Sunshade’s 13th Birthday

If there’s ever an award for The Bravest Dog, without hesitation, I would award it to Sunshade. (See her session at Granville Island here.) At the age of 13, she has been through so much and more than anyone could ever imagine. She pushes through everything thrown at her like a hero and is no worse for wear in the end. If I could show you a timeline of every single health issue she has endured, you would be in disbelief, too. She has fought through it all and today, she is very healthy and in more ways than one, still puppy-like.

Of course, her mom Elaine, one of the most devoted dog owners anyone could ever meet, should also be credited as she stood by Sunshade throughout everything and never gave up. I always knew how much care and love Elaine showered Sunshade with since years ago, but ever since she has become one of my close friends since last year, I have learned about even more of her sacrifices for Sunshade. So, when she asked if I could shoot Sunshade’s birthday, I had to say YES! What an honor it is for me to be able to photograph such an important dog on one of her most important days thus far, her 13th birthday! We had to celebrate it a few days earlier because on her actual date of birth, I would already be gone on a trip with J.

The night before the shoot, I baked two cakes — one for Sunshade and one for her brother, Jaffa. They are both November babies and Elaine decided to celebrate both of their birthdays together for the shoot. I will be uploading Jaffa’s photos in a different post.

Enjoy the photos and if you have some time, please leave a comment to let Elaine know what a WONDERFUL job she has done with Sunshade! This world needs more pet owners like her, wouldn’t you agree?