treat time | southern ontario pet photographer

It feels like spring out there, so it's time to get cleaning! And that includes your four-leggers too! If your dog needs a good scrub, I'm sharing a great coupon for 50% off a self-serve dog wash at Oliver Pets & Co. It can be used at the Burlington and Oakville locations, so it's for those of you living locally (sorry everyone else!).

Just print and take your pup in for some tub time!

 Have a great weekend — enjoy the nice weather!

Wags,
Stacey

kyra | burlington ontario pet photographer

I have tried to write this post several times, and I keep tearing up. It's so difficult to find a starting point for such an emotional story.

Meet Kyra, a gorgeous three-year-old Siberian Husky. She entered my model call a while back and I picked her out of several entries, not only because I've never had a husky in front of my camera before, but also because her story — and the story of her companion Jill — is so powerful.

You see, Kyra saves Jill's life every day. With her devotion, companionship and ability to understand when humans cannot, Kyra stops Jill from taking her own life. Every day.

Let's rewind a bit before going forward. Jill is a competitive ultra long distance marathon runner. That's right, ultra. She runs distances of up to 160 km on forest trails. In 2008, she competed in 10 races and made the podium in nine of them. She was training to make the Canadian Women's Ultra Marathon Team. When Jill's original canine running companion (husky Kysmit) became too old to accompany her, puppy Kyra became a member of the family. By the time Kyra was three months old, they were running together.

"From the very first moment her little paws touched the trail I knew by the gleam in her eye and the grace of her gait she was born to be a runner," says Jill. "Not only because of her breed, but I could sense the desire in her heart and the ache in her soul to run. We were two peas in a pod."

At the time, Jill was also a busy volunteer and coach, worked a full-time job and had two active children. Her days started at 4:30 a.m. and didn't slow down until 11 p.m.

In 2009 she had a mental breakdown and attempted to end her life.

She was diagnosed with manic depression, anxiety and anorexia. One month later, her mother passed away, followed by her beloved husky Kysmit. Unable to work and alone all day, Jill turned to Kyra. Or perhaps it was Kyra that turned to Jill.

"I plummeted to the darkest place I have ever been to in my life and no one could understand me or knew what to do," says Jill. "But Kyra did. She would sit with me while I cried, resting her head on my lap. She slept by my side of the bed and paced the hallway with me when I couldn't sleep. And if I needed something, she knew what it was. Be it something to eat (she would lead me to the kitchen), get out of bed (she would pull off the covers and lick my face until I rose) or go running (she would bring my running shoes to me). She helped me feel just a little of her sunshine."

That sunshine began to grow stronger as Jill recovered.

In 2010 Jill competed in her first 80-km race in two years. Two kilometres from the finish line, Kyra was allowed on the course to bring Jill home. Kyra has also inspired Jill to follow a new path in life. She is taking classes to become a certified dog trainer and handler. She hopes to train therapy dogs for people with mental illnesses, and one day have those dogs recognized as official service dogs. 

Jill is still coping with her mental illness with Kyra by her side. She calls Kyra her safety net — Kyra can sense when Jill is about to have a panic attack and they travel everywhere together. With her canine companion in the car, Jill knows she won't run it off the road.

Now, when dark thoughts creep in, Jill thinks about what she will leave behind. She has a debt to Kyra that keeps her alive.

"I owe her a lifetime of runs in the forest, of snuggles at night, of cookies and unconditional love like she has given me," says Jill. "She does not label me mentally ill and did not pull away from me like some humans in my life. I don't know what she sees when she looks at me, but I know that when I look at her I see the sun, I see joy and I see hope for my future."

Thank you Jill for sharing your story so openly and honestly in the hopes of helping others. And thank you Kyra for being such a kindred spirit to Jill.

Although she was a busy girl during our session — always exploring, nose to the ground, eyes searching the trees — Kyra's presence is one of serenity and light, which I feel so lucky to have experienced.

The nurturing and healing powers of four paws is awesome. I hope the sun keeps shining bright for you Kyra and Jill!

Wags,
Stacey

more adoptables | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

It's been a few months now since I started volunteering at the Burlington Humane Society — I pop in every few weeks and take photos of the animals available for adoption for the shelter's website. The feedback I've received makes my heart warm. I get such a nice welcome every time I show up and it sounds like the photos might be making a difference! I haven't posted photos of adoptables on the blog in a while, so I thought I'd give you a quick sample of the sweet faces I've met over the last few weeks.

 As you can imagine, working with animals can be unpredictable and there are so many funny moments that happen "behind the scenes." I post a lot of these outtakes on my Facebook page, so if you're not already a follower, what are you waiting for?

I'm just going to get up on my soapbox for a quick moment ...  if you have the love and the time, adopting a pet in need can be so fulfilling. Help an animal that can't help itself and check out your local shelter!

Wags!

toby & bear | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

As promised, meet Toby and Bear, the feline brothers of adopted dog Nikki. Both have lovely soft fur and are so friendly. Toby, 5, is the more high-energy boy, but you would hardly know it from these first few photos. Am I keeping you up Toby?

Toby loves to be pet and he's just so handsome, you can't help yourself!

Bear is the younger brother at two years old. His favourite place is flopped over his mom's shoulder.

He also has the cutest paws. That is some toe hair!

Both cats were excited to be let outside. They are allowed to roam the backyard as long as someone is keeping a close eye on them. Of course, both immediately went into "hunt/pounce" mode.

And here are the kiddos all together ... well, as much as I could get them together!

That's one cute family!

nikki | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

I think I left off with my last blog post saying I would write something about sizing your artwork next ... but that will have to wait, since I have something WAY cuter to post. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with cairn terrier-schnauzer cross Nikki and her feline brothers Toby and Bear. What can I say except that my camera loved all three of them! I'll focus on sweet Nikki for this post, since I had a hard time narrowing down her images. She's just adorable!

Nikki is a adopted and her history is pretty unpleasant. She came from a puppy mill where she was bred several times. Happily she now has a new home on a beautiful property with a mama she just adores. Because of her previous life, she is quite timid and at the age of three, just starting to learn basic commands. But she is so sweet and calm and affectionate.

Is that a hint of a smile? I think so!

 Whew, modelling can really take it out of you!

Thank you Nikki and Linda for an enjoyable afternoon — I hope you enjoy your photos! Check back soon for Toby and big boy Bear!

puppy! | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

Need I say more? Feel free to click back on this link whenever you need a pick-me-up! This is Aphrodite and gosh did I ever have fun with her. She loved my green squeeky ball and was just the perfect amount of playful. Oh, and this little sweetie is available for adoption at the Burlington Humane Society!

adoptables | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

I was back at the Burlington Humane Society on the weekend to take more photos of the amazing animals available for adoption. There are still a ton of cats and kittens being housed at the shelter, so I was busy photographing all their cute faces for the website. Every single one of them is a sweetheart and deserving of a loving home (seriously, they are all adorable!). If you're looking to add a feline friend to your family, drop into the shelter for a visit. Here are a few of the awesome animals looking for homes:

And Cliff, the only canine in the pack!