Celebrating Dani’s Life | 10 Years of Love, Laughter, and Adventures
This past year has been the best year I’ve had, in my photography career. I’ve continued to book more weddings and my work seems to improve each time I pick up my camera. However, personally, I’ve been struggling with the hardest loss I’ve had in my life.
I adopted Dani in June of 2014, when she was only 12 weeks old, from the North East Animal Shelter, in Salem, MA. I walked down the aisle of kennels, passing by plenty of great dogs, but as I approached the last kennel my heart nearly skipped a beat. There she was. Sitting in the middle of her kennel, looking up at me, as though she had been waiting just for me. After signing some paperwork, we headed home and I officially began the best chapter of my life.
The puppy year is adorable, but also incredibly challenging, and Dani was no exception. She tore up dog beds, chewed multiple phone chargers, and even ate an entire box of Crayola crayons, and literally shit a rainbow for days. And yet she was the perfect companion. Always ready to follow me on the next adventure. She loved going on hikes and just explore the woods for hours. It didn’t matter how long we were gone for, because as long as we were together, neither of us had anywhere better to be. She was actually part of the reason why I bought my first camera and got into photography in the first place. If it weren’t for her then Mike Indi Photography may not even exist.
After her first birthday we moved into my aunt and uncle’s house, and they loved Dani almost as much as I do. They provided her with a great home and were incredibly helpful with taking care of her when I needed to work late hours. And for that I am grateful to them forever.
Dani even led me towards my wife and she was probably one of the only reasons she stuck with me so long. Watching how Hannah and Dani loved each other too made my heart so warm. For many years the three of us were taking on the world together and growing closer as a family. When I started working from home, during Covid, we adopted our second dog, Ripley, and Dani became a big sister. Somehow, she surprised me even more as she grew into the role of the big sister and teaching little Ripley the rules and how to be a good dog. I can still see parts of Dani in Ripley and how she made a lasting impression on her as well. Dani wasn’t a big fan of strangers but for the lucky few who were loved by her know how special she really was.
Dani changed my life for the better in countless ways. She brought me out of my shell, helped to point my life in the right direction, and filled my heart with love each and every day. My life hasn’t been the same since she’s been gone and I still cry almost every day, but I am proud of the person I am today because Dani was such an important part of my life.
