Nicky was the high bidder on a recent silent auction I offered a pet photography session for and it was her boyfriend Nik's suggestion that we shoot against a backdrop of graffiti. A couple of places immediately come to mind for graffiti in Los Angeles. One, Venice Beach, of course. But it's summer now and if there's one thing Venice Beach is in the summer is crowded. My suggestion was the Los Angeles Arts District, which has beautiful graffiti, if that isn't an oxymoron. Yes, it's beautiful, it's completely artistic, which is why it's the Arts District.

Their dogs are Izzy, the chihuahua, and Tino, a chiweenie. Both are rescue dogs and when you hear the story of Tino's second rescue you won't even believe it. I'll get back to that.

So on a recent Sunday afternoon we strolled through the district. It's really fun to place the dogs against the graffiti in some of the different tones. Some of my favorites had black and red, black and blue, and black and green that make a really nice set. There's also a wall with orange and black tones and both dogs looked great against those colors.

The neighborhood is gentrifying fast. It's very close to Little Tokyo in downtown L.A. and there are a lot of apartment buildings but the numbers of shops that have opened since I first started coming here is kind of boggling. First time I ever went near the area is when the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby bouts were just starting out. And then I went to a lunch at Wurst Kuchen with its homemade sausages, Belgian style frites and huge selection of beers on tap.

Now there is the Pie Hole, Warby Parker, an outpost of Sweet Rose Creamery, and a bunch of other shops that signal the area is changing. It's still grungy, sure, but it's an up and coming hipster town.

I also shot little snippets of video so I could incorporate it into my slideshow. So if you want a visual tour of the Arts District with a couple of really cute dogs, feel free to watch.

And oh, as for Tino. When Nicky and Nik had rescued Tino, they had him three days when they needed her parents to watch him for a few hours. Well, Tino, confused by everything escaped and wouldn't you know it, he ran off into the Malibu Mountains. He was likely a goner but Nicky and Nik didn't give up. They searched for days for the little guy in a ravine, both Nicky and Nik covered with poisoned oak. Nik, being stronger, continued the search deeper and deeper and miraculously found Tino in a coyote den. And that is why Tino loves his dad so very, very much. Tino has a shirt that says My Dad is a Super Hero. Indeed he is, Tino.