A dedicated yoga practitioner, a photographer Robert Sturman famous for his portraits of this ancient practice – whether it’s yogis sitting on the rocks that surround the Pacific Ocean, African orphans in Kenya, San Quentin prison inmates, American veterans or breast cancer survivors. His beautiful work tells human stories that bridge the gap between different people from all walks of life.
But after adopting his dog, Otis, he added a new theme to his work and humanitarian endeavors: lab dog rescue.
The Beagle Freedom Project rescues dogs from animal testing
Otis was rescued by the Beagle Freedom Project, the world leader in the rescue and captive breeding of animals used in experimental research. Although Otis looks like a Beagle, he’s not – he’s a British American Hound.
“It’s three times its size and has a very different temperament from the Beagles I’ve known,” said Robert.
Robert was told by the Beagle Freedom Project that Otis was a miracle dog. He said: ‘It is unprecedented for a dog to have gone through what it has gone through without being eaten.
Raise awareness to stop animal testing
With that knowledge, Robert was inspired to raise awareness about animal lab testing with Otis.
“On his social media dedicated to raising awareness, we always credit @BeagleFreedom for saving his life,” he said. “We also always mention an app called @crueltycutter, developed by Beagle Freedom. It allows you to scan any household item to see if it has been tested on animals like Otis. People want to know how they can help. This is the first step.”
Robert mainly uses his phone camera to document everyday life with Otis. He said: “I share our lives together in the hope that people will connect with him and begin to come face to face with animals undergoing horrific laboratory testing.
Otis has become a loyal and grateful ambassador for the mission.
Live a good life after the lab rescue
Otis now spends his days hanging out with Robert. When Robert was in his studio, Otis rested, running around in the backyard, chasing squirrels, lying in the sun and playing with toys.
“He is very comfortable in his kingdom,” says Robert. “We play a lot of reggae and he does yoga regularly – I leave a mat for him on the deck, and he does a lot of down dog poses. That must feel so good, coming from life in a small cage. As a yoga photographer, it’s great to see how much he does yoga – and how beautiful his practice is. “
Otis is clearly enjoying the good life. He likes to go by car and go to quiet beaches for walks and splashes along the coast.
“There’s a lot of joy inside of this guy after all he’s been through,” said Robert. “His loyalty is like what I have experienced with a dog. It is very special. “This guy and I are the bud for life.”
Learn more about Robert and his work on Instagram @robertsturman and Facebook @ Artist.Photografia.
You can follow Otis’ adventures on Instagram @otisthehandsomehound.
