Chicago Photographer’s One-of-a-Kind Project Helps Foster Animals Get Adopted — by Helping Them Speak for Themselves
Created by Pulitzer Prize–winning team member and former Chicago Tribune photojournalist Candice C. Cusic, The See Hear Love Project™ combines animal communication and fine-art portraiture to help foster animals be seen, heard, and adopted.
Each session begins with a live animal communication reading with the foster parent present. The animal’s emotional experience is translated in real time. Then the animal is photographed in a powerful studio portrait session. The final images are paired with the animal’s own words — revealing personality, longing, fear, hope, and resilience.
In early sessions, multiple foster parents have broken down in tears hearing their foster animal’s voice for the first time.
This project is designed to shift adoption from transaction to connection.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
• Professional fine-art portraiture — not intake photos
• Live, documented animal communication sessions
• Emotional storytelling designed for shareability
• A replicable model that could be implemented nationwide
The goal: increase adoption visibility while restoring dignity and individuality to animals in foster care.
WATCH A SESSION
This session features foster rabbits Sam and Frodo — demonstrating that The See Hear Love Project™ is not limited to dogs. The method translates across species, revealing emotional depth and individuality in animals often overlooked in the adoption system.
Watch the full See Hear Love Project™ session here.
Follow The See Hear Love Project™ at @cusicphoto.
