Christy Bennie Photography

There aren't many things cuter than an inquisitive lion cub ❤️ Our fabulous ranger managed to track down mom and her two babies early morning in the Madikwe Game Reserve - it was the first sighting of them since they were born and it was such a treat as we spent most of the morning watching them enjoy a little taste of life (under mom's watchful eye).

Hungry snow leopard!

I was thrilled that in the Village of Ullay, where we stayed for the Snow Leopard expedition, one of the homestay's had an adorable little dog (who gives the resident foxes a run for their money) and a couple of cats! Made me feel totally at home and of course I had to photograph them!📷

In February I visited Ladakh and the Himalayan mountains to fulfil a dream I've been planning and had to delay a few times thanks to Covid...to see and photograph the magnificent snow leopard in its natural environment.

The snow leopard, otherwise known as the grey ghost, is one of the most elusive wild cats and it's said that more people have gone to space than have seen a snow leopard in the wild.

The whole trip was once of the most transformative and spiritual journeys of my life. The landscape when I arrived was quite barren and it almost felt like I was on Mars. After acclimatising for 2 days in Leh, I headed into the mountains and to Snow Leopard Lodge around 13000ft. Despite the cold (it was the middle of winter) and the high altitude I felt connected to the land and the people. I was so blessed that on my 1st full day there was a leopard spotted and we had the privilege of spending almost the entire day with her, and her kill, which she protected fiercely!
It's surreal to sit and watch her skills as she scans the environment and was quite nonchalant at all the people with cameras facing her. She was only 160m away. I spent the day capturing photos, some video and just sitting watching her in total amazement.

One my 2nd day I was blessed to wake up with snowfall ❄️ and the whole environment had changed overnight; snow covered everything, icicles hung from branches and for a proud African who has never seen large amounts of snow, it was breathtaking.
I realised that making snow balls isn't as easy as I thought and that it's not a good idea to make a snow angel in very deep snow...it's not easy to get out when you're by yourself 😂

We trekked and spotted another 2 snow leopards during our week, and also had two wolf sightings and some foxes.
I've never loved a place more. The cold, the kindness of the people, the snow leopard experience, the altitude all made for a magical experience ❤.

Unfortunately I got home and my computer blew up (literally) so it took a few months to get a replacement with the specs I needed; but I've finally started to edit some images and I can't wait to share them with you.

I will absolutely be going back in 2025 - so if you're interested in joining me (you don't need to be a photographer) please reach out.

This year has been a little crazy and I’ll share more details on what I’ve been doing in coming posts.

BUT I’m very excited to share that the Tails of the World vol 2 book is available on Amazon and I got my copy last week. I was a contributor and represented Johannesburg, South Africa with such a variety of amazing dogs. The book raised a lot of money for rescues and shelters around the world and I’m incredibly grateful to all the pet parents who participated and to the special dogs who are featured ❤️❤️

Last year I joined this amazing initiative and photographed some amazing dogs that represented Johannesburg and South Africa! Together we raised over $65,000 for animal charities in 2023. This is the result: 785 dogs, 74 photographers and 14 countries, all in one big, beautiful book.

So excited to let you know that both the hardcover and paperback editions of Tails of the World: Volume Two are now available to order worldwide.
Link: https://www.tailsoftheworld.com/book

*Online orders through the website will close on APRIL 30TH 2024.*

The book will remain available to purchase through Amazon and online bookstores after this date, however please note that we don't have any control over their prices or stock availability.

As the holiday season is upon us, I find myself reflecting on the past year and all the special pets and owners I’ve had a chance to meet and photograph; thank you for giving me the chance to do what I enjoy ❤️. I hope that you have enjoyed the stories and images I've captured in 2023.
May your holidays and New Year be filled with joy 🎉

I look forward to continuing with my 'Special Needs' project in 2024 and there will be a number of other changes happening which I look forward to sharing.

Bella and Tommy belong my cousin Michelle and I was thrilled to be able to include these two seniors in my "Special Needs" project.

Bella was found when she was only 3 weeks old covered in fleas and ticks. She is no 10 and just the most adorable little long haired Daxi. She loves people and snacks, always wants a pat or a love from any passerby that is mesmerised by her beauty 😍 but don't dare try to kiss her without her permission...she lets out a sigh if you do 🤣.

Tommy was adopted when he was already 3 years old. He sadly belonged to an old man who passed away and whose family didn't want him. So Michelle adopted him and he's living the good life. At 9 years oldie is greying around the muzzle but loves his toy tyre. In fact if he brings this specific toy to you - you know you have passed the test and he likes you! He also adores kisses and cuddles.

These two are typical brother and sister - always play fighting and up to mischief. Although the wind was howling during this shoot, the sun came out to give us some beautiful blue skies (for a short while). Tommy and Bella were very excited and determine to make the most of it ... running up and down on those tiny little legs giving us all a good giggle ❤

Thank you Michelle and Charlie for sun a fun morning on the beach with these two characters xx

During my first photoshoot in Cape Town, Kobe, Jolene and I were exploring the trails around signal hill when we were photobombed but an absolutely adorable puppy whose whole body wagged with happiness. I couldn't help capture a few pics of Ana, the ridgeback puppy but I was thrilled when her dad, Hauke Schotola asked I could fit fit in a shoot with her before I left. Thanks to the bad weather I had to reschedule some shoots and was able to squeeze in an early morning back on Signal Hill with this girl.

Ana is a very happy puppy; at that typical stage where her legs are a little too long and she is a bit goofy - but that just adds to charming personality. She gives real French kisses when you aren't expecting them 🤣💋, is super active and inquisitive but
was so well behaved girl off lead, posing for her dad, who she absolutely adores! And who can blame her...he adores her right back! After lots of hard work she rewarded us with some crazy zoomies before collapsing in the long grass (if you look closely you can see how insane the wind was)

Meeting Hauke and Ana was one of those serendipitous moments that lead to a beautiful morning on a mountain, and epic photos of a little ridgeback who is growing up fast. I hope that I will be able to capture her again in the future as she grows up 🤞

Just over a year ago I photographed Lilly and Wilder, two young bee friends in Cape Town.

I was so excited to be able to photograph a fully grown Lilly a few weeks ago and catch up with her family. They've just got a new puppy (sadly just after my trip) and I've loved following the updates on insta!

Lilly is a magnificent golden retriever who absolutely adores the water; catching seaweed and chasing sticks are among her favourite past-times. Bit as soon as the treats were out she was posing like a pro!

She has grown into a sweet girl who gave lots of kisses, but she loves to have fun, pay and just loves life!

The howling wind didn't deter her from showing off her active skills as she jumped and ran around catching sticks.
I love being able to catch up with dogs that I've photographed before - and Lilly is such a special girl ❤

Check out her stories on instagram
lilly_billy_the_goldie

While in CPT I absolutely had to meet up with two of my favourite people Lara Viljoen and Johan Carstens - they are such advocates for rescue and have the biggest hearts! Lara also has an adorable new puppy, Loxley who is just an adorable fluff ball.
She has a number of dogs, but she is also the mom to Alfie (formally known as Balto), a 'Special Needs Dog'.

Being able to photograph these two at the beach was such a joy. The wind nearly knocked us over and I love that you can see sand flying past the dogs and the wind in Loxley's fur!

Alfie, our 'Special Needs dog' was rescued by Husky Rescue South Africa in 2018 from owners who didn't want him. He had a huge wound on his head and lots of bite marks on his body. It was suspected that he was used as a bait dog - he is super submissive and wary of most dogs 😢
It wasn't long before the team realised that he had outbursts, like Tourettes syndrome. He randomly barks, yowls, twitches and has ticks. He was then diagnosed with brain damage and a deformed spine with severe arthritis in his back. The vet described him as the equivalent as an autistic child with a broken back. He may have been born that way or it may have been caused due to his many injuries.
Lara bonded with him in the kennels, and officially adopted him during Covid. Since being in a home he has also been diagnosed with epilepsy.

Alfie LOVES going to the beach for walks; he runs at the dog park like he has springs in his legs. One of his favourite pastimes is sunbathing; he is a cheese connoisseur; snores like a bear and sounds like a dinosaur when he howls. He is incredibly intuitive and can identify when Lara's sugar levels are low!

Loxley, is the newest addition to Lara's family. He was rescued from a backyard breeder. He's a typical playful, clumsy puppy; a quick learner and chats non-stop...typical husky!

Both dogs were so keen to explore, I got lots of kisses and we had such fun at the beach. It's amazing to see how far Alfie has come since I photographed him early in 2020 and meeting Loxley just brought a huge smile to my face. I wanted to just squish and kiss that fluffy little face ❤

Diesel and Mila are a Border Collie dynamic duo with lots of quirks and personalities of their own!

I was so excited when these guys responded to my Cape Town model call - they also have an instagram account if you want to follow their antics https://www.instagram.com/adventures_of_diesel_and_mila/

Despite the howling wind down at the beach, these two weren't deterred. I'm not going to lie, the wind was so strong that I felt like I'd had a good exfoliation. But between the crazy weather, the dogs were eager to show some of their tricks and while their mom, Taffryn managed to keep them dry for the first 10 minutes it wasn't long before they were in the water getting up to all kinds of mischief and giving us some remarkable photos. The long hair, wind, sea and sand just made for such amazing photos filled with movement.

Although they look so similar, they are very different but complete each other in a special way, like ying and yang ☯️.
Diesel adores his favourite ball or tug, and can spend hours running and playing. Whereas Mila loves a good cuddles, is obsessed with food and gets great joy from bugging her brother 😂...typical siblings!
Their mom says it's hard work keeping them entertained, stimulated and fulfilled - but describes it as the BEST decision they ever made. "They have proved that love has no limit or boundary" ❤

Thank you Taffryn for making the time and braving the weather and for letting meet these two adorable dogs that brought such happiness and fun to our morning 🙏

I had the pleasure of spending some time with Kristella, Chris and their 3 adorable dogs in Cape Town. We explored some of the gardens around the Cape Town stadium.

Luna, Rayne and Indigo are like the three musketeers! They are full of character and are incredibly attached to each other and their humans.

Luna is a little wire haired terrier. When she was adopted she was extremely fearful of humans and had the saddest little eyes. She has since turned into the most loving, feisty and happy-go-lucky little girl who is always up for an adventure!

Indigo was more recently adopted. This little pug has BIG personality. He loves to pose, eat and chat with the humans. With this little man, there's never a dull moment 🤣

Rayne is part of my "Special Needs" project. He was adopted shortly after Luna, is a gentle, kind hearted little boy who is happy to crawl onto your lap (and definitely into your heart ❤).
He was diagnosed with IVDD (intervertebral disc disease) at the beginning of the year and was on crate rest for 18 weeks. He still undergoes daily physio therapy at home and monthly sessions with his incredible physio. Kristella has an adorable doggie pram for Rayne - although he can't wait to be able to get out and join his buddies!

Kobe is an truly special boy and I was so excited to meet him! I've been following him on Instagram for a while and despite being a "special needs" dog, who has epilepsy, he is living life to the fullest thanks to his dedicated mom, Jolene.

Kobe is a 5-year old rescue who was found on the streets with his siblings and mom and was adopted as a puppy. Thanks to some Husky genes in the mix, he is super vocal 🎼.

He is the sweetest boy, very gentle but he LOVES his adventures.
What makes him the happiest is exploring mountains and trails. He is extremely active and would hike every day if he could.

Kobe is epileptic and has had grand Mal seizures ever since he was 2 years old. Medication has helped improve the seizures but his mom says "it's the hardest thing to watch and not be able to do anything about it". But this disability doesn't stop him from being happy and energetic.

I thought it would be perfect to photograph Kobe just after sunrise up Signal Hill. We did a walk to explore the trails - unfortunately it was a bit cloudy with only a few patches of sky peeking out but Kobe was so happy and he even made a few friends along the way. Seeing Kobe run up and down the paths, and climb rocks fearlessly was wonderful - but more amazing was watching the incredible bond between him and Jolene, and how much they absolutely adore each other ❤

I met Purdy, this absolutely adorable girl, and her awesome mom Lauren in Cape Town. She is part of my "Special Needs Project".

Purdy was given up for adoption at Border Collie Rescue when she was earmarked for Honey's Garden for Medical Alert Dogs Zero to Hero programme. After a month of training in foster care, it was evident that she has difficulty hearing, but she hid it so well that she was nearly 1 year old when they discovered she couldn't hear.

She is cuddly, quirky and of course very smart. We speak to her in sign language. Her favourite tricks are to spin around and "lap" which is her Deep Pressure Therapy cue for which we reward with a lively game of fetch.

Purdy and Lauren were up for some adventure as we tried an off the beaten track up towards Lion's Head from Camps Bay. The paths were a little overgrown and narrow; but Purdy was an absolute star! The wind was hectic and you can see her fluffy ears blowing in some of the pics with clouds rolling in over the 12 Apostles Mountain Range. We finished just before the raindrops came down.

Purdy is technically still up for adoption. So if you'd like to know more about her and her needs, please let me know and I'll put you in touch with Lauren.

Thank you Lauren for joining me for an afternoon of fun!

I spent 5 days in CPT recently and couldn't miss out the opportunity to get some photoshoots in. The weather wasn't very co-operative with high winds and overcast conditions but we had fun. Some of the dogs are part of my "Special Needs Project", some were old friends who I wanted to catch up with and some were new friends. I'll share all their amazing stories in the coming weeks.

These are some unedited shots to show the explorations we had and the beautiful dogs I got to spend time with and their fantastic owners who were up for some of my crazy ideas. I've got lots of editing to do as I also spent 3 nights in the Kruger afterwards but I can't wait to share their stories!

I was only able to enter one image into the International Pet Photographer of the Year Awards, but I was super excited to find out this morning that it was awarded a bronze award. Thank you Hoshi for this beautiful portrait - that was taken for the Tails of the World book due to be released next year!

I hope you're getting excited!!
I have finished shooting and editing the photos for the Husky Rescue South Africa 2024 calendar and it's now in the design phase.

This one is focused on adoptable dogs 🐾 and is going to blow you away with gorgeous dogs from the Haven and natural, local locations. It's got it all from blue skied mountain views, orange sunrises 🌅 and hot air balloons in the background!

The calendar will need sponsors so keep an eye out for a post from HRSA with more details.

It's such a privilege to help bring awareness to these dogs in need and I love participating in this project. Thank you to my intrepid photographic assistants for braving mountains, over excited Huskies and some very cold mornings ❤
Madelene Pienaar Tony Siddall Siobhan Kelly

* these are a few of the out-takes *

International Assistance Dog Week aims to recognize all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs, raise awareness and educate the public about assistance dogs and honour puppy raisers and trainers!

Thank you to all those who do amazing work ❤ I've had the privilege of photographing a number of dogs that have gone on to service careers and am in awe of those who raise these puppies and give them so much love and training.

South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind
Robyn Clair Drowley

Early this year I did a shoot with Bugzy as part of my "Special Needs" project.

It was a fantastic shoot and I've been able to go back and edit some more images of him surrounded by cosmos flowers in Delta Park.

What made this shoot really fun was that his brothers joined in for the walk, and I captures a few images of the three amigos together...Bugzy, Zach and Nova. Not sure about you - but I think they look like they belong on a cover album for a band!

𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 - 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 ❤️

Luna is a Husky X German Shepard rescue who couldn’t wait to show us around Delta Park in autumn. She loves long walks and swimming in the dams. She’s clever, curious, cheeky and an absolute star.

Her mom describes her as her ‘bookend’, because she is never far away. She even knows where her treats are kept, and directs mom to them when she wants some.

Spending time with her, Willow and her family was such a treat even if the weather was a little cold and overcast!

𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 - 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 ❤️
Willow was rescued by Husky Rescue South African from a back yard breeder. She is an emo child. ‘Yells’ if anyone comes near her treats, yells for loves and is a very prancy little girl. She LOVES treats and dog walks.

She's a fluffy teddybear and all you want to do is bury your hands in her soft coat. I photographed Willow and her sister Luna in delta park on a cloudy day filled with drizzle; Willows mom made sure they were both beautifully groomed and we tried to keep her dry for at least a few shots, before she found the puddles and the dams🤣. My favourite shot is the two fuzzy butts exploring the stream!

𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 - 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 ❤️

Mother G is 11 years and is a cattle dog x wire haired terrier who was picked up as a stray 10.5 years ago.

Her mom fostered and fell in love with her spirit and intelligence. Mother as she is affectionately known, thrived and is a show off in the tricks department! She loves off lead walks, learning new tricks and chilling on the couch…as well as treats.

Mother G is a true super star and is one of my most photographed dogs. She adapts to any environment and loves being in front of the camera. She is a gentle, adventurous and happy dog...and of course incredibly beautiful with her tufts of hair always picking up some rim light and her different coloured eyes that capture all her joy!

Thank you Siobhan Kelly, Tony and Mother G for joining me on so many adventures ❤️

𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 - 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 ❤️

Jackman (known as Jack) was rescued from a shebeen where he was living on a chain from an 8 week old pup. He has been at Husky Rescue for 7 years and spends his days assisting in the office (but he is still waiting for his own forever family)

Jack is extremely energetic, loves going for walks and visiting local pet friendly restaurants. He lost his one eye about 6 months ago due to glaucoma but this hasn't slowed him down at all.

He loves life and always has a big smile. We captured his images out hiking at Ground

𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 - 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 ❤️

Achilles is a super social dog and he loves people and other dogs. He has an infectious zest for life and enjoys hikes, long walks and balls! He has an extremely expressive face and makes everyone laugh a lot by being his goofy self. In between though, he is a perfect model who will do anything for a good treat.

We started with an urban shoot, in the centre of Sandton where Achilles blended perfectly into the chrome and blue hues. Then we spent an early morning out in Lanseria where Achilles could run wild and free 🤣

I absolutely love photographing this special man and spending time with his mom and dad.