Maine pet photographers help owners memorialize animals in golden years

Maine (WABI) - A growing number of Mainers are memorializing their aging pets with the help of professional pet photographers.

Debra Bell, owner of Bell’s Furry Friends Photography, has her favorite photography spot on the Brewer Riverwalk staked out. Her clients include Bonnie and Clyde along with their humans, Anna and Tom Barrows.

“I adopted Bonnie and Clyde in August of 2016 when I bought my first home,” Anna Barrows said. “They are my family, they are absolutely the loves of my life. You just never know how many more years you have left with them.”

Tribute sessions are now a large part of Bell’s pet photography business. They focus on pets in their golden years or those with a terminal diagnosis.

“It’s my honor, quite honestly, to work with pet parents to create these really important pictures,” Bell said. “As a pet owner myself, I’ve had two dogs pass.”

Danielle Travers, owner of Soul Friends Fur-tography, offers what she calls End of Life sessions.

“I’ve had some that we didn’t realize were going to be end of life,” Travers said. “I had one dog where the owner found out the dog had cancer so we went out and did it at a park. The dog’s family was there. And the kids were blowing bubbles. And it was just a good memory. We ended up in the water and I got one photo out of that. And the dog has a big smile. And that was the one that they went with.”

Some of Travers’ photos are displayed on what’s known as the Legacy Wall at Mason’s in Brewer.

“The photo goes up on the wall of Mason’s for a month. And then the owner takes the print home,” she explains.

Mason’s owner Chris Morley said customers love it.

“Mason’s has always been a big advocate of animal causes either be it adoption or re-homing, service animals,” Morley said. “And we figured this would be a good showcase. Quite frankly, the photography is amazing.”

Both Travers and Bell advise pet owners considering these types of portrait sessions to schedule early.

“It’s a good idea to schedule a session early when the pet is still feeling fantastic, rather than wait,” Bell said. “I’ve seen too many pet owners wait until it’s too late and then they regret it.”

Soul Friends Fur-tography is hosting a Pet Expo on May 17 in the parking lot of the Furniture Gallery in Bangor. It runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Various pet rescue groups will be there and it is a dog friendly event.