We have had some news in the last few days regarding ‘Derry’ who I photographed last week (see previous post).  

‘Derry’ was found wandering the streets very late at night and was taken in by some kind person who then contacted the rescue the following day.  The rescue took him in and thankfully he was chipped so they were able to track down his owners.  That said, they refused to make the trip to collect him and because he was in such a state - malnourished, been living outdoors, mostly blind, scared, matted fur - it was agreed that the rescue would take him on.  I photographed him the day he arrived so he was not looking his best but in the short time I spent with him, he showed kindness and the desire to be loved, asking for cuddles, taking treats and saying hello.  He was looked after, had a bath and a clean up and things were looking like they were improving.

But unfortunately he took very ill and was rushed to the vets where they discovered that he had masses on his lungs and so the difficult decision was made to let him go.  This has been devastating for everyone who spent any time with him, including myself.  

When you photograph dogs you are watching them very closely, studying them all the time, its an intense experience, learning to pre-empt their every move in order to capture the perfect photograph.  The you spend hours editing images where you get to see them close up and they always resonate with you.  The best images are the ones that show their character and personality and so you spend time with these images, reliving the time you spent with them.  Editing can be an emotional and draining part of the job in this respect.

I later found out that ‘Derry’ had spent all his life in the garden.  When neighbours and their friends found out he was at the rescue they called and asked after him.  One of them even donated some money to the vets for him which was such a kind thing to do.  He loved his heat lamp and was getting the best food and I know that he was very well cared for, had some walks and was loved by all who met him in his short time at the centre.

I was really looking forward to seeing him again this week and spending some time with him but as I have experienced before, sometimes the photo’s you take are the last photo’s you take and this is the hard part of what I do.  I hope he has now found peace and a warm loving place to sleep. RIP.

I will add that some of the other dogs at the centre are undergoing rehoming at the moment which is great news and I hope that it works out for them.