When something is meant to be, it’s gonna happen. I believe whatever force is out there makes sure of that. I feel that this same fate was at play when Gracie and Luke’s mom reached out to me for an Angel session. She knew there wasn’t a lot of time left for her 13-year-old baby, Gracie. Somehow our schedules aligned perfectly, the weather cooperated, and we had a beautiful Fall session. The whole family
Fall is my hands down busiest time of year. But, when I get a call for an Angel Session, I will do everything in my power to squeeze a session in. That's exactly what happened with Jager, Kona, and Bubbles.
Jäger, a very handsome Doberman, was the main focus of our shoot as he was battling the dreaded "C" word...cancer. The cancer had already resulted in the removal of... (click on the image above to continue reading)
This is the hardest post to write of the year even though there are few words. The longer I'm in business, the more pets I photograph, and, inevitably, the more I have to say goodbye to. The loss of a pet is the loss of a family member and this is my little way of memorializing each one of our furbabies that have crossed Rainbow Bridge. Each and every one of them is deeply missed but are now in a land full of tennis balls, frisbees...
Puppy mills are a huge problem in North Carolina and Svennie was one of the many, many dogs that have to suffer the consequences of our lack of laws and punishments. A year ago, Svennie was rescued during a puppy mill raid. She was only 6 months old but she was already left with the everlasting health effects...including meningitis. Her parents gave her all the medical care, love, and feeling of home that she was denied for the first part of her life. Despite all of their efforts, the balancing act between Svennie's prednisone and meningitis became too much for her delicate body to handle. Sadly, we scheduled her Angel Session as she was being weaned off her last round of meds.
Willow, Svennie's sister, joined in on the session too. She provided some comic relief for what was a very heartbreaking session.
Some of my favorite images were of Svennie with her mom. Although they only got to share 1 year together, their love was like no other.
Rest in peace, sweet Svennie. We will do all we can in your honor to make this puppy mill problem a thing of the past.
Noel was a legend of sorts over at the Humane Society of Charlotte. The story goes that she was adopted three times - each time being returned for one reason or another. Finally, the staff decided to adopt her and make her the official office cat. Since then, she has seen staff, volunteers, and thousands of cats, dogs, puppies and kittens go in and out the door all while she managed to hold down the paperwork, help with typing on the keyboard, and coordinating adoptions. She was even placed at the top of the staff organizational chart. She was a legend.
Noel had been sick for quite some time but she was in the best place in the world for extra loving and medical help. Unfortunately, she had to help type her last email, take the last couple licks from her Lickety Stik, and say her final goodbyes on Friday. She will be very missed.
I'm starting to cry again as I write this but I want to keep this as positive as possible. I'm sure Noel's spirit will roam the halls and kennels at the HSC and make sure each and every cat and dog have the opportunity to find love like she did.
I only got to spend a short time with Noel but I know she touched lives throughout the Charlotte area. Let us celebrate this little queen...
Rest in peace sweet angel...
I know Angel Session blog posts can be a little sad. This one won't be too different but I promise there are plenty of smiles and laughs tucked away in these images! Rudy's mom contacted me just over a week ago and told me all about her baby boy. He's was a 13-year-old, 90% blind Maltese and had recently had 5 blood transfusions because an immune anemia disorder. Fortunately, I was at her house less than 24 hours later and got to capture some wonderful images of him with his lovely family. Sadly, today I got the word that he had crossed the bridge. :(
His mom couldn't have said it better - he is now pain-free and running with all of his friends...
This is my favorite of Rudy and his mom...
I'm so glad things remained fun and positive during the session. These smiles and kisses are etched into my memory now...
I told you I'd try to keep this from being too sad of a posting. With a face like Rudy's sister, Penelope, you can't help but laugh. This goofy girl has the tongue, legs, floppy ears, and dirty nose to cheer anyone up!
More Rudy lovin'...
We brought Rudy inside to give him a break from the stresses of the outdoors. He was just posing away once he relaxed on the bed. He even jumped in for a picture with his sis.
And even shared the love with her...
Another one of my favs with mama...
And because we have to leave on a fun and positive note, one last image of goofy Penelope. 
Run free sweet Rudy. You will be missed but your memory will live on. Hugs to your family. xx!!!!
Wow! It has been a couple weeks since my last blog post and I apologize. For those that don't know, I sold my house and have temporarily moved into an apartment. It has been a super-busy few weeks filled with inspections, contracts, negotiations, closings, moving, boxes, tons of clutter, and the worst part, no internet/computer. Now that I'm mostly unpacked and back up and running, it's time to play catch-up and get some new furry faces out there to warm your hearts. And I can't think of a better way to do that than to introduce you to Lou and Kirra. Lou and Kirra's mom contacted me just after finding out that Taloulah, or Lou for short, was diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. It was a heartbreaking diagnosis as the tumor is causing Miss Lou to lose the ability to open and close her mouth. Unfortunately, it's not operable and, since the photo shoot, they have made the very hard decision to begin radiation.
I was honored to meet Lou and her sister, Kirra, the day after their mom contacted me. After days and days and days of rain, we lucked out and had dry skies and even a peek of sunshine. I believe the doggy angels in the sky were on our side.
We decided to photograph these pretty ladies around their house. They love to lounge around so we decided to keep them comfortable and let them do their thing. What a special evening filled with stories, laughter, tears, and much, much love...
This is sweet Lou. She was a wonderful lady for our session and she really worked the head tilts and smiles for me. She got to chill out on the front porch - one of her favorite places to hang out. Despite being under the weather, she kept her ears perky and heart open. Love!!!
Lou loves the extra attention...
Her little, furry paws make me smile. :)
After spending some time with Lou, I got to hang out with Kirra. Beautiful Kirra was a crack up! Because of all of the rain, the grass was a little long in the backyard. She refused to walk on it! She did NOT want her precious paws to get wet. Once or twice, with a stern voice and tons of treats, we coaxed her into the yard. Silly girl!!
And that was that! Back to the safety of the deck!
Curious George-ette. Lol!
Such a beauty!
I quickly discovered the many faces of Kirra. Like I said, she was a crack up! I'm almost positive she was trying to smile in the next few images...
These ladies stole my heart!
Unconditional love. That. Is. All.
The pups began to get tired so we moved inside for dinnertime. This is always a nervous time for Lou's parents. They must closely watch Lou to make sure she is remaining pain-free when opening her mouth to eat. Her appetite is still strong and that is always a good sign!
And of course Kirra can't miss a trick!
Something as simple as watching your dog eat can easily be taken for granted. For Lou's parents, they enjoy every minute of it.
After the photo shoot and with full bellies, the ladies were ready to settle down for their evening nap. Lou, I hope with all of my heart that the radiation is going well. Much love to you and your family. xx!
In the midst of a busy Spring season, there is always time to squeeze in an Angel Session. Of course I don't like to. Not because of scheduling, but because I wish my clients were never faced with the situation. It is beyond heartbreaking to hear the story of a pet having to say goodbye too soon. It's always hard to grasp. Why? Why are they with us for such a short period of time? It's just not fair. Shelby was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. It took the vet almost a year to diagnose the problem and by then, the tumor was too large to remove. Shelby just started chemotherapy and, fortunately, hasn't had any side effects.
We are all so happy that she still has a smile on her face...
Shelby has so much soul behind her eyes. They seem to go on forever...
We started off the session a little on the rocky side. Shelby was so stimulated by the new environment, she was a little over-excited and distracted. Once we pulled out the Buddy Biscuits, she was all mine! :)
Shelby was so beautiful in front of the yellow flowers. I think she was made to be photographed here. Even the pretty pink and yellow collar accessory matches wonderfully. Love!
Please send positive thoughts for Shelby and her family. She is deeply loved...
