In memory of our beloved pet | Shadow

It was a seasonably warm SoCal day, and our team was doing a newborn baby shoot in a beautiful, one-story ranch-style house on a hill. The new mom was so gracious in letting Shadow come in out of the heat to be in her home with us. As was the way with any unfamiliar location, Shadow commenced her investigation of the place, directing her diligent and unwavering nose to every nook and cranny of this house to compile a full report on the situation. Of course, she never ever filed any of these reports. They were for her and her alone. And she was probably mainly looking for chicken or acceptable alternatives. As we settled into our shoot, photographing the baby alone, the baby with the parents together and separately, and then finally taking various shots of the family all together (with their fluffy, white senior dog), Shadow concluded her investigation and decided to be a photography assistant again. Shadow trotted up and sat down beside Stephanie as she worked to pose the family of four on a short flight of stairs. What happened next was so disarming and also emblematic of Shadow’s core. She laid there, tongue out, smiling, quietly but earnestly looking at each of the family members in turn. It was as if she was subliminally dishing out posing instructions for the family to follow, like a fluffy, miniature director, always on hand to help Mommy out.

This was our sweet Shadow, in a nutshell.

On October 20, 2022 we lost our sweet, silly, gentle, and adorable Shadow to cancer. After a heart-wrenching, months-long battle with a lung mass which we believe had spread to other areas, her body gave up the fight and she passed away in our arms. It began with a cough, which X-rays revealed were caused by an already sizable tumor, back in April. It was, as you can imagine, the most devastating news a pet parent can get. We didn’t yet know if it was benign or malignant, but the vet said to assume the latter. The problem was that the two approaches that the vet prescribed for getting a more definitive diagnosis, a fine needle aspirate around the lungs, or open surgery to pull out a sample, both carried with them a measure of risk that we weren’t willing to accept. We agonized over it, but ultimately we opted to keep Shadow away from the suffering of the operating table. Instead Stephanie, being the most dedicated, determined, and loving dogmommy, discovered two uplifting, seminal documentaries and their associated communities surrounding dog cancer and holistic animal care. Long story short, we soon dedicated ourselves to revamping Shadow’s diet to extend her life and improve her quality of life for as long as humanly (doggedly?) possible. We overhauled her diet per the advice of non-traditional experts and helped to boost her immune system to keep the monster at bay.. for a time. Enjoying each other’s companionship to its fullest became our primary mission.

Even before the heartbreaking diagnosis, we had always arranged our lifestyle to include Shadow in everything we did. After she rescued us at the SPCA LA shelter in Long Beach in 2019, it soon became clear to us that she was not going to be a “leave at home” dog. Shadow was there to make us look like a whole family on a little picnic on an undercover stakeout for our first-ever marriage proposal photoshoot. Shadow tagged along on countless family portrait sessions, ecstatically rolling around on the grass while our clients’ children giggled, wanting to reach out and pet her. Shadow was the perfect guest when she was invited to participate in a unicorn-themed party near the stables (but was a bit scared of the unicorn). She was a fixture at our booth at over a dozen craft fairs (our side business), bringing immense joy to passersby and comforting us during the long days. She was overjoyed to go on the road with us to Joshua Tree (twice) and to the Northern California Bay Area because it meant she was able to romp around and sniff new things. But more than anything Shadow was a constant companion to us in all things at all places, and it was our honor and labor of love to be there for her each and every day.

Shadow, we, and so many people whose lives you impacted, big and small, will miss you dearly. You lived longer than the vets predicted, but still way shorter than we would have wanted. We wish we could have forged more new trails with you. We’ll miss you on all the hikes you’ll never get to hike, and all the bike rides you’ll never get to ride. As the philosophers Timon and Pumbaa once said, “our trio’s down to two”. While the bright center of our universe is darker now, we hope you can breathe clearly now as you run through heavenly fields of tall grass, chasing the hapless crows and squirrels, and eat as much chicken as your adorable round eyes can spot. We will love you forever…