For those who have loved and lost a companion animal, Mutual Rescue created two timeless messages from the spirits of a dog (“Still Yours”) and cat (“Silent Paws”). Through photography, poetry, and music, these memorial montages illustrate the enduring bonds between companion animals and their people.

Gabriel Spera’s poem from the perspective of a cat spirit comforting people in mourning, for Mutual Rescue’s memorial montage “Silent Paws.”

I made my way to the little blue “cat house” in Chicago’s Bowmanville neighborhood. As I walked in, a couple of dozen cats came racing to the door to greet me. One of these cats was Crackle. Little did I know this sweet little boy would become my best friend in time.

Gabriel Spera’s poem from the perspective of a cat spirit comforting people in mourning, for Mutual Rescue’s memorial montage “Silent Paws.”

Tight situations and evaluating risk are something Mike Merrill is accustomed to—from his ten years in the Army and decades in Silicon Valley startups to his work evacuating animals from natural disasters, and now from a war zone.

The Ukrainians Alexandra Sava meets in Romania tell her stories, so many stories. People who refused to leave Ukraine without their pets. Those forced to flee without them, begging her to find help for their animals back in Ukraine.

Rock climber Ethan Pringle knows that, in the end, what matters most is love—loving those around you, loving your life, and showing love to those who need it most.  

Working with animals can transform you. In learning to express empathy with animals, I learned to express it with people. And I learned how much I had to offer. I learned to love myself as well.