Rosco the Newfoundland Dog at Angel Mist Antiques in Albert County

I photographed Rosco, the chocolate Newfoundland dog in the autumn leaves for my Tails of the Chocolate River book. This beautiful boy has quite a story, so buckle up!

Here’s Rosco’s “tail”, in the words of his person, Stacey:

"Rosco is a Newfoundland dog. He joined our family at the young age of 3 weeks old when I fostered him and his nine siblings. It was love at first sight.

"Unfortunately Rosco was diagnosed with a severe genetic hip disorder in both hips at 7 months old. He underwent two major surgeries to completely remove both hip joints. His recovery was not going well and we were facing the possibility of losing him unless we could locate some hydrotherapy services, which were not available in our area.

"Out of desperation I placed an ad on Kijiji, praying I’d find a fellow dog lover with a pool willing to help. What followed still seems surreal to me. My ad went 'viral.' The next day, after my ad was shared over 30,000 times, we spent the whole day doing interviews with every local media platform in our area. Then the NATIONAL news picked up his story. The night it aired a local pool company approached us and offered to build Rosco his own custom hydrotherapy pool! They saved his life.

“I also swam and did hydrotherapy with over 35 local dogs in need.”

"Thanks to Rosco, I followed my dreams and went to grooming school and opened my own grooming shop (For The Love Of Rosco Dog Grooming) that was built specifically to cater to 'special needs' dogs. The media followed Rosco’s story for the next three years and he became a sort of celebrity all over the world. Rosco is definitely my heart dog. He has changed my life for the better in so many ways I just cannot put into words."

At the time of our session, Rosco's mom had just lost her own father who had been a firefighter to cancer. I had the idea to photograph Rosco with his Granddad's helmet, in front of the antique firetrucks at Angel Mist Treasures and Antiques on Route 114. When I suggested the idea to her, it turned out that she had a connection to the owner of the antique store as well, having done hydrotherapy in Rosco's pool with their Great Dane years ago! Sometimes, you just have to believe in fate.

Autumn leaves can be tricky to match to some decor, but they add a beautiful splash of warmth and colour to a room decorated in neutrals and natural earth tones.