A day of dogs, training, and a community of local Huddersfield owners who really get it.


If you're a dog owner in Huddersfield and you haven't heard of Lucky's Paws yet, let me introduce you.


Lucky's Paws is a Huddersfield-based dog training business run by Estelle Saunders, and it is one of those places that genuinely does things differently. Estelle specialises in one-to-one training and behaviour sessions, puppy classes, and structured pack walks across West and South Yorkshire. Her approach is individual - no two dogs are the same, no two training plans are the same. But to understand what makes Estelle different, you need to know how she got here.

 

 

How Lucky's Legacy began


Estelle's journey into the world of Romanian rescue dogs didn't start with a plan. It started with two dogs who needed help.


She and her partner were looking to adopt a second dog and began volunteering at a kennel in Rotherham, spending time with a couple of Romanian rescue dogs who, in hindsight, should never have been brought to the UK. They were dogs who couldn't live in a home environment, and because Estelle already had a dog, most UK rescues wouldn't home to her anyway. So she kept showing up at the kennel, trying to make progress with these dogs.


Eventually she started researching options and came across Dogs 4 Rescue. She drove the dogs over, and that single act opened up the world of Romanian rescue to her entirely. The woman there told her plainly that while those two particular dogs weren't suitable for rehoming, had she ever considered adopting from overseas? She hadn't. But she absolutely would.


A contact led to another contact, and a few months later Estelle flew out to a rescue just outside Bucharest to see it for herself and make sure everything was legitimate. What she found was a lot of dogs - and the realisation that she could adopt one, but there was probably quite a bit more she could do.


So she started fostering. She set up the Instagram and Facebook pages. She built a sponsorship programme and a rehoming programme. She started bringing volunteers on board. She adopted Victor. She went back a second time and met Luna. And it just kept growing.


That volunteer work (meeting hundreds of dogs, many with significant behavioural issues) is what shaped Estelle into the trainer she is today. You can't spend that much time with dogs who have never known safety or trust and not learn something profound about how animals think and feel.

 

Two mixed breed dogs sitting together on a dirt path surrounded by tall grass.

 

Lucky's Legacy Rescue today


What started with two difficult dogs in a Rotherham kennel is now Lucky's Legacy Rescue - a UK registered charity (number 1189471) dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs from Romania. The numbers speak for themselves: over 1000 dogs homed, over 10,000 bags of dog food donated, and over 3,200 animals spayed or neutered through their campaigns in Romania.


Lucky's Legacy doesn't just pull dogs out and ship them over. Every dog is thoroughly assessed, carefully matched to the right home, and put through a three-stage home checking process. They run an overseas volunteer programme to socialise dogs before they travel. They want to get it right the first time, for the rest of the dog's life.

If you want to support the rescue (and you really should) you can sponsor one of their dogs from just £20, donate, foster, or volunteer. Visit luckyslegacyrescue.com to find out more.

 

Person training two dogs, a Golden Retriever and Shiba Inu, on leashes in a grassy field.
Young woman standing with a Cocker Spaniel and white dog on leashes outdoors.
Blonde woman looking down at three fluffy dogs sitting on dry grass.
Woman training a German Shepherd dog on a leash in an open field outdoors.
Springer Spaniel dog looking up at owner holding a pink leash outdoors.
German Shepherd dog lying on grass beside a person holding a leash.
Female dog trainer in black t-shirt pointing in an outdoor training field.

 

The photoshoot in Skelmanthorpe


When I arrived to photograph a Lucky's Paws training session in Skelmanthorpe, I already knew I was in good company. What I didn't fully expect was the atmosphere.


The session brought together a group of local Huddersfield dog owners - dogs of all different breeds, sizes, and backgrounds. Some confident and bouncy. Some working through things more carefully. All of them with owners who were clearly there because they wanted to do right by their dog.


I offered mini shoots alongside the training - candid portraits of owners with their dogs, and action shots of the work itself. The best images from the day are the ones where a dog is mid-moment, responding to Estelle, doing the thing they came to learn. You can see the connection in those shots in a way that posed portraits just can't capture.

That's what I love most about this kind of collaboration. Photography and training are doing the same thing - meeting the dog where it is, not where you want it to be.

 

 

Photography and dog training - a natural partnership


The best dog photography happens when a dog is settled, confident, and in an environment where they feel safe. That's also exactly what good dog training builds.


If your dog is working with a trainer, sessions like these are a brilliant opportunity to capture your dog mid-progress — not just as they are now, but as the relationship between you is actively growing.


If you're based in Huddersfield or West Yorkshire and looking for a dog trainer who genuinely gets it, go and find Estelle at Lucky's Paws.

 

Tattooed woman with red hair kneeling and feeding a Border Collie dog in a sunny field.
Smiling couple crouching beside a small Beagle dog on a dry dirt path outdoors.
Woman in pink top kneeling and bonding with a Golden Retriever dog in a sunny field.
Smiling blonde woman in pink shirt hugging a Springer Spaniel dog on a sunny dirt path.
Smiling woman with short hair petting and bonding with a Golden Retriever dog outdoors.
Blonde woman in spotted top crouching and petting two small Cockapoo dogs on a dirt path.
A couple kneels with their German Shepherd dog on a dirt path in a sunny field.
A woman stands with her small grey dog on a leash in an open sunny field.
A young woman kneels between a golden Cocker Spaniel and a white Shiba Inu in a field.
A woman in a striped shirt crouches with a black and grey dog on a dirt path outdoors.
A couple squats beside their black and white Border Collie on a sunny dirt trail.
Two women pose with two black Doberman dogs on a dry sunny field.
Couple smiling with a chocolate Labrador dog outdoors in a sunny, dry field with trees in the background.

 

Book your own session


I'd love to photograph you and your dog — whether that's at a training session, on a walk, or a dedicated shoot just for the two of you. Sessions are on location across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire.