Shelters keep these animals safe, warm and fed, but that's no guarantee of a new home. Cheryl Conway of the Aurora Animal Control Division says, "You don't get a good feel for an animal when you are just walking up row after row of kennel after kennel."

Even worse, Conway says a homeless pet may hide in the corner of a kennel because they don't know why they are there, and they're scared. As a result, Conway says it's impossible to put a price on what Nanette Martin does for them, for free.

Nanette is a professional photographer who traveled to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to do what she could to help the many animals that were left homeless. She took photos of the dogs and cats and put them on a website to help with their adoptions. The response was incredible. One dog had been in the shelter for a year and a half and was adopted 4 days later.

When talking about the experience Martin says, "It wasn't like I went after this, it came after me."

Martin started a non-profit group called "Shelter-Me Photography." She travels to shelters throughout Colorado to photograph homeless pets. She donates her services.

Nanette gets the animals out of the kennels for a photo that takes just seconds. The hard work comes before she snaps a shot. She must get the animal comfortable and relaxed. Once they trust her, she is able to bring out the personality that has been lost in the shelter.

Nanette admits it is not easy work, mostly because she becomes quickly attached to the animals she meets. She hears stories of dogs given up because of the recession, strays that were found hungry or abused and older pets that no one wants.

Nanette says she's pretty messed up sometimes when she goes home to her own 5 dogs.

"I'd like to think I'm saving lives. I'd like to think I'm changing the way people see shelter animals," she adds. 

Again and again she is told about the pets that found homes after someone saw their photo on-line. Those stories inspire Nanette to keep going. One day, she dreams of a network of photographers across the country, photographing homeless animals.

If you would like to know more about her organization or would like to donate to the cause go to www.sheltermephotography.org.