Meet Kepler: The Star of Our 20th Anniversary Photoshoot

I’ll be honest with you: we were not prepared for Kepler.

When Sarah Beth and I boarded our flight to Washington State to photograph the winner of our 20th anniversary photoshoot contest, we knew we were heading to meet a very good boy. What we didn’t know was that we were about to spend two days completely charmed by a spotted, satellite-eared, grass-rolling, cuddling-obsessed little goofball — and his equally wonderful human, Krysta.

How It All Started

For Goldpaw’s 20th anniversary, we wanted to do something meaningful. We’ve spent two decades making coats, fleeces, and sun tees for dogs of every shape, size, and story — and we wanted to celebrate the real dogs who wear them. So we opened up a contest: submit a photo of your pup, tell us about them, and you could win a professional photoshoot with photographer Sarah Beth of [sarahbethphotography.com](https://sarahbethphotography.com).

We received so many beautiful entries. Truly deserving dogs across the board. But when Sarah and I reviewed the submissions together, we just kept coming back to Kepler, his ears peaking out above the crowd.

He’s not what you might picture as a “dog model.” He’s a spotted, scrappy, utterly lovable rescue mutt, a sort of everyman’s dog. That’s exactly why we chose him. Goldpaw has always been for all dogs. Kepler is all dogs, in the best possible way. We loved his story of resilience, his quirky good looks and practically, his impressive resume: off-leash trained, patient, and according to his mom, a consummate ham. We had a feeling he’d be a natural.

We were right.

The Dog Behind the Spots

Kepler was adopted three years ago from Tehama County Animal Services in Red Bluff, California. He was estimated to be about a year old.

His mom, Krysta, an artist who specializes in pet portraits, had been scrolling through shelter listings searching for her next dog. She looked at photo after photo of beautiful, deserving animals. And then she saw him.

“I can’t even explain it,” she told me, “but it’s certainly the closest I’ve ever come to believing in fate. Once I met him, it felt like I’d always known him.”

The name Kepler came from a place of both love and loss. Before him, Krysta and her partner Aaron had heartbreakingly lost their youngest dog, Bennu — named after an asteroid. They wanted to honor him. And when Krysta looked at Kepler’s dappled coat, she saw a starry sky. Johannes Kepler, the astronomer, felt exactly right.

Before his rescue, Kepler had been living in a crate in a hoarding situation. He had never known simple things — like the feel of grass under his paws. Now? Rolling in grass is his purest bliss. I can confirm, as we needed to encourage him to delay that particular gratification until we were done photographing!

A Trip to the PNW

Sarah and I flew out to the Pacific Northwest and based ourselves in Steilacoom, Washington - beautifully situated southwest of Tacoma on Puget Sound. It was mid-April, Spring in full swing, trees in bloom and the grass long and green. We spent the first day scouting locations before landing on the obvious choice: Fort Steilacoom Park, Kepler’s own neighborhood park where he walks almost every single day.

There’s something that felt deeply right about that. This wasn’t a glamorous, unfamiliar backdrop. This was his place. His trails, his smells, his grass to roll in. He was completely at ease, which made for the most natural, joyful photos.

Kepler, true to form, treated the whole thing like a regular day at the park — just with “a few more costume changes.” Personally I think he may have found his calling. Sarah and I became fast friends with Krysta over those two days, and honestly, I think we both left a little bit in love with her dog.

The Goldpaw Connection

Krysta discovered Goldpaw years ago while working at Mud Bay, the beloved Pacific Northwest pet supply shop born in Olympia. She’s been a fan ever since — and Kepler’s wardrobe reflects it. Because Kepler can be sound sensitive, Krysta has found that our Sun Tees and Stretch Fleece help ease his anxiety while keeping him comfortable and protected.

It’s the kind of thing that means a lot to me as a founder. We make these products because we believe dogs deserve to be comfortable, safe, and cared for. Hearing that they genuinely help a dog like Kepler — a dog who came from so little — is everything.

The Results


Krysta, it was an honor. Kepler, you were a star — not that you needed us to tell you that.

Want to hear more from Sarah Beth? Read more about her experience here!

*Follow Krysta’s pet portrait work on Instagram at [@seaofdogsart](https://www.instagram.com/seaofdogsart). Photos by [Sarah Beth Photography](https://sarahbethphotography.com).*