“When you adopt a dog, you have a lot of very good days and one very bad day.”

—W. Bruce Cameron

The part no one wants to talk about, including me.

Guys, I’m going to get real with you for a minute, like really real. There are some tough parts of this business and not just the taxes part. When I say I’m a pet photographer people imagine I cuddle puppies and get sloppy kisses all day. I won’t lie, most days I do. The other days, however, are really tough.

We all know that our furry friends live only a fraction of our lives, but it’s something none of us want to think about. But when the time comes it hurts, and it hurts in a soul-sucking painful way. When I say every pet I photograph means a lot to me, I mean it. Even though I spend a brief amount of time with them, unlike humans, they show themselves and love quickly. I get to know these pups, their personalities, and their quirks. So when something happens to one of them I experience true heartache.

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Iris had just gotten to the rescue, Stray Animal Adoption Program, and needed some ‘glam shots’ to help find her forever home. I adorned her in flowers to help others see her old beautiful soul. Iris was happy, playful, and a queen. I knew this girl was going to have no problem finding a loving home.

Then the bad part of my job came. Iris’ foster sent me the message that Iris had passed away. A billion things ran through my head, “How could this happen?! Life isn’t fair! She never got her forever home! She deserved happiness!”

Iris’ foster then told me she was going to reschedule the appointment, but something inside her said not to. She thanked me for the beautiful images that will help her remember Iris’ beautiful puppy soul forever. As I looked back on Iris’ images from that day, I saw the happiness in her face, and I realized that her foster home was her forever home and Iris was truly happy.

More times than I can count, I’ve been told by pet-owners that they wish they had better pictures of their pets before the end. That is why this is my mission. Being able to give my clients images filled with memories is worth all the heartbreak in the world to me.