I have been so fortunate to add pet photography to my business.  My lifestyle completely shifted from someone who was adamant about not being a pet owner to someone who could not live without pets.   As a child we only had pets that could be contained in a cage or tank.  That meant turtles or fish because everyone in my family was allergic to furry animals.  Miraculously that allergy subsided.

Why am I a pet owner now?  Once I became a parent and my middle daughter could walk she became fascinated with dogs.  I distinctly remember when she was 2 years old and we were out on a walk when a neighbor's Springer Spaniel came bounding toward her.  The dog was taller than she was when it was standing on his hind legs. It leapt on her and nearly bit off her nose when she grabbed his ears in both hands. Luckily no damage was done.  She was enthralled from that moment on and would pester me day after day to get a dog.  On a constant basis I would find hints to get a dog including stealth additions to my shopping lists  One day when I was at the grocery store I looked at my list that read, "Milk, eggs, butter, bread" - and the next thing I saw scribbled in her child's handwriting was "dog."  She sure kept me laughing.

But as we all know once you get a pet the brunt of the work falls on the mom, right?  Well I had a plan.  When my middle daughter was 10-years old and still constantly begging to get a dog we put her to work.  We set up a neighborhood pet sitting business for her and her 6-year old sister.  Within weeks of sending around flyers to our neighborhood of 30 homes the girls had jobs.  Not only did they pet sit but also house-watched when folks were on vacation (of course we had adult supervision).  For just a few dollars a day they would feed, walk, scoop poop and bring in the mail.  Before we knew it their little business had grown and they were making enough money that we stopped giving them allowance.  (My oldest daughter set up a babysitting business and was making some nice pocket change too.)

That first year of business my daughters earned enough money to buy their own dog.  My daughter's friend at school had a Golden Retriever who had given birth to 7 puppies.  That was 8 years ago. 

Today my daughter is 18.   Our beloved Koa turned 8 on St. Patty's Day and this was what my daughter wrote on her Facebook page:

Today that series of funny photos of Koa has taken shape and made me realize how much I absolutely love taking photos of pets.   Pets are such a beloved member of a family.  Capturing great images of these family members means so much to each owner and I feel so fortunate and blessed to do what I love and to capture heart-warming photos for people of their furry, feathery and even slippery friends.

So to my middle daughter and Koa, a big hug and THANK YOU.  You have taught me and surprised me with many blessings along the way.