Photo license: © All rights reserved

38 responses

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  Lisa Brown gave props (16 Oct 2007):

  This is phenomenal...simply phenomenal! Bravo Dennis!

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  Marc Stafford gave props (18 Oct 2007):

  Powerful! Great work!

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  Delmas Green said (19 Oct 2007):

  I drive a city route too....see this stuff every day. Sad times in the land of the free.

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  Dennis Perry said (20 Oct 2007):

  Delmas Green, you know exactly what i'm talking bout! It ain't easy!

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  Matt Bell gave props (5 Jan 2008):

  looking at this I can't help but tear-up. very emotional. wounderful capture.

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  Christopher Joslin said (3 Mar 2008):

  We're all closer than we know.

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  Mandi Nikole gave props (4 Jun 2008):

  Great capture

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  Paul Sparks (Deleted) said (9 Jun 2008):

  I've taken a photo of these guys in Harvard Square. Nice people. Wonderful image here.

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  Robert Larson (Deleted) said (9 Jun 2008):

  oh this just . . . . what a beautiful dog . . . . sad sad image

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  Amina Aladhami said (13 Jun 2008):

  I think this is one of the best photos I've seen. The emotions it transmits are so strong.
  It's just wonderful!

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  Oregon Curly (Deleted) gave props (16 Jun 2008):

  An excellent photo, shows the conditions well. Good for democracy, undecided based on the definition of the word. Sad that the person is in that condition, yes. But I also believe the person is there because of choices they made, not because of any political force, birth status, race, religion or whatever as in a vast number of places in this world. The person had/has the freedom to do with their life as they want, and that is good, even though the results of their choices might not be good for them.

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  Brian Clark (Deleted) said (18 Jun 2008):

  dude, i hope you gave that dog something to eat, thats soo sad.

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  Amelia (amy) Quicke gave props (20 Jun 2008):

  I agree Oregon....It is sad to see someone in this state-of-being but there are those who ask for money but scoff when you offer food instead. But Democracy is about choices.....great photo the sepia suits it well

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  Laura Boston-Thek gave props (28 Jun 2008):

  Damn this image breaks my heart. I always have mixed emotions about street people with pets..I am happy they aren't alone, but then I worry if they can not feed themselves....but I belive they would give their last scrap to the companion...i know I would. God bless these two..and all in their situation. my broken hearted vote.

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  Natalie S gave props (4 Jul 2008):

  Wow

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  Rodrigo Melgarejo gave props (6 Jul 2008):

  nice images. props.

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  Dennis Perry said (6 Jul 2008):

  Thank you one and all!

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  Michael Fancher gave props (25 Jul 2008):

  Great shot! Got my vote!

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  Sharon Holeman gave props (7 Aug 2008):

  Wonderful shot! It speaks a lot just with the dog's expression.

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  Michelle Hill said (9 Aug 2008):

  This picture is so amazing!!! It's Beautiful!!!

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  Hannah Hess gave props (24 Sep 2008):

  I feel like running over to them and taking them to golden corral. this is really heartbreaking

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  James Layton gave props (16 Nov 2008):

  Amazing image, the dogs expression says it all.

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  Keiko Ehret gave props (12 Aug 2009):

  Awesome!

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  John Tanner said (27 Jul 2011):

  Dennis this is one hell of a great photo but damn it's heartbreaking to look at !!
  We're seeing more and more of this where I live.
  I live between Youngstown and Warren here in Northeast Ohio
  Both cities have always had their homeless populations and you'de see these poor folks on the streets from time to time but there wasn't that many of them.
  
  Some of these people actually wanted to live that way refusing to use the city shelters or Salvation Army and other church services but sadly that's no longer the case anymore.
  This part of Ohio use to be a haven for heavy industry and major manufacturing.
  There isn't enough space on this page to list 1/4 of the jobs in and around the city of Warren alone that have been lost forever.
  
  When the steel industry collasped in the late 70s it didn't just shutter the steel mills.
  Related jobs that had always supported the mills operations were wiped out too.
  Jobs such as the clothing and shoe business,the food service industry,machine shops that made special parts and rebuilt the heavy mills used to roll the steel to size also went out of business.
  Almost every heavy industry support company either made drastic cut backs,layed workers off or simply closed down.
  
  The Steel Valley went into a deep and steady decline for almost 25 years.
  One of the most devastating losses were the once proud and well kept blue collar neighborhoods.
  As the country is struggling with the deep recession and flat economy of today Mahoning and Trumbull Counties went through even worse three decades ago.
  
  During the 90s there were some bright spots and this area saw some recovery and things did improve but N.E.Ohio never experienced the boom the rest of the country did through out the 90s.
  "The American jaugarnot keeps charging forward and continues to build steam"
  That was Tom Brokaw's opening statement on the NBC Nightly News in July of 1997.
  The jaugarnot he was talking about was the American economy.
  Folks around here were wondering wtf he was talking about !!
  
  This current economy that the govt.calls a recession is nothing short of a moderate depression in these parts.
  The gaines of the 90s have been for the most part wiped out .
  Job losses and home foreclosures are once again destroying working class neighborhoods and the families who called them home.
  People who were barely hanging on for years after our industrial demise have gone under and their children aren't fairing much better.
  
  The main differences I see in the homeless population between then and now are not something numbers can reflect in terms of humanity.
  Certanily there has been a most notable increase in the local homeless population because now that population includes entire families.....yes children too.
  Those of us who can try to help out but those numbers have been decreasing all to rapidly.
  
  The need is all to real and it continues to grow by the day.
  So Dennis while you did provide us with an excellent thought provoking photo very sadly it's more and more becoming a common sight.
  Around here we're all praying it doesn't become the norm !!
  Not all that long ago many of us would call the people in a photo like yours freeloading rat bastards to lazy to work,mooching leeches,welfare rats and worse.
  
  The sad reality of today is almost anyone of us could be in that picture tomorrow through no fault of our own.
  Indeed that cold sobering fact tends to make one much less judgemental of others.
  So now I'll ask you to forgive my unsolicited ,rambling comment.
  Maybe I'm to damn sensitive I don't know but I hate to see folks or any living being cold,hungry,homeless and fearful of tomorrow.
  
  Those precious animals,trust me you don't want me to get started down that avenue.
  If you were to look at my JPG pages you'de understand quickly.
  Who's more loving and loyal than our 4 legged friends ??
  Your photo impacted my day,brought some sadness and concern and without question made me think about things I'd rather not.
  But that's what a great picture is suppose to do.
  
  So I have to ask...
  Do you see the person in your photo around where you live or work ?
  Would you be able to speak to him ?
  Because if it's possible I'd gladly donate/contribute through you.
  I'd at least like to know those beautiful sweet animals and that poor soul had something to eat even if only for a day.
  We should all try to help when and where we can.
  
  My thanks,excellent work
  Sincerely
  John

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  S.H.A. said (28 Jul 2011):

  Emotional imagery...great capture!!!

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  jaume morera guixa   gave props (4 Aug 2011):

  Excellent !!!! Voted

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  JanElle   gave props (4 Aug 2011):

  A very excellent image.. I would most certainly be willing to help. Sadly, this situation is now worsening by the moment for many.. a great testimony to a new reality for many in current times! Voted!

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  Tamara L. London gave props (8 Aug 2011):

  Incredibly emotional... it breaks my heart

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  Arthur Oisín Adler (Deleted) gave props (21 Aug 2011):

  very powerfull

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  Raymond Fausel gave props (15 Sep 2011):

  cool shot, sad image

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  Rafael gave props (21 Sep 2011):

  Voted!

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  Melissa Rieman   gave props (15 Oct 2011):

  VOTED! Awesome! Brought me to tears!

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  Nikola Matovina   gave props (15 Oct 2011):

  Excellent shot!

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  Rosemarie Ouellette said (17 Oct 2011):

  It is amazing that in these unspeakable conditions, still the trust of those two precious animals. Heaven help them all. Fantastic photo, it does it's intended job!

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  Alwyn Scott Turner gave props (17 Oct 2011):

  A powerful documentary image and an emotional statement that awakens the reality in all of us - that we are all kinship in our humanity, and must work together peacefully to restore the rights and dignity of everyone - these are indeed sad times - as Delmas Green says...but it is no longer the land of the free - but a nation that is being financially and culturally destroyed by a war of deception upon The American People by a hidden criminal regime that hides their conspiracy behind anonymity. This image has all the power of a true documentary vision - with substance and realism.

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  Emilie Haymann gave props (22 Dec 2011):

  deeply moving!

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  Lori Boggetti gave props (23 Feb 2012):

  Powerful,disturbing,heartwrenching...

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  Jose Coelho gave props (24 Aug 2012):

  Touching , very nice.