The Last Chapter: Love in Focus - Part 3

Love in Focus

In the journey of loving and losing a pet, the memories we hold become some of our most treasured possessions. Portraits capture more than a moment—they preserve the essence of a bond that words often can't describe.

In this third part of my End of Life series, I’m sharing testimonials from pet parents who have experienced the loss of their beloved pups. Two of these dogs passed young, a reminder that we truly never know how much time we have. Through their own words, these families reflect on what their portraits mean to them now—how these portraits serve as a comfort, a connection, and a way to honour a life so deeply cherished.

Their stories are a testament to the enduring power of love and the healing touch of a photograph.

When I booked our shoot with Diane, I had no idea that we’d be saying goodbye to Neo so soon afterwards. He was young and healthy, so I never intended for the images to be some of Neo’s last. 

We said goodbye to Neo in August 2024. His reactivity had escalated to a point that he was a danger to the family and his quality of life was compromised. 

I am so grateful that the images that Diane captured show a happy, healthy dog, comfortable in his environment with no anxiety or stress. It’s so important to me that I remember him in that way. 

You truly never know when you’re going to say goodbye to your furry family members. I cherish the images of Neo, and the memories attached to them, as we grieve for the premature loss of our good, complicated boy.

Briony, Neo's mum

We had portraits of our girl, Nora, taken by Diane in January this year, not knowing that just seven months later, she would no longer be with us. All around us and in our memories, she remains. Her portraits are so important to us because Diane captured her whole character—her playfulness and stubbornness, her joy in running and walking in the woods, and her devotion to us, as well as ours to her.

In one photo in particular, she looks directly into the camera in the same way she looked directly at us. This photo remains on our wall and gives us the sense that she is still here, her eyes following us as we move around. Nora lives on in our hearts and memories, as she always will, and through the wonderful images we have of her. To have a tangible reminder of our girl is invaluable.

Victoria and John, Nora's parents

Archie’s personality was so beautifully captured in what turned out to be his last walk and playtime with his beloved ball. I look at his photos with love in my heart, and I’m so proud to say he was my boy for a year. He got me through the toughest year of my life after the loss of my husband, and sadly, Archie passed away a year to the day of my husband’s funeral. I truly believe he stayed with me until he knew I was okay, and then he left me to join his dad across the rainbow bridge 💙

Julia, Archie's mum

My baby girl, Lucia, passed away suddenly. It’s been so hard to process, but I wanted to thank you so much for the photos you did of her and the boys. I finally put the picture frame up on the wall—I had been waiting until I painted the wall, but I realized that could wait.

The picture is just beautiful. It’s your photo hanging in my living room that keeps Lucia with us. Yes, it still makes me cry when I look at it, but I know that, in time, those tears will turn into joy. I’m so glad I had the portraits done, because just a year later, I lost her. It means everything to me now.

Natasha, Chris, Solomon and Paxton, Lucia's family

Murphy’s story is still painful—and probably always will be. Loss is a part of life that can’t be avoided, and I believe it’s best talked about to help with healing.

I feel so lucky that I had the photos taken when I did, as we didn’t know what was just around the corner. If I’d waited, it would have been impossible to get my favourite shots of him amongst the bracken, with the colours so perfectly matching his coat—the scene you planned so beautifully. By then, he wouldn’t have been able to get in the car. Those photos mean the world to me now.

Ali, Murphy's mum