This story was submitted by our shelter friend The Cat House on the Kings. The Cat House on the Kings saves pets’ lives in the Fresno County, California area, and the Animal Rescue Site is proud to share their stories. You can learn more about their work here!

Volunteers make rescue work flow forward with their talents and hard work. As an animal rescue, it is a part of our mission to place rescued cats and kittens (sometimes puppies and dogs) into loving, permanent homes, and an "adopt me" profile photo can be priceless. There is a reason why dating websites or apps recommend a great, this is me photo... so it will connect with someone else.

This is very true for our homeable cats and kittens, as well. They need a furbulous photo to connect to potential adopters. Reaching people's hearts gets more tricky with so much information, so many social media sites, so much going on in the world, so many seeking love and family. Then there is also the fact that cats don't show off for the camera as a general rule, unless of course they feel like it.

Many cats are still adjusting to coming from a foster home into our adoption center, so they may be on edge. Val's work with so many temperaments has helped her hone her skills for working with animals. Even our spiciest of cats will gain that "learn more about me" photo!

We can't even begin to put into words what Val's work does for our team members' hearts. Those in our care are also family to us, and to see them sparkle through her lens means the world to us all!

We hear it all the time - "Their photo just pulled at my heart" or "Once I saw their photo, I had to come meet them"  and sometimes, "Once I saw those eyes, it was true love."

Val's photos certainly increase adoptions, but not only that, they mark the beginning of a life lived together.

As you can tell, we could go on about how vitally important Val's photography is for those in our care, and of course, our media partners are thrilled to have professional photography to use when assisting with outreach for adoptions. We have another life-saving reason that Val is a superstar for us. She takes photographs for our yearly calendar that is our biggest fundraiser each year. This is where some of our Sanctuary residents get to show off their lifestyle on our 12 acres! Having the highest quality photographs for a professional calendar of our own cats and kittens makes this fundraiser spectacular and in demand.

Val Woodward is the heart behind Fur Real Life Photography, a pet photography business based in Clovis, California, serving the Central Valley and beyond. Specializing in custom pet portraits for private clients, Val helps devoted pet parents turn their favorite moments into timeless artwork—whether it’s a stunning wall display or a keepsake album filled with memories.

Her work has been featured at Fresno City Hall and published in three books, including her latest project, Tails of the World: Volume 3, which brought together over 80 photographers worldwide to raise $75,000 in support of rescue organizations. In addition to working with private clients, Val runs fundraising photography projects throughout the year to support local rescues and help adoptable pets find their forever homes.

At home, Val and her husband, Bo, share their lives with a beloved pack of dogs and cats. With their human children now grown, they fill their home (and hearts) with wagging tails, kitty whiskers, and plenty of outdoor adventures. When she’s not behind the camera, you’ll find Val exploring new trails, finding inspiration in nature, or brainstorming her next creative project.

We appreciate Val's creative ability to capture the true personalities of our animals up for adoption. We are also grateful that she is a photographer that brings delight to our team, with those that we care for, through the photos that she takes. We thank and celebrate Val, Fur Real Life Photography, and the true joy that she brings to hearts, homes, rescues, and animals throughout our community. We love you, Val!

This story was submitted by our shelter friend The Cat House on the Kings in Fresno County, California. Learn more about them here!