Without a doubt, losing a loved one is one of the most difficult parts of life. Whether it is a human or a pet, the pain is the same. We all grieve differently, and there isn’t a time table for grief. When Dexter the Husky was approaching the end of his life, his family gave him one more great day and Katie Messer from Salute Life photographed it. I hope these photos will bring back precious memories to his family.
From Katie: “Last summer, my husband received a phone call that broke my heart. A coworker was going through a heartache that can only be felt by other animal lovers. He explained how his best friend and fur baby was not going to make it much longer. He then handed the phone over to me. I was in shock when he asked if I was available to document one of the last adventures he would have with his dog. I instantly overcome with sadness and just wanted to give him the biggest hug.
That Saturday I arrived at what I would call one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in upstate NY. The lake shimmered, and the cottage was cozy. I couldn’t have handpicked a better location.
We walked into the house, and their dog Rose greeted us. She was all but joyous to meet us. As we continued through the family home, they have had for nearly 70 years, and we made it to the back porch where Dexter met me. He looked at me with the most soulful eyes. I knew that I was meant to be here in this spot with this dog and his amazing dog parents.
As I loved on him and Rose, I could tell he was doing all he could to greet us in proper dog fashion. He was tired but made sure to make us feel welcome.
We laid together on the porch and in the grass. Then we walked together down to the water. Finally, we took a boat ride and relaxed some in the sun.
Throughout it all, we enjoyed each other.
As I was taking in all that this dog could offer me, I was blessed to hear all the stories of this spunky and fun loving pup.
He gave everyone a run for their money. He made sure to push you and to ensure you had as much fun as he did with every bit of his might.
I could see the joy in his eyes when we took that boat ride. He loves water and the wind blowing in his face as he looks out on the waves of the lake.
This was not an easy shoot for me. I held back my emotions and tears the entire time we were there, and when I finally got home, I was emotionally drained. Just like Dexter, I took that exhaustion and pushed past it. I made sure that I used it as fuel.
After a quiet moment, I pulled myself together and began editing.
As I edited, I felt as if he was with me, head on my knees telling me its ok. Looking at me letting me know my mom and dad are going to love these. And telling me thank you for taking care of them. This is what I want them to remember. I want them to remember all the times we had adventuring, running, laughing, sleeping, binge watching tv, just being together.
I hope I did Dexter justice. He is magnificent and strong. Dexter is what I would define as love.”
If you are looking for a pet-friendly photographer, check our Photographer Directory. Before adding a Husky to your family, be sure to read this very informative post about Huskies!
About Salute Life Photography: Based in Fort Drum, New York, Katie specializes in special events photography and family portraits.
This broke my heart in every way. We have a little girl ourselves and this is such a beautiful way to capture such a treasured part of a family. Crying thinking about the pup’s wonderful life.
Totally ugly crying right now! Such a sweet boy.
It’s always hard to lose a pet. These photos of Dexter are beautiful. I love the idea of taking a day to capture photos to cherish forever.
What a beautiful experience and final tribute to a loyal companion.
So sweet. It’s always tough when a pet dies. I think this is a wonderful tribute to Dexter.
He speaks my heart when I lose an animal. They’re such a big part of our lives I wish they would live much longer. It’s obvious the start was very loved and I am glad that he got to have a good last day.
That must have been an emotional shoot, but you took some great photos of Dexter! What a lovely thing for Dexter’s parents to do!
Aww that sweet boy. We have a husky too, she is the best dog ever.
Losing a pet is such a heartbreaking experience. I’m glad you were able to document the love between Dexter and his family.
We lost a golden retriever earlier this year. It was heartbreaking, especially for the kids. I love huskies. This one is lovely.
Oh my gosh. Tears are streaming down my face. I literally had to walk away from my computer and go and hug our loved one Diesel Dog. It is so heartbreaking to lose a furry family member. The gorgeous images of Dexter are amazing. You can see how loved he is.
Saying goodbye to pets is the absolute WORST!! I will be praying for this sweet baby’s family!
The worst part of pet ownership is having to say goodbye. I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m very sorry for your loss. Losing a pet is so hard. What a wonderful dog though, Huskys are so beautiful.
This is such a beautiful session and I’m sure it’s something that the owners will treasure for years to come!
That picture of Dexter’s paw being held by his people so pulled at my heart strings. Dogs are such amazing animals, loosing them for sure is the hardest part of sharing our lives with them. Rest in peace Dexter. How sweet that his family will now always have these last happy memories captured to look back on.
This is such a beautiful story. Dexter sounds like he was such an amazing fur baby.
I am sorry to hear about what happened. Indeed it’s heart breaking. I can understand where you are coming from as I had same experiences.
What a beautiful story! These photos are fabulous!
It’s so heartbreaking to lose a pet. They are part of the family. Our Ernest, the boxer, has been gone 3 years and I still miss him so much. Lovely tribute.
Such a sad but sweet tribute to this dog. Huskies are such a beautiful and loving breed.
I wasn’t ready for the tears this early this morning. I am glad you could give this to them.
Oh boy, this made me cry. What a beautiful way to memorialize a beloved pet and family member. These are moments I know they will treasure forever.
I am reading this with a swelled heart and tears in my eyes. As a momma to five (now four with the loss of my beloved Gibson 3 years ago), this touched me so much. What a wonderful way to spend Dexter’s last day. The photos show so much love and joy on both Dexter’s face and in his humans. I have four seniors now, one who is the very color of Dexter and she is now approaching 14.5 years of age. She was our first Husky and is the alpha queen of our FiveSibes! She is actually my daughter’s who always wanted one and when she was 17, we welcomed Harley to our family (and then four more over the course of the next couple of years). Seeing Dexter, so reminds me of Harley. She, too, loves the water. Fill the pool and she is the first Husky in, and she is once again a pup! As a photographer, these photo so speak to me and the importance of telling a story – Dexter’s – shines through. So beautiful. So bittersweet. I’ll be sharing this with my Husky following over on my FiveSibes page on Facebook, and Pinning. Thank you for the beautiful post and for sharing Dexter with us.
I have tears flowing as I read this. What a great way to spend the last days with Dexter and to capture memories.
When I was losing my previous cat, Praline, my next door neighbor offered to come over and take some photos of us. I was so upset at the time that I thanked him kindly and turned him down. I now regret that decision. Praline was my soul kitty and some photos of us together one last time would have been something to treasure!