Rescue Spotlight: Starts With One Today
Most rescues pull dogs from shelters. Starts With One Today goes somewhere a lot of people won't: the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
Founded by Victoriah Bech Parker and Jonathan Parker, Starts With One Today works directly with unhoused people and their pets, bringing food, water, and supplies to the people who need them, and stepping in when a dog is abandoned, sick, or in danger. It's slow, hands-on work built on trust, and it means a lot of dogs get a chance they never would have had otherwise.
Starts With One Today doesn't have a shelter or a facility. Every dog they pull depends on someone opening their home first, which means fosters aren't a nice extra here. They're the whole rescue.
I recently photographed four of their AMAZING dogs. Here they are.
Lily
This is how Lily was found: chained in a filthy alley in Watts with a dozen other dogs, living in the heat with barely any food or clean water.
And this is Lily now. She's about 18 months old, a pit bull and husky mix, with a golden coat, green eyes that look like they're lined in eyeliner, and individual white toes that look like tiny socks. She's around 60 pounds but compact and petite in person.
She's gentle, happy, and social, athletic enough for hikes and soft enough for couch nights. The rescue calls her "literally the perfect dog," and she's great with dogs, cats, and people. She was so happy, easy, and well behaved at the studio, too! And gave me lots of cuddles - truly the SWEETEST and most easy going girl.
James
This is how James was found: on a heavy metal chain in the same Watts alley as Lily, one of a dozen dogs left in the heat with barely any food or clean water.
And this is James now. He's a pocket Pittie, about a year old and 45 pounds, with huge expressive ears (hence Bunny), a heart-shaped nose, and a smile that takes up his whole face.
He's goofy, affectionate, smart, and eager to learn, and he firmly believes he's a lap dog. Give him sunshine and a kiddie pool and he's in heaven. He's great with other dogs with slow, thoughtful introductions, and he needs a cat-free home.
Maya
Maya is a little mix, about a year old and 35 pounds, with a burnt-orange coat, amber eyes, and a dark little mask. She's already raised a litter of three puppies, and now it's finally her turn to be someone's baby.
She's a little reserved when she first meets you (she was pretty comfortable when I met her, so I think she's fine with the right person), but once she decides you're her person, she sticks. Her foster calls her Velcro Girl for a reason. She loves zoomies, cuddles, and meeting you at the door with a stuffed toy in her mouth. She's great with other dogs, walks nicely on leash, and is house-trained.
She was so sweet and well behaved in the studio - look at her sitting so nicely! She came to me for cuddles & rolled over for belly rubs by the end of the session - she has SO much love to give!
Jasper
Jasper is a sleek black dog with brindle "stockings" running up his legs, a super cute pittie mix, about a year and a half old and 50 pounds. The rescue calls him Mosey because of the slow, gentle way he wanders along.
He survived a lonely life on the streets of Skid Row and has since been living with the rescue's professional trainer, where he's absolutely blossomed. He's the easygoing, up-for-anything type: errands, hikes, road trips, or a movie on the couch curled into a tight little ball next to you. He's gentle, happy, great with other dogs, and has the kind of soft eye contact that makes it very hard to leave without him.
Jasper was confident and fun in the studio, and even wanted to play ball! Check out his sweet smile at the end.
How to Help Starts With One Today
You don't have to adopt to make a difference. You can:
Adopt one of their dogs through their adoptable pets page
Foster and give a dog somewhere safe to decompress while they wait for their family
Donate to help cover food, supplies, and vet care
Follow and share their work on Instagram at @startswithonetoday
Why I Photograph Rescue Dogs
Most adopters see a dog online long before they ever meet them, and for a dog coming off the streets, a good photo can be the thing that gets them noticed. I wrote more about that in A Picture Can Save a Life.
If you run a rescue in Los Angeles and need adoption photos, here's how I work with rescues.
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