A tribute to MacKenzie: These posts are always the most difficult and I write this with tears in my eyes and an overwhelming heaviness in my heart. The world has lost another beautiful soul...MacKenzie, a stunning 12 year old Shepard. I received a call on Tuesday afternoon. The voice on the other end of the phone carried a sense of sadness. Jennifer, who is a veterinarian, told me she had recently diagnosed her beloved dog, MacKenzie with cancer and wanted to schedule... a photo session as MacKenzie didn't have much time left. I made a few calls, re-arranged my schedule a bit and we met that same evening for the photo session. I met Jennifer, MacKenzie and Jennifer's wonderful parents at the location. MacKenzie made my heart smile instantly. She was happy, her eyes sparkled and she had the gentlest of souls. She stayed close to her momma and you could tell that was her number one love! She wasn't much for the squeaky toy, but she did like my husband's antics. She and her human mom made for beautiful models and she was having a good day. She filled my heart with hope...hope that she would beat this disease. We took our time and let MacKenzie rest, we smiled, and we fought back tears. At the end of the session, Jennifer shared with me that MacKenzie was wearing the bandage because her blood would not clot after the IV and that she hadn't responded to treatment. Still...my heart had hope. I heard of how Jennifer got MacKenzie as a 4 month old pup. She grew up in North Carolina and she and Jennifer had recently moved to Alaska. How she had been Jennifer's best friend and loved to go for rides with Grandpa. The love and bond that she had with Jennifer and her human grandparents was beautiful. You could see that MacKenzie lived a life of much love! We said our goodbyes, but MacKenzie and Jennifer were heavy in my thoughts all evening. The next day, I received a text from Jennifer. MacKenzie had taken a turn for the worse that morning and had crossed rainbow bridge. My heart sank when I read the message and I cried like a baby while I edited her photos. My heart was breaking for Jennifer. Here are just a few of the photos from her "Golden Heart, Gray Muzzle" session.
I dedicate today to MacKenzie and her loving spirit. RIP sweet angel. Though our time together was short, you left paw prints on my heart that I will always cherish.
To Jennifer: Words cannot express how sorry I am for your loss of beautiful MacKenzie. I hope you are able to find comfort in your heart through the memories you shared with her.
Please keep Jennifer and her parents in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Give your dogs an extra hug tonight...hold them tight!
