Oliver: not just a cute french bulldog.
While obviously he was the cutest French Bulldog in all of the land to me, Oliver's story was one of pure joy and adventure which also led to one of incredible resilience and bravery in his twilight years.
Rewind all the way back to the beginning of 2013...
I often regret not having beautiful images of the small, wriggly puppy Oliver once was. However, the main reason is because I never actually met him as a puppy. Oliver came into my life in a very unexpected way and we became inseparable. He was around 3-4 months old when I met him and I remember thinking "what the heck is a French Bulldog?" before I even laid eyes on him. The day finally came where I met him and the first thing I noticed is how his ears were SO much bigger than he was. He reminded me of Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch, of course).
Life soon changed after a relationship break up, but I knew I couldn't bear a future without him in it. I fought with everything I had to make sure he stayed with me, and it was one of the best decisions i've ever made.
(Image above: 2014 - one of the very first images I took of Oliver with my DSLR. He was around 4 months old)
Oliver quickly became my inspiration - no matter what it was, I always created with him in mind. I had a short stint where I realised I quite enjoyed sewing, and I began sewing custom dog collars and leads (with him as the model, obviously). I started taking more images of him to show off the creations I had made, but I noticed a shift in what I was enjoying more. I found myself on the computer editing and admiring the beautiful images I had taken of him far more than I did sitting at my sewing machine, so it was a no brainer to try and continue down the photography path. He was my first source of inspiration and allowed me to experiment and grow within my craft - all while enjoying roast chicken as payment for his modelling services.
It was difficult to capture a 'bad' photo of him, he had such a large amount of character. Not only in his looks, but in his personality too. He charmed the socks off nearly everyone who met him - he had such a beautiful, gentle nature and was particularly drawn to small children. He would follow my nephews around from the moment they were babies all the way to toddlers - looking up at them in awe as if to say "Hey! We are the same size!"
But of course, there were haters - a small percentage who would comment that Oliver had 'a face only a mother could love'. Oliver wasn't bothered by these comments as much as I was - he was still happy to greet these same people with the same amount of kindness he would give anyone else. Isn't that one of the most beautiful things about dogs? They don't sweat the small stuff and move on with no resentment. Granted I didn't accept someone telling me dog he was 'ugly' to be small.
Oliver and I shared many adventures together - he was my main man when it came to location scouting for photo sessions. If I found a location on google that I thought might look suitable, it was pretty certain he'd be joining me on the car ride there to explore it - and then model for me to make sure everything looked great. He never complained - he always asked to come in the car almost daily. Even when I would go to work, he was so certain he was coming that he had a look of complete devastation when he realised he had to stay home.
Most of our weekend mornings in the summer months were spent at his favourite beach in Shoalwater. A calm, relatively private beach which provided a tranquil start to our mornings. We would walk the length of the beach and then admire the ocean on the walk back, often spotting dolphins and other sea life. Oliver was not very fond of water from a young age though - he was terrified of the waves. However, he joined me one summer morning for an adventure on my paddle board - life jacket and all, where he witnessed a dolphin surface right next to our board. Such a beautiful moment to experience together and one I will never forget.
Now, despite having a professional pet photographer as his Mum, he was actually one of the most difficult dogs to capture after years and years of becoming desensitized to every noise maker under the sun - every squeaky toy, every crazy noise I make to capture his attention - nope. I often laughed when he (on occasion) was captured by other photographers who were very confident in their arsenal of squeakers to grab his attention. He really said "NOPE" and made you work for those photos! His kryptonite was watermelon - if he saw you take it out of the bag and put it on the counter, his eyes began to glisten and widen with excitement. There was no other food (despite loving all kinds, including broccoli leaves), that quite made him as passionate as watermelon. I included watermelon as one of his special foods to enjoy in his final days before he crossed the rainbow bridge.
Between 2015 - 2021, Oliver featured in several of my published projects, including the cover of my 2016 book, French Bulldogs of Perth, and on the cover of my 2021 calendar, Perth French Bulldogs. My camera was always capturing him no matter the occasion - quiet moments at home, exploring parks, seasonal portraits with santa hats and bunny ears (much to his disappointment, i'm sure).
My business became very established in the pet photography field, but unfortunately something began unfolding for Oliver that neither of us saw coming. At 8 years old, he was diagnosed with arthritis in his spine and hind legs. This was a very devastating blow for both of us and I wasn't sure what to expect or what this meant for his life going forward. Was I going to lose him soon? Was he living his life in constant pain? How long did he have? If he was in pain, he sure masked it well. None of his daily activities or enjoyments were ever affected or avoided until much later on.
And suddenly, Oliver was 10 years old. I had a senior dog. Where did those youthful years go? The importance of photographing a dog at every stage of life really struck me even harder. I had no photos to document his puppy years, but plenty in his prime.
One particular week, I noticed him getting excited for his dinner (as he always does), and he usually does his little happy dance. He couldn't. He was falling over with every attempt. His hind legs were starting to give out. After a tearful visit to the vet, we put a plan in place to source a wheelchair for him to aid his mobility, as well as bi-weekly acupuncture. No one can really prepare you for the drastic change that is going from a dog who is healthy and able, to a dog who is unable to do all of the things they used to do with ease. They are now needing assistance just to eat, get onto the couch and to toilet. It's something I was never truly prepared for. Every hour of my days were dedicated to Oliver and his declining health.
Owning a senior dog must not be taken lightly. It takes resilience, patience, empathy and the ability to stop at nothing to make sure you have done everything possible to make sure they can get through each day as comfortably as possible. To not only be there for them during their prime years when they are full of fun and energy - but to be there during the most difficult years of their lives when their bodies aren't keeping up with that youthful, puppy mind that they still have.
If there was one thing I could tell you about Oliver during this time - it was his true resilience through all of the debilitating pain he was experiencing. He was always full of patience and determination. Even when he noticed that his own body was failing him, he continued to give it his all despite his disability working against him. He inspired me from the moment I met him, and continued to do so even when he became disabled, finding joy in the smallest of things each day.
These photos are some of my most treasured possessions now. They remind me that the days never feel long enough, but the memories last forever. I'm so grateful for every image I captured of Oliver to document all of the memories we shared together. Oliver was my only true friend, support and the only consistent love I knew for the majority of my adult life. We went through many highs and many devastating lows. He was there through it all.
Oliver gave me so much more than beautiful photographs. He gave me friendship, comfort, adventure, and a love that shaped a huge part of my life.
I still grieve for him all the time, but I'm incredibly grateful for every photo, every memory, and every year I had with him.
Oliver may have passed on, but his memory will always live on through my work.
Oliver's story is one of the reasons I am so passionate about photographing dogs today. Looking back, I realise just how priceless these images have become. They allow me to revisit moments that would otherwise exist only in memory.
Every dog has a story worth preserving, and that's what inspires me to document the bond between pets and their people as a Pet Photographer. Because one day, these photographs become more than just pictures — they become memories you can hold onto forever.
