06/03/2026
Please share some love with Parkerās family as they recently said goodbye to their sweet girl and the final member of a beloved pack. ā¤ļø Here is Parkerās momās loving tributeā¦
Today, I said goodbye to my beautiful Parker at home. She passed peacefully. The transition was gentle and filled with so much love. Parker was a sweet, water-loving, wood-crunching soul. But her story started differently in a heavy place. Back in October 2012, I went to the Wakulla shelter to photograph dogs for a local rescue. As I walked through the shelter, my camera lens kept being drawn away from the loud barkers and pulled back toward a sad little dog sitting quietly in the corner of an outdoor pen.
I asked about her. She was a mama dog who had been dropped off with her puppies. All of her babies had been adopted, leaving her behind. Worse, the shelter was running out of space, and her time was running short. Even though I had just saved Peanut and Star right before her and didnāt plan on keeping another, I couldn't leave her there. I took her home to foster her.
Parker, however, had other plans. I took her to adoption events, and even to a meet-and-greet at a potential home, but she made it crystal clear: she had already chosen her human and she was already home.
So, she officially became the fifth member of a legendary, wonderful pack of five. For years, my pack ruled the forest trails. We hiked, we explored, and I captured hours of video and photos of our happy moments. Among them all, Parker was my wild water girl. She loved to swim, and she had a hilarious, unmistakable signature hobby: she would find logs in the ponds, drag them out, and use her powerful jaws to crunch and break off giant chunks of wood.
One by one, the years have rolled on, and the other members of that magnificent packāGreta, Saylor, Peanut, and Starāhave crossed the rainbow bridge. Parker was the final, beautiful soul standing. Saying goodbye to her isn't just losing an incredible dog; it is closing the final chapter on an entire, unforgettable era of my life.
Run free, my sweet Parker. Go find Greta, Saylor, Peanut, and Star. The pack is finally back together.