Sadie and Chloe

I've said this a million times before. I hate cancer. When Sadie's mom contacted me over 4th of July weekend, she knew something was going terribly wrong with her baby. Out of nowhere, Sadie became ill and disoriented. She was rushed to the vet and given fluids and had some tests done. Turns out she was anemic and would also need to come back for an ultrasound. At that point, her mom was obviously scared of what was to come. We scheduled a session immediately.

Fortunately, Sadie was pretty much back to her normal self when we began shooting. As you'll see, she was smiling (and, wow, does she have a contagious smile!!!) and even doing a little running. I love that she didn't look (or act) ill the entire time. Gosh...she is such a sweet and wonderful girl.

Days after our session, Sadie had her ultrasound appointment. A mass was discovered on her spleen and her parents were now faced with the almost impossible decision of whether or not to put their almost 12-year-old dog through surgery. Before they could make up their minds, nature had it's way with Sadie yet again.

She went into another bad state and was rushed to the emergency vet again. This time, she went into surgery right away to remove her spleen. The mass was removed and the biopsy came back confirming everyone's suspicions - splenic hemangiosarcoma...cancer.

Sadie is now back home recovering from surgery and is doing great! The vet gave her 2-5 months to live but I think her amazing spirit will keep her here much longer.

I can't express how emotional this roller coaster has been for her parents, her fur-sister, Chloe, and even me. I'm so grateful we could make this session happen....it brings tears to my eyes.

And without further ado, this my dear Sadie (on the right) and her sister, Chloe...

Knowing the circumstances of this session, these smiles amaze me...Sadie has been through ACL surgery and has the signature "sit" of that now. Haha! Oh, and did I mention she is deaf? She is so alert and young-looking...you'd never know it!And Miss Chloe is a little bit a a goofball. Her eyes and that lovely fur are so photogenic!We spent our session at the Harrisburg Farmer's Market. There were some cool buildings, trails, and fields to explore. I'm so in love with this wide shot.Chole might be a little jealous of the extra attention Sadie's been getting... ;)See!!!!! Sadie got a little pep in her step!!!! I'm sooooooo glad!!!I just love this dog...And the family picture. I don't think a dog could have a happier face. This was definitely a moment Sadie will always remember. She got so many hugs and kisses this day. Chloe, on the other hand, is ready for a nap.Please keep this family in your thoughts over the next several months. It's not time to say goodbye yet. xx!

Maggie Mae, Tessa, Forrest & Sam

Photographing 4 dogs during one session can sometimes be a lot to handle. However, when the dogs are great models like these four, it is a breeze and oh so much fun!!! I'll start off with Tessa! This snugly three year old was a camera ham right from the get go. As long as I had my stinky treats nearby, she would do anything I asked - even a little head tilt...

She also loves the tennis ball which she was happy to retrieve for me.She is so pretty and I just want to cuddle up with her!Next up is Forrest! Named after the famous Forrest Gump, this handsome Sheltie cracked me up big-time! Just a couple minutes into our time together, something caught his attention. Birds flew overhead. Evidently, Mr. Forrest is a little obsessed with birds flying high in the sky and airplanes - yes, airplanes. He constantly keeps his watch up to the sky just in case something flies over the house. It seriously was cracking me up! He would even chase the airplanes from the back of the house to the front as they flew over - so funny!

Every once in a while, I could get his attention again with a nice treat...

So funny!!!The eldest of the pack is Maggie Mae. At 13 years old, this sweetheart kinda wanted to do her own thing which was fine with me! It was so interesting to watch her walk through the woods because she almost looked like a mysterious wolf. She is so gorgeous and so unique. I heart her...Last but not least, we have Sam. Sam was the only pup that we were a little worried about because he is a rescue and is still skittish and shy around strangers and weird noises. I really took my time letting him get to smell me, the camera, and, most importantly, the treats I had stashed in my pouch. With a little food incentive, he was all mine! He was even running toward the camera by the end and sitting on my lap as I chatted with his people. I sooooo love this handsome boy!At the time of our session, Sam was actually still a foster with my client. After I posted the below picture on Facebook, his mom decided to turn in the adoption papers for him. It could have been a coincidence but I think not! Lol! ;) Gotta love foster failures!!!At the end of our session, we took a short walk down to the cotton fields. Unfortunately, they had been harvested the week before. They still looked cool to me so we decided to give it a shot. I literally clicked two frames and the farmer pulled up to gather some equipment. He was super nice but we didn't want to be disrespectful so we said our goodbyes to the field. Fortunately, this was the second shot I walked away with.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek! I can't tell you how much fun it was working with these pups and their parents. Love. Love. Love!

Maya & Gabby - Furfriends 4 Life

I apologize in advance because this is quite a long post. I just couldn't narrow down the images for the sneak peek! I have a feeling you won't mind. Once you cast your eyes on these two BFF's, you will want to see more! ;) Maya, an Australian Shepherd, and Gabby, a black Chow mix, quickly bonded when they met. That was good news because their moms have been best friends for years and their furkids needed to get along! Now they have fun play dates and even get to hang out at Lucky Dog in Cornelius. So of course, when Gabby and Maya's moms decided to do a photo shoot, they had to be together!

These two were amazing for the camera and really made it hard for me to cull out the "bad" images (hence the large sneak peek). I hope you enjoy...

Maya is full of energy and absolutely loves to play. Like most Australian Shepherds, she was very attentive, smart and responded well to treats and toys. I could just melt in her eyes.Gabby is gorgeous. That's all I can say. Not really, but look at her cute face!Gabby is full of energy just like Maya. She had a blast exploring the fields at Fisher Farm and protected us from hikers and joggers. :)Love this of the two of them together. Gabby's head tilt makes it!And even more of these two buddies...It's beginning to look a lot like Fall!And I'll finish with one of my favs! Many thanks to Gabby and Maya's moms! I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! There is A LOT more to come! ;)