That's blunt, isn't it? End of life. Agnes Sligh Turnbull said, "Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really." I include all pets. But the truth is, we are all going to have to say goodbye to our most precious companions one day. And it hurts, oh, does it hurt.

When we get the dreaded diagnosis, our world is rocked. Shock first, but we know pain and sadness is around the corner.

Look, I'm not trying to be a mercenary photographer but please, please consider a professional portrait session with you and your pet. In fact, I don't really care who you choose as your photographer but I do care that you get that session. Besides searching for Los Angeles pet photographers, you can also look on The Joy Network and The Tilly Project to find photographers local to you.

So many times I've heard, "I have so many pictures on my phone of her but I don't have any of us together." I've literally been called as someone is leaving their vet's office, hearing them cry. I've been called the same day the dog is going to be put to sleep. I've seen seemingly young, healthy dogs have an aggressive cancer with only weeks or months to live. It's heartbreaking, all of it. And I understand it.

The thing that makes me the saddest is when someone waits too long. Just too long. They either lose the opportunity for the session entirely or their pet just looks very sick. Sometimes people don't even know how ill their dog looks until they see the images. But still... everyone is always, always grateful they've commemorated their pets' lives in this way.

If you do select me as your photographer, you can choose any session but I do have an all-inclusive price that includes a beautiful album and the best-of-the-shoot digital images for you to share and remember that is only available for end-of-life sessions.

Please see these images to see the kind of sessions I've done.

As Will Rogers said, "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die to go where they went."

Until we meet again over the rainbow bridge.