I went down to the creek today; apparently a host of others had the same idea. It was a hot and sticky day, and the small waterfall and pool were a nice respite from the sun. A couple was walking their dog and I noticed that the poodle was walking strangely; he was missing a front leg.
Later as I headed back to my car, I passed by the couple and their poodle. I reached down to pat the dog’s head and it was immediately clear that the dog was enjoying the attention. I began talking to the couple and found out that Jack the poodle had lost his front paw to cancer and had recently entered the terminal stage of life as the cancer entered his lungs. The creek and the greenbelt had always been a favorite romp of the couple and Jack, but now they couldn’t manage the trails so well. Instead they came to enjoy the scenery in the time they had left.
I offered to take a picture of them. I didn’t have a choice really. There are two dogs at home; there will be a time when we too will no longer be able to walk the trails or fetch a ball.
2 Comments
Good photo, sad story. It reminds me of a married couple I occasionally see giving their black lab a ride in a kid stroller because the dog loves to be outside but has advanced arthritis and can’t walk. You have to love dog-people…
Photo is well done though – sun at their backs yet their faces aren’t in shadows. Use a flash?
No flash was used… there was actually a big rock face that was bouncing light back in their faces.