Elderly Animals of the Day
Shortly after Isa Leshko spent a year caring for her mother as she suffered from Alzheimer's, she encountered a blind elderly horse living on a relative's property. Leshko spent the afternoon photographing him, and realized that she had found a project that would help her deal with her mother's illness. She began to visit sanctuaries across the U.S. to photograph animals that were elderly or at the end stages of their lives.
"I am creating these photographs to gain a deeper understanding about what it means to be mortal and to exorcise my fears of aging. ... I also want my images to inspire greater empathy toward animals, particularly farm animals. It is rare to see a farm animal that has actually lived its natural life span given that most of these animals experience brutality and death early in their lives. ... I want to challenge people's assumptions about these animals and inspire reforms to the treatment of farm animals."
The photos can be seen here --- and don't miss the video.