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BUCKHANNON – A local photography studio is using its services to help local dogs get adopted.
Tonya Pinegar, co-owner of Majestic Mountains Studio, said they have partnered with the Lewis-Upshur Animal Control Facility and Round ‘Em Up Pet Grooming to shine some light on adoptable dogs and give them a day out of their kennels.
“Twice a month, our studio partners with our local animal control facility to give shelter dogs a much-needed break from the kennel environment, and the wonderful folks at Round ‘Em Up Pet Grooming generously donate their time and talents to give each dog a fresh groom first thing,” Pinegar said. “From there, we treat them to a pup cup, take them around town to show off their fresh new look, and host a dedicated photo session to capture their true personalities outside the shelter walls.”
August 26 was National Dog Day, which inspired Pinegar and Majestic Mountains Studio co-owner Tabby Fitzgerald to meet all the dogs at the facility and take photos of each of them.
“Shelter life is loud and overwhelming, and kennel stress often keeps wonderful dogs from showing their real personalities to prospective adopters,” Pinegar said. “A blurry intake photo behind chain-link fencing rarely captures the gentle eyes, goofy smile, or playful spirit that makes a family fall in love.”
Pinegar said she hopes their photographs show potential adopters a dog’s real personality.
“Between the pampering from Round ‘Em Up Pet Grooming, the treats, and the one-on-one attention, these dogs get a chance to decompress and shine, and our professional photos then show our community who these dogs truly are as companions,” Pinegar said. “Through social media, word of mouth, and community visibility, our goal is simple: get these deserving shelter dogs seen, loved, and adopted into forever homes as fast as possible.”
She was inspired to start the program after her own rescue dog, Athena, recently passed away.
“While we started this program to give back, the true inspiration comes from a very personal place. My best friend for nearly 13 years was a rescue named Athena, whom I adopted from the Randolph County Humane Society at a St. Patrick’s Day adoption event. Athena passed away on August 4, 2025, leaving a massive hole in my heart,” Pinegar said. “I have been missing her dearly and I wanted to channel that grief into something meaningful that honored her memory.”
They officially launched their first Doggy Day Out on St. Patrick’s Day this year.
“I reached out to the pound to propose the idea, and we officially launched our very first Doggy Day Out on St. Patrick’s Day. Turning that anniversary into a day dedicated to helping other shelter dogs felt like the most fitting tribute to the love Athena gave me for over a decade,” Pinegar said. “People can follow us on Facebook, where we post all our Doggy Day Out videos. We post all the information about all the dogs that we take out and their names, everything we know about them. If they’re interested in following along with those stories, they can follow us on Facebook to see it.”
