Remembering Your Pet

When you're a kid, the thing you dread the most is becoming like your parents (amirite!?) But once you're an adult, you start to realize that maybe your parents weren't such weirdo boomers after all. Now that I'm in my mid-thirties, I can see so many traits that I have that have come from my parents. Not all positive things (I'm looking at you, anxious mother of mine and short-fuse father).

But a few things that I got from my dad that are golden are his love for animals and his big heart. My dad has almost always had a dog in the house. A spoiled rotten dog. One that he has loved and babied and fed peanut butter toast to every single morning. In all the years he owned dogs, there was one that was the most special. Her name was Molly. Stay with me, folks.

Molly was a schnauzer/spaniel mix. She was small and smart and just the perfect dog. My dad loved her. My sister and I used to joke that she was his favorite daughter. When Molly developed cancer and had to get several tumors removed, it was tough on all of us. My dad gave her one of his dirty t-shirts to sleep with. She got extra cuddles and peanut butter toast during her recovery. And Molly did make a full recovery and lived several more years.

The summer I was 15 though, things took an unexpected turn with our Molly. She was in pain and wasn't eating. She was now 13 years old. My dad made the incredibly difficult decision to take Molly to the veterinarian and have her put to sleep. This decision that was not an easy one to make. When you love a pet so much and they are your family, there's guilt associated with putting them to sleep. Yet, you also don't want them to be in pain just so you can have more time with them.

What I wouldn't give to have more photos of Molly. We were not a family that took many photographs while we were growing up. We have some occasional snapshots, but nothing like the stacks of photo albums my husband's family has.

I have decided to offer my photography services to others that are faced with the decision of euthanasia of their pets. I will come to your home or meet you at a favorite park and take photos of you loving on your loved one before you visit the veterinarian. This is a free service that I will provide in the Norwalk, Iowa area. No strings attached. You don't need to be a previous client. You don't need to buy an album. You will receive your edited photos in an online gallery, completely free to download and print when you are ready.

RIP Molly. You were the best girl.