Macy Dog

Meet Macy McKeel!
This sweet furry face is my little cousin-pup! I just love getting to spend time with this ball of spunk when we go to visit my family in North Carolina!
We went outside on the porch for a little photo shoot(and some snuggles of course)! I love how cute she looks with all the pops of orange! I also just love dogs so much!
Dogs make my heart beat! 
 

I just love dogs. I love them so much. I think I ask my husband for a dog about every other day. I love animals in general but there is a reason that dogs are a common pet. Dogs are so loyal and loving.

It's been two years since we unexpectedly put our pup Lily down and to this day I still find myself tearing up because of my loss of a sweet friend. She loved me so unconditionally, and so often enough that it seemed to outweigh the love from the humans in my life at times.

Lil taught me to love on others for two reasons: 1) People desperately need it. I think why I still cry over my sweet dog these days is because I am no longer greeted at the door when I come home from work with a positive, everlasting and excited love.

2) You don't know when the last time you'll see someone will be. She was lethargic when I got home that night, the last night we had with her. She didn't run up to me with that exciting love because she couldn't move. She could barely breathe. The next morning we took her to the vet, not knowing what would happen but not expecting positive results in the least. They were not positive results, but heavy, confusing and morbid results.

I'm not telling you this to make you sad, but if you are it probably means that dogs are important to you in some way. Dogs are certainly special and they are gifted with the ability to love. It makes me cringe to constantly see "missing dog" posts all the time in fear that one might not reunite with their beloved friend again. And there are plenty of other unfortunate ways of departing with your pup. It's just the sad truth.

I share this with you because while I picked up photography towards the last years of Lil's life I cherish my photos of her more than a great deal of the rest of my work, even up to this point. I seriously could not live with myself if I hadn't captured those photos. It's easy to focus on the sadness of how she went. But it's when I look at my photos of her that I'm reminded of her spunk, her silliness, the way she jiggled when she ran because she was a chubby little nugget, and how soft those long copper ears were. They bring back all the memories and all the happiness.

I've had the opportunity to capture dogs for friends and families on different occasions and and I have fallen in love with it. I want to make it a point to capture more dogs this year. I can't imagine not having these photos of Lily(even if I do cringe at how I used to edit when I first started out :P).

Go snuggle your pet and give them a cupcake. Yes a real life cupcake cause they deserve such an unhealthy treat today. 

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Pumpkin

Oh little Pumpkin.. 
I was so excited when I walked into our new small group for the first time because I didn't know there was going to be a dog. And my heart always has room for dogs. I guess I was a bit nervous to walk into an apartment full of people I've never laid eyes on before. But when that door opened I was immediately greeted by the most precious little pup. That alone broke the ice and we were buddies from the start. You made the room so light and easy going. I wish that didn't have to end so soon..

Pumpkin was about four years old when he got stomach cancer. Thomas and I had just joined a marriage enrichment group weeks before a couple in our group, his owners, found out about his cancer. Though I didn't get to know him as long as I would have liked, and his "giants", as the couple liked to explain from Pumpkins perspective, didn't get to have him around for nearly as long as they were expecting, he brought so much happiness to his family and to our little group.
You see, Pumpkin was adopted after both spouces conquered cancer themselves when a little bundle of joy and happiness was much needed in that time for them.
One thing I love about dogs is their love and loyalty. They can make mistakes and disobey, sure, but they will always be by your side and they will always love you. And in ways humans will continually fail, for some reason, dogs have that ability to look past your flaws and love you so unconditionally. I believe that the right dogs come into your life at the right time. As for Pumpkin, though his time here was so short, he was placed in this family when love and loyalty was maybe the only medicine that was going to heal them the most. 

Now you may be asking why would you choose to document part of a dogs last day on earth?Read the paragraphs above once more. This dog, and so many others, deserve to be highlighted. Though it was the toughest shoot I've done to date these photos remind me of how loyal dogs are, and how they will be to the very bitter end. 

We miss you Pumpkin. So much. Our lives are better becuase of the time we had with you. 

Animals hold a very special place in my heart. If you'd like your dog, or any other pet to be photographed for any reason please get in touch with me. Now go and love on your animal. Give them a big kiss and learn to love unconditionally just like they love you. I think that would make the world a little bit better, don't you?

-Shannon