Amy Olivieri | Amy Olivieri Photographer

Atlantic Beach, Florida USA

Amy Olivieri Photographer

JACKSONVILLE PET PHOTOGRAPHY

Atlantic Beach is a laidback town located near Jacksonville, Florida. Each narrow, tree-lined street that runs east ends at the beach. Locals often gather at sunset to watch their dogs jump through the waves and explore the many tide pools.

In 2023, Amy Olivieri joined professional photographers around the globe to make a difference for pets in need with 'Tails of the World'. This unique collaborative project celebrates dogs with an annual coffee table book and our latest volume has raised over $65,000 for animal rescue!

Amy raised US$1500 for Friends of Jacksonville Animals with ten pet photoshoots around Atlantic Beach. Her shoots featured the beach itself (of course), plus the Howell Nature Park, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park and the town center.

The GTM Research Reserve is a breathtaking stretch that covers 76,000 acres of Florida’s northeast coast. It is completely protected from development, so the wide dunes and skies make for amazing photography. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is another beach with acres of mature coastal hammock, an increasingly rare attribute along Florida’s heavily developed Atlantic coast. Then for for those who prefers grass over sand, Amy also photographed at Howell Nature Park. Filled with wildflowers and little bridges, it’s perfect hidden gem for dogs to explore.

Louie

Louie is a six-year-old, one-eyed blue French bulldog. His absolute favorite place in the entire world is the beach. He has a little quirk in that he loves when his humans kick water at him and will wait patiently (and impatiently) if he sees a foot in the water. In 2019, Louie lost one of his eyes in an accident with another dog while they were playing, but he hasn’t skipped a beat. Louie is a big personality in a little body-builder-type package. His huge smile is so endearing... you can't help but smile back at him!

Hendrix

Hendrix lives, loves, and breathes all things frisbee. Obsessed might be an understatement! However, once the Frisbee is removed from a situation, he’s all about his mama, who knew she was a foster fail that very first night when a little pup with the spot on his head found himself in the bed cuddled up next to her. Hendrix has been her snuggle boy ever since.

Florida and Ladybug

Florida is a 15-yeary-old black-and-white staffy mix (mom calls her a Florida Tailwagger), and Ladybug is a Tan Catahoula/hound mix. Both Florida and Ladybug are therapy dogs, going to work with mom, who is an elementary school teacher. They make all the kids smile and provide a calming presence at school. Floridas wiggle bum and ears are her best attribute, ladybug has great eyes and a beautiful smile. Florida is an absolute mama's girl and is happy to do anything if mom is there, she also loves her pickle stuffy toy. Ladybug loves going to the park for walks or swimming in the pond.

Bellahebe

BELLAHEBE is a glorious 6-year-old, reverse brindle English Mastiff. She was rescued from an animal testing facility that was specifically testing on large breeds. The first thing you notice about Bella is obviously her size. Weighing in at 185 pounds, Bella is a vision. But she doesn’t like her size to define her. She thinks she can fit in your lap, she’s scared of her bearded dragon sibling, and she sleeps on top of her dad slowly stealing his pillow while snuggling him. She loves every human, and she’ll give you a full hug, pulling you in close with her paws. Bella prefers the front seat when going car riding, even though she barely fits…she truly thinks she’s the size of her head even though she can stand on her hind legs, putting her paws on her dads shoulders and stare him straight in the eye.

Archie

ARCHIE is a stunning one-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever. He is such a sweet boy, completely devoted to his mama. Suzanne wasn’t really looking to get a puppy, but Archie was sent to her by Hoss, her former golden retriever… Hoss knew she needed Archie to help her through the sadness of losing him. Archie is a completely joyful dog, he truly makes everyone happy. He loves the beach, people (especially kids), riding in the golf cart, and playing chuck-it on the beach!

Bugs

BUGS is a 6-year-old black-and-white Border Collie/Husky mix. She was so fun during our session—they joy she felt being at the beach could be seen on her face the whole time… she has the best smile! Bugs and her mama became best friends the day they locked eyes at the shelter, and she has the honor of being her mama’s first dog as an adult. I’m told the two gals go everywhere together and Bugs is Shannon’s absolute favorite thing in the whole world. Things that make Bugs the happiest are: booty scratches, treats, going for walks, seeing grandma, going to the dog park, extremely loud squeaker toys, and lots of cuddles.

Reese

REESE is a nine-year-old Black “Staffy/mixy”. She is super smart, sweet, and intuitive… she understands sentences, has helped with kitten fosters (one of them used to use her nose as a slide), and she seeks out children to greet. Her favorite things to do are snuggling on the bed and walking in the woods. Although she loves the mailman and waits for him every day, Reese’s best friend is a rescue cat named Gracie. Reese has been through it recently, fighting oral melanoma. She’s had surgery and got the great news that her cancer hasn’t spread and she seems to be clear!

Banjo

BANJO is a tan and black Sheprador mix who was adopted from K9s for Warriors, an organization determined to end veteran suicide, providing highly-trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. Fortunately for Banjo’s parents, he flunked out of their rigorous training program, only because he wasn’t able to hold the weight of a human due to hip issues.

Banjo’s parents hadn’t had a dog their home in over two years as they were healing from losing their previous dog. When his mom was shown a photo of Banjo, she knew the timing was right and the name was perfect—Banjo’s dad plays in a bluegrass band! Banjo is such an easy-going dog. He loves long walks, car rides and cuddles. Banjo is super smart and loves people, he loves to take walks and explore. His family has even become more active because of him. Banjo has a stellar one-ear-up-one-down situation, which is his mama’s favorite physical attribute!

Honey

HONEY, a 3ish-year-old cutey-patootey Guamanian Street Dog, was adopted in 2021 from Guam-based Boonie Flight Project. She was found in a drainage pipe on the outskirts of the jungle and was one of the 70,000 street dogs that inhabit the small island of Guam. Honey traveled over 8,000 miles, flying from Guam to Hawaii to Seattle and then into New Orleans where her mama drove to pick her up and finally take her home.

Honey has zero interest in toys, tennis balls, hikes, etc. Her favorite thing in the world is literally just being with her family—more specifically, her mom, which I absolutely saw during our session… ALL she wanted to do was be near her mama!

MoonPie

MOONPIE is a handsome, impressive 7-month-old pig who’s cute little tail didn’t stop wagging during our whole photoshoot! Being a very intelligent and musical pig, Moonpie has a kid’s piano that he likes to tap with his snout to make music, he can also sit, spin, and shake his hoof just like a dog! Moonpie acts as ambassador as part of an educational program for Epic Outreach. Moonpie and other rescued animals are brought into classrooms and also interact with adults and kids visiting the Farm Sanctuary, giving humans a way to connect directly with animals they might not have a chance to meet otherwise.

Moonpie was rescued off the streets near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, after animal control found him running loose as a wee piglet. He was brought to a local pet rescue that had no idea what to do with a piglet! So they called EPIC Outreach and asked for help. Little Moonpie was sick and needed lots of love and care. Today he is strong, sweet, and a super star at meeting people and other animals—and now modeling! He is leading the way to help pigs just like him be adopted into homes as pets!

Moonpie lives with his mom and dad in a home with multiple dogs, including Winnie (possibly pictured) who was rescued from Hurricane Harvey. Moonpie sleeps in a crate at night (or else he seems to somehow find himself getting into mischief). His favorite things to do include chilling in the yard with the other rescue animals, rolling over for a belly rubs, and being taken out for ice cream. For more information about having a pig as a pet or fostering: epicoutreach.org

All images are shared here with the artist’s permission

Amy Olivieri is an official photographer for our fundraising book, Tails of the World: Volume Two. You can follow Amy’s pet photography adventures on Instagram, and be sure to check out the Amy Olivieri Photographer Website to learn more.

Purchase your copy of the Tails of the World Book, and enjoy more dog photography and stories from around the globe. 100% of the proceeds of this book go to Second Chance Animal Rescue Inc.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF JACKSONVILLE ANIMALS

Friends of Jacksonville Animals (FOJA), an all volunteer organization, was formed in 2008, and is dedicated to the well-being of homeless animals received by the Jacksonville city shelter. Each year, the shelter takes in thousands of unwanted, abused, and neglected animals. FOJA's focus is to end unnecessary euthanasia, educate the public about responsible pet ownership, and enrich the lives of the shelter animals. All funds donated to FOJA go directly toward achieving these goals.

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@fojajax

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

“I live in Atlantic Beach, Florida, with my wonderful teenage human and our three rescue four-leggers: a hound, a cocker mix, and a paralyzed pittie mix. We live a dog-dirty, love-filled home, close enough to be able to walk to the beach. What more can a woman ask for?
I like to dance in the kitchen but never while making anything delicious to eat. I'm a terrible cook. Don't ask me to do that. Ask me to take your photo with your dog. The canine-human relationship is one of the most heart-bursting and heartbreaking things ever, and so when I pick up my camera, I'm seeking to not just capture the dog's essence, but on honoring that connection as authentically and as beautifully as I can.”

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Author: Caitlin J. McColl

Caitlin J. McColl is the multi-award winning artist behind Ragamuffin Pet Photography, author of five dog-filled books and founder of the Tails of the World Collective. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two boys and a scruffy family of rescued animals. She’s a bit of an introvert, a lot of a dork, and so very passionate about making a difference for pets in need.

RAGAMUFFIN WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK