Honoring Daysi

Honoring Daysi - EOL Session

One of the things I am known for is my pet photography. The first session I did in my new studio space in Pittston, PA, was a family/pet portrait session. But this session was important for a couple of reasons.

My client Aga reached out to me because they had recently got the diagnosis that their dog Daysi had cancer. Her and her family wanted to get photos done before Daysi began to struggle. Photos that would allow them to cherish the memory of Daysi when the time came.

Daysi with her favorite toy

End of life sessions for pets is one of the services I offer because it is such a needed service and so few people do it. I am actually an affiliated photographer with the TIlly Project, which is a network for pet parents to find photographers for End of Life sessions. I am always immensely honored when I am hired for these sessions, as these are right up there in importance as wedding photos.

The day of the session, Daysi came in attentive and excited, with her eyes always on Aga’s partner who was “her person,” and she only had eyes for him. Aga warned me in advance that her favorite toy was her frisbee and that once it was mentioned, she would have a single minded focus on it. So we started the session without it so that we could get some calmer, focused images. Then it was time to get out the frisbee and let her get her energy out!

Next we moved into the family session which included Aga, her partner, her son, and their two dogs. I worked with them in advance of the shoot so that we had a bit of an idea of what they wanted before we began. And I can say that it worked out fantastically. We wrapped up the and I asked Aga to let me know when they made the decision.

Last week week Aga let me know that they had made the decision to put Daysi to rest. So today, I want to share the memory of Daysi. Thank you Aga for trusting me to capture these moments and I hope that they bring your and your family comfort as you mourn. Sending all the love your way!
-Joe