Going to the Dogs

from St. Pete Life May/June 2021

Yard & Garden: Water Wise Winners

A new coffee table book pays tribute to St. Pete’s pooches – and the city’s art and history

BY MARCIA BIGGS

Ready for your close-up, my pretty? It won’t be long before 46 four-legged friends make their debut in the full-color “Dogs of the Burg,” a 158-page coffeetable book that is an amusing homage to St. Pete’s pampered pets. But the canines won’t be the only stars of this book. The historic places, art murals and dog-friendly social spots of St. Pete are uncovered in each of the 39 locations featured, making this one captivating walk around the ‘Burg.

Due to be available soon, “Dogs of the Burg” is the creative dreamchild of photographers Laurie Elmer and Knicki Lucrezi. The duo has been creating fi ne art pet photography from their Urban Dog Studio in Pinellas Park since 2019. An established freelance pet photographer, Elmer’s photos have been published in national calendars, web sites, Dog Fancy and other pet publications. Lucrezi’s background is in portrait photography.

The dogs that appear were solicited via social media with owners paying a small fee for the photo shoot, said Elmer. A portion of the revenue from sales of the book will go to Fluff Animal Rescue based in Seminole.

Why this book now?

“I’m a St. Pete native,” says Elmer. “I love the history of St. Pete and have seen it through its ups and downs. So I was excited to see the rebirth of the city and the renaissance of the arts scene. And I love dogs. We are becoming known as a dog-friendly town, such a wonderful walkable city where most places welcome dogs. But a lot of people aren’t aware of the city’s rich history.

“Our goal was to photograph each dog in a different location in St. Pete, then include information on the history of that location. It was also our goal to raise funds for Fluff Animal Rescue, they are an amazing dog rescue operation.”

Vintage photos provided by the St. Pete Museum of History (SPMOH) complement many location photos, such as the Seaboard Train Station (now the Morean Center for Clay), First Home Bank, Albert Whitted Airport, and Royal Theater in the Deuces. Historic background was written by local historian Ellen Babb, and Nevin Sitler, curator and director of education for SPMOH, was also instrumental, said Elmer. By the way, that’s his dog Taco with the Benoist airplane replica, shot at the museum, ready to take off with his red fl ying scarf.

Oh, it’s a dog’s life.

To order an advance copy of “Dogs of the Burg” or find sale locations, go to www. urbandogstudio.com. Laurie Elmer can be reached at (727) 328-4612.