Leonard: A Much-Loved Pug Who Will Always Be With Emily

When Emily first contacted me, she had only lost Leonard a month earlier and was still very much in the early stages of grief.

She told me that Leonard was her beloved Pug and that she was struggling with his loss. She had found my work online and said she loved the realism and likeness of my pieces, and wondered if I could create something special to remember him by.

She sent me lots of photographs, and I spent time looking closely at Leonard's face and all those little details that made him unmistakably him.

With Pugs, there is so much character in their faces. The expressive eyes, the little wrinkles and that wonderfully familiar Pug expression all have to be captured just right. And for Leonard's necklace, I knew those eyes were going to be especially important.

When I sent her the video, she replied:

“As soon as I watched the video I just saw him - it’s the eyes for me. 😭It really touched my heart to see him and immediately stirred a lot of emotion in me. I was so scared opening it cause I was afraid it wouldn’t look like him but my god as soon as I saw it I just knew it was him. I’m crying I love it so much and I love that I’ll be able to have him with me always.”

That last sentence really stayed with me.

Because that's why I make these pieces. When you've lost a dog who was such a huge part of your life, you can't bring them back. But you can have something tangible that reminds you of their face, their personality and the love you shared.

Now Leonard's little face can stay close to her, hanging from his gold chain, just where he belongs.

And knowing that she looked at him and immediately recognised her boy makes every tiny detail of this necklace worthwhile.

If you would like to have your own dog recreated in silver, even from older photographs, I would love to see them. You can read more about my process here: Custom Pet Jewellery.

Who knows? Your precious friend might just be the next one I’m smiling about at my workbench.