For the past year, Johnstone has been traveling to the Wake County Animal Center in Raleigh and bringing the homeless dogs there to the local landfill for an individual portrait session. Here are some of the portraits.
Below are the dogs who are still looking for a permanent home.
Ringo, in the shelter since February.
Greyson, in the shelter since September, 2012.
Marcy, in the shelter since March.
Ciara, in the shelter since May.
Gabbriel, in the shelter since March.
Smokey, in the shelter since June.
Bentley, in the shelter since June.
Elsie, in the shelter since June.
Ellie, in foster care but still in need of a forever home.
Glory, in foster care but still in need of a forever home.
Julius, in the shelter since June.
Pansy, in the shelter since June.
Zane, in the shelter since September.
Johnstone chose the landfill as the backdrop for her project to draw attention to the fact that the landfill is where euthanized pets are buried, and because "the county animal shelter falls under the same management as the landfill," reflecting a belief that these homeless creatures are simply another form of waste.
She also makes sure to update followers of her project when a dog finds a permanent home.
Milk Duds, adopted in June.
Miss Movin On, adopted in October.
Lovie, adopted in October.
Miss Claus, adopted in July.
Ice, adopted in September.
Dominic, adopted in August.
Karsten, adopted in August.
Rose, adopted in February.
Mistletoe, adopted December 2012.
Through her photos, Johnstone hopes to capture the hope and beauty in each of these creatures and inspire viewers to consider providing a permanent home for the animals in their local shelters.
For more information on "Landfill Dogs," check out the project's website and Facebook page.
H/T My Modern Met