Local Photographer Helping the World

One Dog at a Time By Patricia Older, Photos by Tracey Buyce

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year and a half ago, local photographer Tracey Buyce was ready for a little getaway. It was December, winter was just beginning and the wedding season was winding down. As a newlywed herself, she was looking forward to a much anticipated vacation to Cancun. She never realized how the trip would change her life. It was a glorious end to a day on the beach in the popular Mexican resort town. The ocean was a soothing turquoise hue with waves gently crashing onto the white sands of the beach. The rosy-red setting sun drifted just above the skyline of hotels and restaurants, as Tracey and her husband made their way along the shoreline to a nearby restaurant. It should have been the most romantic moment of the trip. Instead, as they walked, Tracey could not help but noticed the stray dogs nearby, their skinny bodies hunched down in the shadows, their movements filled with hunger and fear.

Photo by Hector Na

“My husband Pete and I were on vacation for a getaway,” explains Tracey. “We were walking down the beach going to dinner and that is when I saw several emaciated, homeless dogs It was heartbreaking.” As an animal lover, the sight of the starving dogs sent Tracey into a sense of helplessness and sadness that carried on through dinner. She couldn’t forget how they looked—skin taunt against a skeleton frame and fear and sadness in their eyes. “I could barely eat during dinner knowing those dogs were right outside suffering,” Tracey continued. “I gave them my

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dessert on the way out of the restaurant and then I cried and cried and cried.” When she got back to her hotel room, Tracey, still haunted by the sight of the dogs, began searching the Internet for some way to help. “I googled animal welfare groups from my hotel room and found CANDi,” said Tracey, adding that within minutes after contacting them, the organization emailed her right

30  |  Simply Saratoga  |  Home & Garden Edition 2013 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com