This charming album of imperfection introduces a gallery of extraordinary canines like Vegimite, with a permanent wink, and Raul, who doesn't let paralysis keep him from enjoying life. The images chosen by Alex Cearns (Zen Dogs, 2016), who lives in Australia, celebrate the spirit and courage of dogs living with various disabilities, all treasured by owners who have fallen in love with them. Cearns captures not only the personalities of these animals but also the humans who have embraced them, flaws and all.
This particular rogues' gallery of "perfectly imperfect" canines captures the unique challenges and personalities of those selected and a short history of both dogs and owners. While the 60 images are wonderful, so are the individual tales of love and courage between dogs and their best friends.
Many of the males take on the world with monikers like Zeus, Bandit, Tyson, Milo and Spike. The females--Stella, Hanna, Lady Bug and Polly--face life with more ladylike names but equal the boys' courage and fire. Cearns focuses on each face, her camera capturing the spirit of an animal who has overcome life's challenges undaunted.
The biggest compliment I can give this lovely paean to love without judgment is that I picked up Perfect Imperfection to look at the sweet faces of beautifully photographed animals before I realized the meaning of the title. Page after page catches the uniqueness of each dog, the text below enhancing their lives and challenges. Pets without one eye (or two) or missing limbs are born with defects or the victims of accidents. Many depend on wheels to navigate their walks, transcending the troubles visited upon them, cared for by people who see only lovable creatures. Perfect Imperfection is an introduction to the extraordinary world of pets and owners, where nature's differences bloom and flourish.