EDGE Interview: Mike Ruiz's New Calendar is Going to the Dogs and he Wouldn't have it Any Other Way

It's not hard to tell what's more important to celebrity photographer Mike Ruiz: Taking pictures of celebrities, or saving dogs.

"I like to work with people. And you know what? The first thing – the ice breaker – with every celebrity that I work for is dog stuff," he said in an interview with EDGE. "The minute they tell me, 'I have a rescue,' I put all of my heart and soul into their photo shoot and give them the most spectacular cover they've ever had in their life."

Ruiz, 59, has been taking pictures since he was a kid after getting his first camera from his parents for Christmas. "She was a cheap all-automatic point and shoot Cannon. I didn't know the first thing about operating it."

Many years later, he is snapping chic portraits of Zachary Quinto, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Vanessa Williams. These are photos that scream creativity and imagination. Every color, every wardrobe, every position is directed by Ruiz, and it makes for stunningly beautiful works of art.

He uses his skills as the creative director for Australia's L'officiel magazine. He also has his own publication, but there is one project that is more important than shooting A-list celebrities in designer clothes. It's his annual charity calendar called "Mutts and Muscles."

It's a project far away from the glitz and glamor that permeates Hollywood, and the spoiled celebrities employed there.

It's a world Ruiz knows well; he was once part of it. In 2010 he was cast in "A-List: New York," an LGBTQ+ slice-of-life reality show that thrived on its subject's interpersonal everyday drama.

In 2012, Tyra Banks produced one of the most popular competitive reality shows called "America's Next Top Model." Ruiz did a few episodes of that as the challenge photographer. Then he brought that talent to "RuPaul's Drag Race."

When you talk to Ruiz, you get a sense that he doesn't like triviality, the crux of some of these shows. He is very focused and precise, just like the lens of his camera; anything that's not needed is left in the blur. You can see some of that in "The A-List," where he concentrated on helping people, instead of getting mixed up in all their drama.

With "Mutts and Muscles" he doesn't have to. His passion for saving dogs, combined with his passion for photography, is a powerful combination.

"Well, it keeps evolving slightly," he says about the calendar. "I'm compelled to do something. And this is one of the many things that I do. So, that's basically the underlying message. But a lot of people don't want to hear about horrible animal suffering."

No, they don't. Which leads to solving the problem of how to get them to. The answer? Twelve months of sexy, muscular men posing with rescue dogs looking for a home. Most of these dogs are commonly called pit bulls, but Ruiz says that's a misnomer.

"There is no such breed as a pit bull. It's a type of dog that encompasses a hodgepodge of interbreeding. They all sort of have bully characteristics, which, you know, their blocky heads. They're athletic dogs and inherently sweet, gentle," he explains.

Oliver was one of these types of dogs. He was Ruiz's canine companion for seven years, and has since passed away. It's in his memory that Ruiz continues his work by bringing awareness to dog rescues. The difference between a rescue and a shelter is that a rescue is not government-funded, and they are run from private homes. It's not that he is against shelters, but he prefers people seek out rescues first. And he vehemently despises dog breeders or puppy mills.

The "Mutts and Muscles" calendar benefits Louie's Legacy Animal Rescue, an organization for the care of rescued animals in the Midwest, South, and Northeast of the United States. Each month features a dog held by a muscular athlete or fitness influencer. There is no lack of talent who want in on the project every year.

"I've been doing it for eleven years now, and it's kind of become a thing. A lot of guys want to participate in it. As a matter of fact, I already have four guys lined up for next year's calendar," he says. An Instagram post is how he announces casting. "I shoot it in July. I make a post in May saying, 'Hey, I'm doing casting,' and then the floodgates open. Like, all these guys PM me. And so that's basically how it happens. I mean, there are a few guys that I know in advance that I'm going to want to have in the calendar, like this year."

The cover model for this year's calendar is professional fitness influencer Sergi Constance, who played Zeus in Zack Snyder's "Justice League" films.

"I spent a week with him for the calendar. When I photographed him, I went to Spain because he lives in Valencia, and I was in Paris, working. I ended up staying for a week," he said. "And he also showed me all this mind-blowing workout stuff. He very much approaches it like an art form, not like, you know, a meathead. It really resonated with me, because that's kind of how I look at working out; to me, it's kind of like a creative challenge, I guess. It's not like it stirs any sexual things in me."

Some of the other buff models featured in this year's calendar are Ed Campbell, Matthieu Gerard, and Gustavo Naspolini. But the real focus here is on the wonderful dogs who accompany them.

With his background in reality TV, one might wonder if Ruiz would ever return to it.

"Yeah, I probably would. I wouldn't go on a train wreck," he says, adding, "I was actually pitching a TV show, and I'm still kind of pitching it. It's a really warm-hearted human-interest thing. And, you know, if I were able to do something like that with a very positive message, I would do it."

But that isn't his priority at this moment. His passion for dogs is. Even his high-profile career comes second to his advocacy.

"I think I'll tell you a little story," Ruiz says. "I had to shoot with a major celebrity, and I also had to shoot at the shelter that same day, and I could not wait. I was rushing the celebrity so I could get the hell out of there. I was getting so annoyed because they were taking so long with their hair and makeup. That kind of tells you where I am."

To pre-order your "Mutts and Muscles" calendar, check out the official website.