Poignant Portrait Series Show Shelter Dogs Moments Before They Are Euthanized

10:54PM, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time Until Euthanized: 1.2 Hours

Taiwanese photographer,Yun-Fei Tou, has been working on a portrait project which focuses on very heartbreaking subject matter. Memento Mori introduces viewers to shelter dogs in the last hours of the dogs life. All of the dogs, some healthy, some victims of severe neglect, are unknowingly waiting to be euthanized by one of the government run pounds in Taiwan. Though, that’s not to single out Taiwain, as this type of thing occurs all over the world.

Yun-Fei Tou hopes the images will raise awareness for animal rights, a cause he takes to heart. In an interview with The Independent, he explained:

“These portraits are taken on the very day on which the dogs depicted are about to be put down or mercifully killed in public pounds run by governmental agencies in Taiwan. Utilizing the classic portrait style that originated in the early 19th century with the birth of photography as an art form, these photographs offer the viewer a chance to look attentively into a bleak future. The purpose of this project is to arouse people’s awareness of animals rights. People should view animal rights as a moral issue rather than appealing to emotional affection.”

Yun-Fei Tou graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a major in photography before working as photojournalist for Rhythms Monthly. Since 2009 he has been working independently on several personal projects including Memento Mori, which you can see, below.