Taiwanese photographer Yun-Fei Tou created these portraits of abandoned dogs minutes before being euthanized to "arouse people's awareness of animals rights." What really fucks me up is to look into their eyes knowing they didn't know what was coming up next. A stark reminder of our responsibility towards these beings.


The pup above was photographed just two minutes before being put down. From Yun-Fei Tou:

These portraits are taken on the very day in which the dogs depicted is 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. As Peter Singer wrote in his Animal Liberation, "The portrayal of those who protest against cruelty to animals as sentimental, emotional "animal-lovers" has had the effect of excluding the entire issue of our treatment of nonhumans from serious political and moral discussion."


06:16am, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 11.2 Hours

10:00 a.m. Taiwanese Public Animal Shelter Time until Euthanized: 1.4 Hours


05:01am, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 12.5 Hours


11:38am, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 29 Minutes


04:17am, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 13.2 Hours


11:44pm, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 40 Minutes


10:54pm, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 1.2 Hours


12:09pm, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 1.9 Hours


03:17am, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 14.2 Hours


12:57pm, Taiwanese Public Shelter, Time until Euthanized: 1.1 Hours

If you were thinking about getting a dog soon, please remember to go to your local shelter. And please remember that dogs are NOT toys for kids. They are extremely sensitive animals who have nothing but adoration and love for the humans in their pack. Taking care of a dog is an expensive and serious proposition, one that shouldn't be taken lightly at any level—as the photos above demonstrate.


Yun-Fei Tou is a photographer who has worked for publications like Business Week (Taiwan), Rhythms Monthly. and the Common Wealth Magazine Group. He's now an independent photographer who is working some long-term projects like this Memento Mori series.

This is part of a series in which we are featuring futuristic, striking, and just beautiful photography. If you are a photographer with awesome work, please drop me a line here.