con coronas de flores, sino que es algo más grande, esto va despacio pero seguro”, agregó.

De acuerdo al sitio de actualidad Examiner, entre 800 mil y un millón de perros Pitbulls son eutanasiados cada año año sólo en Estados Unidos.

#PitBullFlowerPower has been featured on @hellogiggles and I couldn't be happier These are 4 of the pictures they chose for their article, some of them are still waiting for homes! IVY from Redemption Rescues (@hemiverse) on Long Island, New York: this sweet mamma has seen all her puppies get adopted… But no one has come for her so far. She is perfection! Sweet and loving, and did you see her heart-shaped tongue on her portrait? NAKITA from @thelostpaws in Phoenix, Arizona. She is also a sweet loving dog. She loves playing with toys, riding cars and playing in water! She is about 1.5 year old. ADRIENNE from @tohanimalshelter is a deaf beauty with some of the most soulful eyes! And apparently, she's been adopted!! THELMA from @tohanimalshelter: another girl with soulful eyes! Thelma loves being near her person and giving kisses. She also enjoys the company of other dogs. These four girls are perfection! The only reason they are still waiting for a home is that they are part of the "pit bull-type dog" category. But they are sweeter than lots of schnauzers I know (no offense schnauzers, you often have an attitude! ). And they are some of the most gorgeous doggies you'll see today. #AdoptDontShop #endBSL #DontBullyMyBreed #pitbullflowerpower #PhotographySavesLives #sophiegamand

Una foto publicada por Sophie Gamand (@sophiegamand) el

I want you to meet a very, very special doggy. His name is Mickey (he has his own Facebook page: Watch Mickey Beat Cancer). 2 years ago, Mickey was involved in a tragedy, when he bit a 4 year old boy and disfigured him. The circumstances surrounding the accident led people to fight for justice leniency toward Mickey, who was to be euthanized. His story inflamed the media (what? another vicious pit bull out there?) and he was even called "the devil dog". Now, I could not pretend to advocate for pit bulls with my #PitBullFlowerPower project, if I didn't meet the controversial ones, too. So during my recent trip to Arizona, I had the chance to meet with Mickey and his lawyer, and crowned him. Mickey cannot get out or be adopted. He will remain in a kennel for the rest of his life. It got me thinking a lot about how we treat dogs, euthanasia versus sanctuary, etc. I wrote a blog post about him. Link in bio! This blog is a little long, but please take a moment to read! I am also selling prints of Mickey's portrait to raise funds for his vetting (he was diagnosed with cancer). If his story touched you, please consider buying one of those. I will donate 100% of the proceeds: www.printstore.sophiegamand.com — Big thanks to @mcso_mash_unit and John A. Schill for making this happen! #PitBullFlowerPowerARIZONA

Una foto publicada por Sophie Gamand (@sophiegamand) el