This is a story of the love of a dog.
This is a story of companionship.
This is a story of good memories.
This is Teddy’s story.
Teddy came into this dog Mom’s life as a young pup. Teddy’s Mom is an outdoor enthusiast as well as a runner and she wanted Teddy to be a co-pilot on those adventures. Sounds like the perfect dog day – a human, the great outdoors and a run! Is there anything better than that to a dog? Ok, well maybe a few treats. And I’m betting there were a few of those in Teddy’s life too.
Just as a human needs to start a running regimen with short jogs that eventually lead to longer runs so was the plan for Teddy. With guidance from her veterinarian Teddy began his training and learned to run alongside his Momma as she trained for her marathon. As an easygoing laid back happy guy Teddy was friendly to all when out and about but he loved his Mom most and happily played the role of her shadow.
Fast forward a decade or so and Teddy’s Mom found me through a local fundraising auction for the Animal Rescue League of NH. I had donated a gift certificate for services and she was the winning bidder. She was looking to schedule a session with her fur baby as she had had professional photos taken of Teddy as a puppy and now that he was a senior dog she wanted to remember him all grown up.
The “catch” was that we were on a bit of borrowed time. Teddy had a condition called degenerative myelopathy. This is a disease that effects the spinal cord. Teddy was gradually losing use of his hindquarters. He would eventually lose all mobility and use of his bladder and bowel control. In humans it would be comparable to something like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or what is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
By the time I met Teddy in September of 2021 he was showing signs of the disease. His hind feet did not always stay “planted” rather they dragged on the ground necessitating use of shoes in some settings to protect his feet from cuts and scrapes. Cognitively he was still a very happy and young at heart guy! And although he was no longer able to run with his Mom he was still able to get out and walk and enjoy the great outdoors.
Mom chose a shoot location that was meaningful to them as it was place they routinely visited for runs in his younger years. The goal was to get a variety of images - shots of Teddy, shots of them together and if possible shots of them seemingly running together at their old stomping grounds.
Although this was a bit of what could be considered an “end of life session” and could have been tearful it was noting but joyful! It was truly a celebration of a life well lived and Teddy rocked his session! Head held high and tail wagging he was in his glory; he had his human, the great outdoors, and a run. And ok, yes, there may have been a few treats involved!
Teddy passed in December of 2021. I have waited to share Teddy’s story for a few reasons, mainly because the emotions that come with losing a beloved animal are raw and remain raw for a long time. I cried all afternoon when I got the news (and truth be told I am writing through tears right now) so I can only imagine the number of tears Teddy’s Mom has shed. I have been in touch with his Mom several times since then and I share this story with her permission.
It was truly an honor to have been a very small part of Teddy’s story. And despite the gaping hole in Teddy’s Mom’s heart she has more recently been able to celebrate the happy times by displaying the photographic memories she has of Teddy in her home. As a photographer nothing makes me happier to know that the digital image files that were purchased were used for printing note cards, holiday cards, prints and wall art for her home.
The importance of capturing your loved ones (even the four-legged kind) cannot be understated. Even if not with me, whomever your photographer of choice is – do it! Take the photos. Print and display the images. They are good memories of a life well lived.
