Photographer Accidentally Captures Emotional Photo of Dog’s Final Walk With Family
A photographer unknowingly captured a poignant photo of a family’s final walk with their terminally ill dog on a San Francisco beach.
Street photographer Mark Antonio — known on TikTok as @mark_lens2 — took the emotional photograph as he was wrapping up a day of shooting and stopped to watch the sunset at Crissy Field Beach, according to a report by Newsweek.
In a TikTok video that has received over 2.7 million views, Antonio is seen looking toward the Golden Gate Bridge when a dog walking with her owners catches his eye. With the scenic backdrop, he decided to surprise the couple with a family photo.
@mark_lens2 Street Photographer | Rest In Peace, Brees 🤍 Little Story about this day: I did my last Surprise with a couple up in the Golden Gate Bridge and I said I'm going home at that time. But as I was passing by Crissy Field Beach. I saw a dog was looking at me and that time I was not recording on my glasses. As I was getting closer she was with a family walking at the beach with this beautiful sunset with a view of Golden Gate Bridge. So I started recording so I can surprise them with a Free printed photos. Little did I know as I was approaching them and giving them the photos that was there last Family walk with her (Brees) She will be putting down the next morning🤍 So, I offered them with a free Family photo. So after taking that photo Allison was saying that they were trying to get a Family photo with Brees but her health declined rapidly. So they don't have the time to do it. I'm glad that I was there to surprised them with my little gift to them😊 Rest Easy, Beautiful Brees🤍 #sanfrancisco #streetphotography #dog #doglover #family ♬ Stuff We Did (from 'Up') – Piano Version – your movie soundtrack
“As I was passing by Crissy Field Beach, I saw a dog looking at me and at that time I was not recording on my glasses. As I was getting closer, she was with a family walking at the beach with this beautiful sunset with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge,” Antonio writes in the caption of the TikTok video. “So I started recording so I can surprise them with a free printed photo. Little did I know as I was approaching them and giving them the photos that this was their last family walk with her [their dog Brees].”
In a TikTok video shared on November 11, Antonio shows himself taking the photo, editing the image on his tablet, and printing a copy for the family right there on the beach. When he hands the print to the family, the couple are immediately moved to tears. They told Antonio that the photo held far more significance than he might have realized and it would be their final memory with their dog Brees.
The family explained Brees had been diagnosed with brain cancer in August, and her illness had advanced quickly. That walk along Crissy Field Beach — her favorite place — became their last evening together. Brees passed away the following day at just seven years old. Antonio says he was stunned when the couple explained why the photo meant so much to them and offered to take additional photos free of charge.
“I didn’t even know after I took a photo of them that they were trying to take a family photo, but Brees’ condition was getting worse,” Antonio tells Newsweek. “I was happy I was there for a reason.”
Furcolo tells the news outlet that ever since learning of Brees’ cancer, they had tried to arrange family photos with their beloved dog, especially as they had few photos of all four of them together. But Brees’ health declined faster than they expected, and the photos never happened. Now, Furcolo says that the images taken by Antonio will serve as a beautiful reminder of the couple’s first “kid” before they had their baby earlier this year.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.