A PHOTOGRAPHER is helping animals find new homes – by producing adorable portraits.

Gerry Slade specialises in photographing horses and dogs and decided to volunteer his skills by taking pictures of some of the unwanted furry friends from Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

The photographs have already helped entice would-be owners and have directly helped animals find new homes, such as Princess the cat.

Mr Slade, 55, had initially visited the animal shelter, in Bury Old Road, Ramsbottom, with his partner to look for a new dog.

He decided to help out and hoped his photographs would show the personalities of the animals.

They were then shown at Bleakholt’s fundraising ball attended by Gemma Atkinson and Michelle Hardwick from Emmerdale, and Katherine Tyldesley from Coronation Street.

Mr Slade said it was a privilege to spend so much time at the sanctuary getting to meet so many of the animals, adding it was difficult to leave there at the end of the day.

He said: “Every animal has its own personality which I hope shines through in the photographs.

“They all loved the human interaction and I was able to build up a rapport with them.

“People are a bit easier to photograph but I managed to control them with hot dogs, sausages and pieces of cheese.”

Mr Slade, originally from Widnes but who is now based in Yorkshire, said he is now hoping to use the pictures to make a calendar and greeting cards for the sanctuary.

He said: “Hopefully this will raise a bit of awareness and help find homes for these lovely animals.”