Darcy, Emilie and Poppy with Lea, Paul and Mac.
Three weeks ago I spent a sunny afternoon at Grange Beach with this beautiful trio of Goldens and their doting family. Three completely kind humans and their equally sweet fur kids made my job as photographer a dream.
Grange Beach is a special space for Lea and her family, living right around the corner, they walk here together every single day. Lea has kindly shared her family’s story with us.
How did your dogs come into your world?
Darcy (11yrs) was a much needed companion after our 'year without fur', Emilie (9) arrived to keep his ego under control and Poppy (4) was a foster we all fell completely in love with.
When Darcy was a pup we decided to explore a vegan diet for him. As a vegan family we could no longer justify harming one animal to feed another. Much research and trailing was done and he was thriving! Emilie transitioned at 4 months old and Poppy took only 3 days to prefer their food over the other she came to us with. They are such gentle, caring creatures and we are glad that they are able to live their best doggy lives without harming others. #whyloveoneandnotanother
How would you describe their personalities?
Darcy's hashtag is #jerkymcjerkface! He is incredibly intelligent, a charming womaniser & the guy you would have a drink with but tell your friends not to date!
Emilie is sweet and good and all things nice about the world, she has a beautiful relationship with other species, has her own 'pet' native dove who adores her and she recently swam with a pod of dolphins at Grange beach.
Poppy is such a gentle soul, far from the timid wary girl we adopted, she is funny, bossy and incredibly clever and snuggly.
If they could tell us all something about you, what would she say?
Darcy may also call me a jerk, we have a love hate relationship. Emilie thinks she got her giggling from me and excitement about everything we do! Poppy may have been really grateful to us for saving her at first, now she is just happy she can manipulate us into things with her pretty face!
What's everyday life like with your dogs by your side?
Furry! 3 Goldens makes a LOT of hair, but we wouldn't have it any other way! Each day starts with Emilie's breakfast tummy alarm going off at 7am and each dog takes turn pressing their face against mine to wake me up. Ignoring is futile and only results in a pile of dog toys by my side. We go to the beach each morning where they run, roll in sand, meet doggo friends and swim no matter how cold the water is. I am lucky to work from home but rather than my dream of having them lay by my feet, they feel annoyed when I interrupt nap time. They often run down to my dad's house who has a stock pile of treats for them as they have trained their Pa well. As a family, son Mackenzie (14) and their human dad, Paul, they come out with us a lot to lunches, festivals, friends homes. Goldens really are versatile family dogs and slot in perfectly to all we do from stand up paddling, swimming, doing coffee, drives, shopping, festivals...as long as they feel included they love it all.
What do they love to do the most?
We spend a huge amount of time cuddling them! A HUGE amount! They are really sooky and love snuggles (the joy of big dogs is the real life size hugs) and generally playing/wrestling with us and each other. Eating is obviously high on the agenda! They seem to scavenge from us all no matter how disciplined we try to be and they love self serving from the fruit trees in our garden.
How has having dogs changed your life?
Dogs bring joy & hope each day. They live every moment like it is the first time, and get excited by all the little things. We really could learn something from them. Nothing beats the companionship of a dog, or 3, they are my best buddies, my extra children, my protectors and guides. Life is so much better with golden fur over everything!
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us all, and for spending a beautiful and meaningful evening with me. I feel honoured to be invited to peek through the window into your world, to learn about the life of your dogs and to celebrate your furry family.
x Dani.