ASME cover awards, finalist 2009: news & business covers:

Sweet Jasmine was one of the 51 pit bulls rescued from the Michael Vick-financed Bad Newz Kennels in April 2007, a story that dominated headlines in 2007 and 2008. Just a year and a half later, photographer Simon Bruty has Jasmine posed in a way that brings to mind William Wegman and his famous Weimaraners—a stunning contrast to Jasmine’s pugnacious past. Her innocent bearing, combined with the photo’s holiday-themed colors (red background and green leash), strike at the heart of Jim Gorant’s cover story and provide an uplifting end to 2008: in spite of the abuse they suffered at Bad Newz, even the most traumatized of the rescued pit bulls can have a happy new year.