Goodbye, mate. A family farewell to the fur baby

Mostly my travels with camera take me to places where it's all about brides, babies and new beginnings. But very recently, I spent the afternoon with a baby of another sort - the fur sort. And it was about celebrating the end of life's journey instead of the start.

You need to be a dog owner and lover to understand the special role they play in our lives...and the giant hole they leave in our hearts when as fur parents we outlive them.

I have known Ruby since she was a little puppy. A Saint Bernard, no one has called her little for a VERY long time. Sadly she has just made the trip to fur baby heaven, so I was glad for the chance to spend some time with her and her family just before she left, and show my own baby a little bit about life in the country at the same time.