Kristen Nicholson | Fit Fido Fur-tography

Comox Valley, British Columbia Canada

Fit Fido Fur-tography

COMOX VALLEY PET PHOTOGRAPHY

Comox Valley is the adventure destination of Vancouver Island in Canada. It has lakes, forests, mountains, rivers, waterfalls and beaches - a true haven for adventurous dogs and their people!

In 2023, Kristen Nicholson 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!

Kristen raised US$1160 for Raincoast dog rescue society with photoshoots all around Comox Valley. Tsolum River is a popular off-leash swimming spot, with a shady trail to escape the sun on hot days. Airforce Beach and Comox Lake both offer breathtaking views of the snowcapped mountains. Goose Spit is a well known Comox Valley landmark, with unique panoramic views to the West, East and South. Kitty Coleman Beach Park is another popular spot, particularly for boating, fishing and oceanfront camping.
There are also many waterfalls in the region; Kristen photographed at Trent River Falls and Nymph Falls Nature Park.

Indy

Indy is a 5 year old staffishire mix. She loves to fish in any amount of water and is so intent when she does this. She is the most loving dog and will let you cuddle her anytime. She has a wonderful personality and her eyes hold so much emotion.

Ollie

Ollie was rescued at the age of 1 as he suffered a gun shot wound that almost took his life. With the help of an amazing dog rescue and his will to live he was rushed into emergency vet care and has made a complete recovery. He is a gentle giant and loves nothing more than to cuddle and give you slobbery kisses. He has the most gorgeous eyes and sweet personality you would never know his start to life was so rough. He is the best boy.

Lola

She was an easy loveable dog from the get-go and has been such a wonderful family member.
Lola's favourite activities are chasing the ball and /or squirrels, swimming, long walks in the Northeast Woods, and running along Point Holmes Beach. Like many other Labradoodles she is food-driven so of course loves any treats she can get her paws on. She is more interested in humans than other dogs… frankly we think she doesn't realize she is a dog!

Nymeria

Nymeria is the pup of two working sled dogs from Yellowknife, NT. I got her as a puppy from a friend's sled dog team. She loves playing fetch in the ocean, she also loves to join me while swimming, she also loves to pull me while I ride my Skateboard. She's a real sweetheart and loves people once she has met you, she's very smart and has a huge personality.

Rio

Adopted at 10months old after waiting 2months at the SPCA perhaps due to his large size and rambunctious manner. He is settling down now, but has loved skiing and hanging out at Mt Washington, was a St John's therapy dog, spent a lot of time in my high school classroom, and did some agility (minus the tunnels as they were too small!) He loves walks in the woods, has had many a conversation with bears, yet curls up by the fire with his cat. From any of the dogs I have had, he is truly magical... time on the floor with 'huggles' will change my energy.

Lucy

Lucy loves 2 things the most. Food and her ball. Lucy will jump higher than your head when you say it’s dinner time and she will jump and jump until you put her bowl of food down. She loves food so much that I had to get her a slower feeder because she ate way to fast that it would give her a stomach ache. When she’s not eating she loves playing fetch. She will play fetch all day everyday if she could. She’s the biggest ball hog I know, she can fit 3 balls in her mouth and not want to share them with anyone. Me and Lucy love walking in the trails around comox valley and exploring. On our walks she will pick up the biggest sticks possibly and run behind you so it hits you in the back of the knees. She thinks it’s a game but it gets annoying after awhile haha. Lucy loves snuggles. She sleeps in my bed with me and has her own pillow and blankets. Lucy is a crazy chocolate lab that never runs out of energy and guilt trips you with her puppy dog eyes when you don’t take her with you.

Hudson

We got Hudson when he was just a little puppy. His unique eye was definitely something we found cool about him. We love taking him to the beach and letting him run with his friends. Hudson is fluffy and cuddly.

Phoebe

She came from the streets of Tiahauna. Was rescued and brought to Squamish where I adopted her. She loves her daily 10km hikes, Nordic skiing and recently, long slow bike rides. She’s incredibly athletic and loves forest agility, LOVES other dogs and people, is the perfect mix of sweet potato and velociraptor. She’s beautiful and extremely photogenic.

Wilson

Wilson, along with his siblings were found in northern Saskatchewan living under a stack of wood in the snow and brought to the island by Jesse from RainCoast. We had the privilege of fostering the entire litter and his beautiful mama Roxy. Wilson immediately picked us as his people, anytime we would be feeding or playing with the puppies, he was trying to climb into our laps and give us love. It was sad to see the other dogs move to their forever home but because of RainCoast we were able to stay in contact with them, and see the dogs they grew into. We have been really fortunate to have been able to meet Wilson’s mom Roxy again, and two of his siblings over the last 1-2 years. It’s amazing to see they wonderful dogs they have become.
Wilson and I are stuck together like glue. We go on hiking trails or doggy play dates daily (Wilson has more friends than I do), he comes to work with me in my office/home studio, and we sit on the patio together every evening. My husband is sometimes there too, lol. Wilson is content at home alone, but he loves sticking his head out of the car for even the smallest errands.
Fostering and adopting a dog with no known history can be scary, but Wilson is truly such a blessing and we wouldn’t have found him if we didn’t take the chance. We continue to learn and grow together everyday (you have to with a shepherd husky breed) but everyday has been better with him.

Ruby

Ruby is a sweet fun loving girl who brings so much joy to our family. We love to hike and play games in the house for treats! We also love to cuddle. Ruby is our sunshine

All images are shared here with the artist’s permission

Kristen Nicholson is an official photographer for our fundraising book, Tails of the World: Volume Two. You can follow Kristen’s pet photography adventures on Instagram, and be sure to check out the Fit Fido Fur-tography 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 RAINCOAST DOG RESCUE SOCIETY

RainCoast Dog Rescue Society is a Registered Canadian Charity that was co-founded in 2014 by Jesse Adams with his deep love, commitment, and passion for helping animals across Canada and abroad. Over the last 10 years it has become an organization of many incredible and compassionate volunteers that have come together to form a dedicated team for the higher purpose of helping make a big difference in the lives of dogs and cats in need of support and lifesaving efforts. RainCoast is a completely volunteer based organization. This means that all donations, adoption fees, fundraiser earnings, and merchandise sales go directly back towards rescuing and rehabilitating more dogs and cats in need, while continuing to support the rescue dogs and cats we already have in our care. As well as our community programs under our RainCoast PET Project.

VISIT WEBSITE
@raincoastdogrescue

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

I am a dog trainer and photographer from Courtenay, BC in the Comox Valley situated on the gorgeous west coast of Canada. I am drawn to the amazing connection and bond you can grow with your dog and this lead me to dog training. I have had a camera in my hand since my teen years but within the last few years I have focused on photographing animals and this has quickly become my passion. Capturing dogs surrounded by the stunning beauty of my local environment makes my heart happy and the joy on their human's face when they see them is so special to me. You will never get this moment back so make the most of it.

WEBSITE

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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