Photographer’s Free End-of-Life Shoots Capture Precious Moments Between Dog Parents and Aging Pets

• Julia Earhart has always been an animal lover who supports animal rescues and senior pets.
• When a client asked her to photograph her final days with her dog, she was inspired to provide similar sessions for free.
• Her “end-of-life shoots” allow dog parents to memorialize their favorite moments with their dogs in a unique, heartwarming way.

Photographer Julia Earhart has launched “end-of-life shoots” to allow dog parents to memorialize their favorite moments with their senior or terminally ill pets, free of charge.

Julia, from Dearborn, Michigan, has always been an animal lover. She herself has a two-year-old golden retriever, Benny, and a one-year-old golden retriever-mix, Bonnie. She also supports animal rescues and sponsors senior pets.

Julia was inspired to give free photoshoots after she was asked by Annelise Nearon to capture her final days with her eight-year-old Lab mix Cudi, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Julia told The Detroit News how that session made her realize the deep bond pet owners have with their animal best friend and family member.

“People might say, ‘Oh, it’s just a dog, why are you so upset?’ But for a lot of people, their pet is their family member or their child,” she said. “Photos aren’t something a lot of pet owners might think about doing, but I know how much I love my dogs, and I know how much that would mean to me.”

The free photo sessions capture pet owners and their pups enjoying their favorite activities together.

For Annelise and Cudi, the photos showed them snuggling and walking side by side.

When Julia shared the photos with the Facebook group Downriver and Friends, she also announced that she will be offering similar sessions for free.

Julia said that she understands how photographing dogs and their owners during sad periods can be difficult, but she considers her passion project as a source of joy.

“There is a real connection and a lot of emotion that these animals can bring out in us,” she explained. “Witnessing that as a photographer? It fills me with a lot of joy.”

Julia’s devotion to animals has led her to provide another way to give back to pets and the people who love them.

Source: PEOPLE