Over the Rainbow Bridge: Memorializing your pet using pet portrait photography

The unfortunate truth is that, just like us, our beloved family pets will one day return into the earth from which their happy tails and smiling faces once came. While they are here, we honor them by smothering them with our love, but many of us fail to memorialize our dearly departed pets as we would their human counter parts.

Tawny reached out to me on a Wednesday after receiving terrible news. She had just found out that her first dog, Quinn, had an aggressive form of cancer. Quinn was given 3 months to live. Tawny decided she wanted to honor Quinn by scheduling a pet portrait photography session in which Quinn would partake in the most indulgent of cuisines—a McDonald’s hamburger and fries.

Quinn, quite literally, ate up every second of our shoot. She was ecstatic to receive such a shower of admiration from both Tawny and I, as well as from passersby. Fortunately, Quinn was having a good day and even showed some of that spry Australian Shepherd energy.

Needless to say, Quinn’s diagnosis is a tragedy. Despite the circumstances, I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know a dog with such a wonderfully large personality. As the months pass by and Quinn begins her walk into the eternal distance, I am comforted knowing that she has been so so SO loved by her incredible family.

Tawny, if you are reading this, know that you have been the best dog mom Quinn could EVER have. She is so fortunate to have someone so caring, knowledgeable, and kind in her life—however long or short it may be. Quinn has lived and is still living a life full of her favorite things with her favorite people. And for her, that is more than enough.