inside the plastic prison: ty foster photographs dogs in cones

inside the plastic prison: ty foster photographs dogs in cones
all images courtesy of ty foster

if you’ve ever had a dog or a cat, its likely you’ve seen their abashed and desperate mug after visiting the vet, especially after the dreaded cone collar is applied. american photographer ty foster humorously documents the hardships associated with the ‘cone of shame’ — emotionally and physically — in the series ‘timeout’.

no matter the breed, none of the subjects of the series look very happy — pained expressions are evident everywhere. a golden retriever’s desperate plea for freedom and a boxer’s complacent acceptance of the situation are two examples from the 16-part portfolio. teasing cats and toys — too big to accommodate — feature throughout, demonstrating the scope of scenarios possible under the plastic prison that is the cone.

a boxer, sadly looking for redemption from the plastic cone

a golden retriever’s desperate plea for freedom is captured mid-yelp

a big and small pair both wear the dreaded ‘cone of shame’

the dog looks with reserved hope for someone to free him from the cone

a cat teases the plastic wrapped pup

foster captures a dog trying in vein to personally remove the cone collar

the cat looks on with apparent satisfaction at the dog’s cone collar

the toy bone is too big to handle under the cone’s circumference