
Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Mistletoe, a 1-year-old female pit bull, plays at a landfill site in Wake County, North Carolina. Shannon Johnstone photographed Mistletoe and other shelter dogs at the landfill to show what their fate could be if a home isn't eventually found for them. (One day after this photo was taken, a home was found for Mistletoe.)

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Rejoice, a 3-year-old male pit bull mix, spent 29 days in the shelter before he was adopted.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Karsten, an 11-month-old male lab/hound mix, was adopted 115 days after being taken in as a stray. Of the 127 dogs Johnstone has photographed on these symbolic grounds, 108 have gotten homes.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Rose, a 1-year-old female pit bull, plays in the snow. She was adopted after 54 days in the shelter system.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Ruffian, left, and Seabee were surrendered together because their owner's original dog was not accepting of the pair. A foster family took them both in and worked hard to get them into a rescue that was willing to adopt them out as a "bonded pair," meaning they could not be adopted separately. As of August 18, they were still in foster care and in need of a permanent home.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Tickles, a 3-year-old female pit bull mix, was adopted in February after 263 days in the shelter system.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Ice Frosting, a 2-year-old male pit bull, was taken in by a rescue group called Wags in Pennsylvania.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Nala, a 1-year-old female pit bull, was adopted after 117 days in the shelter system.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Bronco, a 3-year-old male boxer mix, has lots of energy. A home was found for him less than a month after this photo was taken.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Miss Movin On, a 3-year-old female hound mix, was adopted after 57 days in the shelter system.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Lacy, a 6-year-old female boxer mix, found a home in August.

Shelter dogs frolick at landfill —
Macedonia, a 1-year-old female pit bull mix, was adopted last year after 137 days in the shelter system.


