Simba's Remembrance Session – Vancouver Dog Photography
About a month ago Jane contacted me, she was interested in booking a session for her soul mate Simba, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months before. Unfortunately, Jane felt like he was moving into the final stages of his life, so she wanted to capture those lasting memories, something she would have for a lifetime.
Losing your fur baby may be one of the hardest things an owner could go through, and I always am saddened to receive these calls from pet parents, but at the same time, I was so happy that she made the decision to have this session done. I think it’s hard enough to go through the loss of a beloved pet, but really can’t imagine not having beautiful images to get them through that loss.
As I usually do with all my clients, we had a consultation to plan the session, we talked about how special Simba was for her and how excited she was to create those special memories together. We also talked about what she ambitioned for her final images. She told me he was her “Golden Boy” and she wanted a wall piece to put in a beautiful gold frame. We talked about going to the forest, their favourite place for them to get lost in nature and enjoy each other. I encourage owners’ to really give a thought to location options because if they share a special location, of course I want to capture that!. And I moved some things around my schedule (I always give priority to this kind of session) and we set a time for it.
We were meeting on Saturday for their big day but earlier that week, Simba told his mom he was ready. I received a call from Jane on Wednesday, sadly she was going to put him down that day. My heart stopped, I didn’t know what to say, she asked me if I could meet her before she went to the vet to document their goodbye. Of course, I couldn’t say no, so we met in a park close to the vet clinic. It wasn’t what we planned but it ended up being perfect.
I am not going to deny it, having an end of life session is always emotional and can be very difficult, but instead of focusing on the sadness, we focused on their time in life instead of death. I captured the joy he brought to her life, I got him playing with toys and even having his last cheeseburger.
I will never forget what she told me that day just before we started “I want Simba to have a dignified death, he does not deserve to suffer or live in pain. I want this moment to be my declaration of love to him”. Sharing that moment with them was so special, so intimate and so powerful. I witnessed the love, dedication and special bond they shared together and I will be forever grateful she trusted me to share that chapter with me.
Just like most owners with their pets, Simba was Jane’s best friend and her most loyal companion. She got him as a small puppy just when he was a few weeks old and they had been side by side ever since- that had been for 13 years! She wrote me later that day “Katherine, thank you so much for your time today, I wanted to capture Simba’s last day. My Simba is now in heaven”. Somehow knowing that Simba wasn’t fighting any longer and that he was surrounded by love gave me some comfort.
Ultimately, I feel doing this was a good way to keep his memory and legacy alive and have that last moment of fun before they had to say goodbye. I believe animals will always be in our heart and in our minds. When you lose your furry best friend he or she may not be with you physically, but they will always hold a special place in your heart so, remember their last moments, remember the memories you shared, cherish the time you had with them and most importantly, remember the loved you shared with one another. I’m sure a photo session to create beautiful memories of your pet’s will be something that you will hold close to your heart forever and I’ve honestly found this can be of great healing for a broken heart.
Simba, I feel so blessed to have met you and to have been able to photograph you. Your beautiful soul will live forever in my heart. Stick close to your Mama. She needs you now more than ever. Run free golden boy!
For end-of-life, terminally ill or elderly pets I offer a special session called “Remembrance Sessions”. They are dedicated to celebrating their lives and loves. These are often scheduled at very short notice and are treated with the utmost care, understanding and support. These are for and about the pets in need and their families and are very very dear to my heart. Please inquire for further information.
