Random Excellence: Hannah Stonehouse Hudson

Photo by Hannah Stonehouse Hudson

After I dissed Wegman's doggies the other day I felt like my dog lover's cred was in jeopardy. My neighbor Karen (we actually talk over the fence in the backyard, and yeah, it's a picket fence) suggested I take a look at this shot from Facebook that went viral.

It shows John Unger with Schoep, his 19-year-old Shepherd mix (in case you're not a dog person and don't know, that's extremely old for a dog, especially a bigger one). On her Facebook page, Hannah writes, "Shep falls asleep every night when he is carried into the lake. The buoyancy of the water soothes his arthritic bones. Lake Superior is very warm right now, so the temp of the water is perfect."

Unger credits Schoep with helping him through hard times in his life.

The article at the Duluth News Tribune says, "the photo of Unger and Schoep is the second photo taken by Hudson to cause a sensation since she started her business in 2005. The first was of a bear crossing the ice on the lake in front of the Madeline Island ferry. 'I tend to be in amazing spots at the oddest times,' she said. 'It's Lake Superior, and weird stuff happens.'"

On Facebook, the photo's gotten more than 200,000 "Likes" and in excess of 23,000 comments.

Mike

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Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Tavia: "I would have done anything I could to help my little Inga feel better. God Bless this man and his dog."

Comments

[Alex]

Thank you very much for that picture.
Half a year ago, my parent's dog died at 13. Their new one chose me and life changed a wee bit since then. I never thought something like this could happen.

[darr]

You have posted a work of art that moves me; thank you!

[Tim]

`:)

[John Brewton]

Mike, thanks for posting this image. Since I don't use any of the social internet media I would never have known of this. Just a terrific shot.

[Ricardo Silva Cordeiro]

This is beautiful. Reminded me how I miss my my old dog that lived 18/19 years in great shape running happily until it's last day.

And this post had a perfect timing too: before reading this I was just seeing the project "Memento Mori" by the photographer Yun-Fei Tou:

http://www.fotovisura.com/user/crepe/view/memento-mori-2

It's revolting how so many people see animals as "things". Here in Portugal I feel ashamed and angry by the ongoing tradition of showing animal torture as a spectacle (also known as bullfighting).

[Hannah]

Thank you for sharing this! I love your blog so much :)

[Peter Croft]

Geez, Mike, this is the second time in a week I've cried on seeing an image.

I'm an animal lover and this moves me more than I can say. I have a 14yo Lab.

But on (Australian) ABC TV News last Saturday night I cried when we were shown a clip of the worst animal cruelty I've ever seen at a piggery in NSW. Yes, there was a warning but I had to look away in shock. I have protested.

I love animals more than people, I'm afraid. The power of an image ...

[Scott Jones]

For dog lovers this image says it all...

[Bob Rosinsky]

The photo and the story behind it beautifully illustrate the essence of canine and human devotion.

On another note, I can't imagine Lake Superior ever being warm enough for us Floridians to dip our toes into it.

[Gene Forsythe]

Mike,

As one who spends a lot of time photographing canines, I understood your comments about photos of the sort Mr. Wegman creates, and did not have a need or desire to comment on them. I place his photos in the category of 99.9% of all photos.....I look at them to see how they were made, composition, lighting, etc. - and if they are visually attractive. But in general they provide no message, no story, and no emotional involvement. I believe the presence of those things, as in this photograph, are what make a photograph valuable and appreciated. Even if we did not know the backstory of this photo, it still transmits emotion and tells a story.

Gene

[Ken Ford]

Can't see the pic, something in my eyes...

[Jason in Hawaii]

What a powerful image. It warms your heart and breaks it simultaneously.

[- et -]

As long as you are on the subject of people-dog relationships, I strongly urge you to take a look at how one such relationship was described on his blog by a professional writer. Take a look at:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/07/17/kodi-1997-2010/

I will not even begin to attempt to summarize what he had to say . . .

- Tom -

[Jayson Merryfield]

Human beings are such strange creatures. In a world of such random (and, it must be said, deliberate) cruelty and hatred, we're still capable of such unimaginable gifts of sympathy, compassion, and love. I can hardly fathom how we continue to exist between such polar opposites.

Imagine what aliens must think, looking down on us from their observatories high above.

[Mike Johnston]

"Thank you for sharing this! I love your blog so much :)"

Thank you Hannah!

Mike

[Tavia]

I would have done anything I could to help my little Inga feel better. God Bless this man and his dog.

[Su Kobbe]

I cry every time I see this picture because it epitomizes love. I love animals and cannot fathom how or why people abuse them. When I see a person like John, who passionately cares for and loves Schoep, it makes me love Mr. Unger. He has a heart of gold.

[Marina Kocen]

This is a beautiful relationship and of course a beautiful photo. Yes, that is a very old age for the dog and based on what I saw in the video and Mr. Unger's own admission of the pain his dog suffers from so much so that it can't sleep and struggles to walk I feel he should consider doing what may be best for his doggie and let him go. I had one that suffered from the worst arthritis my vet had seen and what seemed like dementia and as much as I didn't want her gone, I couldn't leave her to suffer until her body gave out.