SU alumni create ‘The Hardest Day,’ dealing with the grief of losing a pet
Courtesy of Ross Taylor
Losing a pet during his junior year at Syracuse University inspired Rafferty to create a project where the grief surrounding this experience was validated.
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When filmmaker Luke Rafferty lost his dog, Chester, during his junior year at Syracuse University, he felt embarrassed about grieving. The death of a pet often isn’t taken very seriously, he said. But in hindsight, he realized those strong emotions were completely valid.
“Grief is grief,” Rafferty said. “That is an animal that loved you, and it’s gone now.”
On Jan. 20, Rafferty and photojournalist Ross Taylor, who is also an SU alumnus, premiered their documentary, “The Hardest Day,” which captures the emotionally difficult experience of in-home pet euthanasia. Filmed in 2018, the 54-minute film follows multiple euthanasia appointments with Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, a nationwide network of veterinarians providing in-home, end-of-life care.
“We’re so honored to be included in this meaningful documentary,” said Dr. Dani McVety, founder and CEO of Lap of Love. “It provides a beautiful look at Lap of Love’s doctors as we provide a peaceful, dignified passing to pets in the comfort of their own home, while at the same time providing compassion and care to the people who love them.”
The creators met in 2013 in a shared Newhouse School of Public Communications class when Taylor was in graduate school for video production and Rafferty was working towards his photojournalism undergraduate degree. After Taylor did a photo series on the human-animal bond, the two decided to team up and explore the topic further with a documentary.
One of the greatest concerns in creating “The Hardest Day” was the comfort of families and ensuring filming didn’t add to the stress of losing a pet, Rafferty said. The creators had to ask families for permission to film the appointment at the time of scheduling and have them sign a release before the appointment but otherwise kept their presence to a minimum.
“Our goal was to be a fly on the wall,” Rafferty said.
The creators’ commitment to the families’ comfort also meant using less and smaller equipment, including iPhones, to seamlessly film the appointments.
“It’s one thing to take pictures, but it’s another to have a fair amount of gear,” Taylor said. “We just tried to be as small as possible.”
In-home euthanasia has recently gained more popularity, so the filmmakers chose this angle to shed light on what might be a better option for some families. It’s more comfortable for both the pet and the owner, Rafferty said.
Rafferty and Taylor recognized that losing a pet is a valid reason to grieve and hope that viewers who have lost pets will feel more comfort after watching the film.
“I want people to not feel alone in their grief,” Taylor said. “Our pets are our family.”
Because Rafferty currently lives in Philadelphia and Taylor lives in Denver — and the pandemic hindered a great amount of travel — all of the editing for “The Hardest Day” was done remotely. Rafferty estimated about 84 rounds of edits before they settled on the final product.
COVID-19 also prevented “The Hardest Day” from having a traditional premiere at a film festival. The creators explored multiple options, even the idea of renting out a movie theater in Tampa, before they settled on an online premiere.
“We are very excited for the premiere itself, to share on a national and international basis,” Rafferty said, praising the virtual format.
“The Hardest Day” is available for anyone to watch online until Jan. 29 at 12 a.m. Viewers must create an account to access the documentary, and while tips are accepted, “The Hardest Day” is free to watch.
For SU students looking to enter a career in photojournalism or filmmaking, Rafferty recommends pursuing topics they are passionate about and focusing on building relationships with anyone and everyone.
“I would not underestimate the power of small steps forward, because the cumulative power of small steps can be a grand journey,” Taylor said, adding his words of wisdom.
Since adopting his dog Waverly — named after Waverly Street near SU’s campus — Rafferty said watching “The Hardest Day” means a lot more to him.
“Dogs are the best,” Rafferty said.
Published on January 25, 2022 at 9:49 pm
