COMMERCE TOWNSHP, Mich. (WXYZ) — For those who have loved and lost a pet, the grief can be overwhelming. When our furry companions are no longer by our side, memories are often all we have left.
At 16 years old, Molly isn't as healthy as she used to be, dealing with seizures and vestibular disease.
"She's on a totally large regime of meds right now," Deborah Montgomery said.
Montgomery is well aware these are the final stages of her beloved pet's life. That's why she's choosing to commemorate their special bond through what's called an "end-of-life photoshoot."
"When the task is done and they've been put to rest is one thing. Then next and last is just the ashes if you choose to keep them or not. That is so anticlimactic. You don't even know what to do with them really, however, I now will have a collection of pictures, which we will be lining the walls with. But also, we spent the day together," Montgomery said.
The woman behind the camera is Hannah Rippey of Wandering Tails Photography. As a veterinarian technician by day, it's Rippey's full-time job that got her into end-of-life photography, only charging people what they want to pay.
"Something that broke my heart was just, you know, your dog is sick and here's the goodbye. I wanted to offer something to help people process that outside of the traditional bring your dog to the vet and say goodbye to them," Rippey said.
Hear more from Hannah Rippey in the video player below:
When asked about witnessing the special moments between pets and their owners during these photoshoots, Rippey finds deep meaning in her work.
"To me, it's a calling for me for sure and it just brings me so much joy, especially because I still am in vet medicine and I can't tell you how many days and how many weeks I go home just feeling broken and heartbroken for people," Rippey said.
Although our pets' time here is short, just like their love, photos like these will last a lifetime.
When asked if Molly was her most special friend, Montgomery replied "very much so. Yeah, very much so."
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