TAMPA, Fla. — With a camera, a few toys and some treats, one man is helping animals find their forever home.

Photographer Jim McCook was getting ready for another day on the job when we visited him.

He had lots of stuff to gather before it was time to meet the star of the day, a beautiful boy named "Ace."

McCook volunteers at the SPCA Tampa Bay by taking remarkable photos of dogs who are extra special.

"I decided when I saw some of the dogs that have been here for a very long time that I would, maybe I could, do something special," McCook said.

The photos he takes are not your everyday kind of pictures.

"There's the mug shot, there is the body shot, and then there’s the wow! I'm looking for the wow," McCook said.

While the pictures may touch our hearts, they touch McCook in a different way.

"I see the sadness. I see the hurt on these faces. The unconditional love is there," McCook said.

Over the years, his pictures here and at other shelters have helped thousands find a home.

And when people ask him what was the best picture he ever took?

"I say, with a smile or a tear in my eye, the one I'm gonna take today," he said.