This family celebrated their newest family member, Toa, the adorable pup, with a family photo session with Nashville pet photographer, Mandy Whitley. They met Mandy at Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, in Brentwood, Tennessee, which was the perfect backdrop.
You wouldn’t know by looking at him, but Toa was badly abused as a young puppy. Luckily, he was rescued. Now, Toa is well-loved and cared for by his new family. Although I’m unsure of his breed, he reminds me a lot of Olive, the heart mender.
Matt, Chandra, Elliott, and Gwendolyn adopted this sweet pup, Toa. during the quarantine from East C.A.N. in East Nashville. (This is the same organization that I adopted my pups from.)
Toa’s name is Samoan for ‘Brave Warrior’ (Chandra is Samoan). Matt told me Chandra didn’t get to name the kids’ Samoan names so she got to name the pup whatever she wanted.
They are going to have so much fun growing up together!
If you have kids and dogs, check out our 4 Tips for Getting Your Children Involved in Dog Training.
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About Mandy Whitley Photography: Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Mandy specializes in photography for pets and their people. She also photographs portrait sessions, family sessions, couple portraits, and weddings – as well as just pets!
Love these photos. And I am loving the Samoan name as well. I love that they adopted her.
These photos turned out great. Toa is such an adorable pup.
Such a pretty,neat looking dog. And it seems easy to take a selfie with her.
Such a wonderful family and I am glad that Toa finally found a family that will love him for a lifetime.
Pets do a lot to improve family life and help bring family members together around the love of our pets. It is nice that your family got a new pet to love.
Oh my goodness what a cute pup – those are some lovely pictures and going to be great family photos.
wow! Toa is really awesome: He looks so proud!
What beautiful pictures. That puppy is absolutely adorable too
Toa is so cute and you can see how much his family loves him! I love seeing the beautiful dogs that you photograph.
What a lucky dog. I love stories that turn out good for animals who had been abused.
What an adorable dog, and great family photos! So well done capturing some great moments!
Aww..what a lovely family! I reallove those photos. And the pup sure is stunning!
Your skill to arrange the perfect dog photos is so amazing. You rarely see such beautiful dog photography.
Toa looks like the perfect fit into the family clan. I love the Somoan name meaning too! Congrats to the family. What a lovely shoot!
A beautiful family! I love the fall theme. I think the photos turned out really well.
What a lovely pup and obviously adored by every member of the family. I love the kids portraits.
I love hearing sweet rescue stories. What a special dog, and beautiful photos!