On the day of the photoshoot for her latest modeling series, Alissa couldn't keep her mind off the little dog she was supposed to pick up that evening. Between shots, she sat on the edge of the velvet sofa, her expression a mix of professional poise and genuine, distracted excitement.

"You look like you're miles away," the photographer remarked, checking the digital preview of frame 079.

She had spent weeks browsing local rescues, but it wasn't until she saw the photo of a "Puggle"—a spunky beagle-pug mix with soulful eyes and a permanently worried brow—that she knew her search was over.