Google Pixel for pet lovers: Google has recently launched Pixel Pawtraits, a program that provides photography kits to select animal shelters across the US. Now pet owners can take high-quality pictures of dogs and help them get adopted, said Google in a blogpost.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), good photos can make a big difference in helping shelters find dogs a new home. 
“We are a company of dog lovers at Google,” said Leanne Johnson, head of social media for devices at Google. When we learned what a difference a quality photo can make, we knew the Pixel 8 Pro would be able to have a real impact," Google added.

The photography kit includes a Pixel 8 Pro, camera stand, backdrops, and a 'Pawtrait Guide' for getting the best picture of the pet. The kit also includes dog toys, according to the blogpost shared by Google.

Pixel photography allows even amateur photographers to take great shots of pets, and that was a key motivating factor in the partnership. “A lot of people who work at shelters or volunteer with organizations like ours are not professional photographers,” says Lauren Botticelli, executive director of The Animal Pad, an all-breed, nonprofit dog rescue in San Diego. “Many shelters do not have professional equipment by any means, and maybe don’t even have a solid place to take a photo.”

Google Photos tools like the AI-powered Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser can help capture even the most active dogs and remove messy background details, respectively to keep the focus on the star of the show.

The program largely focuses on the dogs who are most in need, like those who have been in shelters for long periods, medium or large dogs, dogs with dark coats, older dogs who may be in poor health or have disabilities, and dogs with lower adoption rates (like Pitbulls, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherds).

These shelters are selected based on a variety of criteria, including each shelter’s mission, whether it's a nonprofit, and most importantly whether it is a no-kill shelter (meaning healthy or treatable animals are not euthanized based on time limits or capacity).

“When the personality of a dog can come through in a photo and somebody can connect to them, that's what gets their foot in the door for rescue and that can be the game changer for everything," said Lauren.