In Memory of Stryker

There is a huge void in our lives (and home) at the moment. The house has been cleaned and redecorated within an inch of its life these last couple of weeks as we struggle to fill our time and thoughts, and try not so miss him so very much. In time it will all make sense I’m sure, but we are still at the point where it is impossible to think of him without being overwhelmed by the pain and sadness we feel.

My big boy was beset with health issues from quite an early age, and although he was only 6 years old, we felt he had just suffered too much, and we weren’t able to manage his pain any more. So its particularly sad that even with all the medical intervention and love in the world, we weren’t able to save our particular little darling.

Id love to know that he was on a Memory page somewhere….so some one would know how much he had been loved. He had the sweetest disposition, everyone who met him adored him and cuddled him because he had such a gentle ‘old soul’. He even charmed small children and non-dog lovers… amazing how attractive and desirable a calm spirit is to us all…. and god how he ADORED little kids…

His legacy if anything, was how funnily UN-labradorlike he was….he HATED water, was petrified of ducks…and didn’t like to go for walks, but in every other way, he was a picture perfect example of the breed. Loyal, gentle, loving…not just a good dog, a GREAT dog..

 

In Memory of Sascha

Sascha was rescued with her two little brindle sisters from a shelter in Georgia.   She was loved by so many and everyone she met adored her.   We will never forget this silly little girl who came to us full of life and love.  Memories of our sweet Sascha are shared by her foster mom who cared for her until her adoption.

” I will never forget when she and her two sisters arrived. They ran like three little deer. Their bodies went faster than their legs but it didn’t take long for them to figure it all out.

They loved being outside playing, running, laying in the sun and for Sasha it was a great time to eat my garden. I never knew another dog that loved weeds, sticks, dirt and bugs like she did. They were all of her favorite things in life.  I weed the yard a lot. For years I would keep a pile of the weeds until I finished gardening for that day but with Sasha around I couldn’t keep a pile as she would take the weeds as fast as I could put them in the pile.

So I started using a large flower pot to put them in.  One day while I was working around the yard and my weeds all safe and sound in the flower pot (or so I thought) I ran in the house to get the phone. I answered it and then busted out laughing in my mom’s ear. As I had turned around, Sasha was on the beige couch with weeds, dirt and sticks from one end to the other. She was so proud of herself. She managed to bring all of her favorite things into the house and decorate the way she thought the house should be decorated.  Her other favorite past time was playing with Ruby my beagle.

Those two were the best of friends and played for hours.  Now when I watch Ruby play with a new foster I will always think of the many months that she and Sasha played so hard in the yard.  She passed far too soon and even though it’s very heart breaking, I know she loved life and everyone that she met. She had some wonderful days filled with love, kisses and all her favorite things that she never had in the shelter. I understand why she loved all the things from outdoors and wanted them brought inside and I’m so thankful that I let her enjoy her weeds and dirt all over the living room for a few hours before cleaning it up. I’m so thankful we could watch her enjoy the silly things in life.

 In Memory of Spicey

Spicey was a very quiet, timid young girl who came to our rescue with her companion and their two very young puppies.  We didn’t know anything about her background or where she came from.

Her foster mom helped her work through her fears and we saw this wonderful girl blossom.

She was such a sweet girl and very much loved by our rescue and her new family.  Our sweet little angel went to the rainbow bridge in early 2012.  We will never forget you little one, may the angels hold you close.  We will always keep you in our hearts.

 

In Memory of Angel

DOB Unknown – June 12, 2012

Our hearts are heavy with the sad news of the death of a little pekinese we named Angel on Tuesday, June 12, 2012.  This was a terrible tragedy that was very unexpected.  She was sitting in a high kill shelter in Georgia when we networked to find someone to help us save her.  Rescue angels came forward to help by pulling this adorable little girl from the shelter where she was to stay with a temporary foster and later moved to a facility where she would have then been moved into our foster care program.

This little girl had no name, she was a number.  We later learned she had been hit by a car and suffered for two weeks prior to being pulled to safety.  She was scheduled for spay surgery, had a reaction to the anesthetic and never woke up.  Our long distance foster mom raced to the clinic to hold this little girl in her arms so she would not be alone.  We will always be grateful for Charlene who was the wonderful advocate who pulled her for us and loved this little girl until we could also share that love. Fly with the angels little girl, you had many hearts who loved you here on earth.

In Memory of Gracie

(into our rescue arms 2011 – into God’s loving arms March 2012)

Gracie was a tiny little girl who came into our care in the spring of 2011.  She was so tiny, so alone and had such a lost look on her little face.

When we rescued her we had no idea she was such a tiny little girl who, we felt, was likely the result of a backyard breeder or puppy mill.

Gracie was used and abused and forgotten.  Gracie was adopted by a wonderful family soon after her arrival here.  She enjoyed an absolutely wonderful year with her new adoptive mom.

She had the best a girl could hope for with a home full of so much love.  She never wanted for anything.  Her new mom gave her a beautiful life and helped put some weight on her tiny little frame, Gracie looked like a new girl and so healthy!

We recently received word that Gracie had developed kidney failure and went to the bridge early March, 2012.  It was heartbreaking to hear this news but we could not have wished a happier life for her while she was here.

God Bless you little Gracie (aka Katie with her new mom).  You were a little angel while you were here and now you are an official precious angel with God.

 

 In Memory of Gipsy

 

Gipsy passed away unexpectedly while getting ready to join our rescue. She left many volunteers heartbroken, including all of us.

We never had a chance to welcome her but we will never forget her.

Rest in Peace Gipsy, you had the sweetest eyes and won the heart of many.

 

 In Memory of Jazzy (Jasmine)

Jasmine was a sweet year and half year old girl who was full of so much love. She came from a shelter in Georgia where she had little time left.  Her adorable face captured our hearts and we were proud to bring her into our rescue family.  She had the spirit of a puppy and the beauty of an angel.

Jazzy was so happy during her time with her foster family.  They loved her early and taught her so many things, Jazzy was eager to please and was so content.  She loved to run and play in the huge yard at her foster home which was surrounded by beautiful gardens, trees and a pond.  Her foster family  thought the world of her and gave her a wonderful life during the short time she was with us.

One of her cute little features was a motion she made with her mouth as though she was talking.  This caught the attention of everyone who met Jazzy.  We will all miss this beautiful little face and innocent soul who left this world too soon as the result of an accident on September 22, 2011.

We love you Jazzy!  You gave us all many smiles and wonderful memories we will cherish for a lifetime.

In Memory of Rudy

Hi Nancy, m y Daughter (Bless Her) dropped you a line about my best friend who left us last week. A wonderful gesture and because it is so difficult to deal with the parting.

Rudy was a magnificent, large but very handsome dog. We were a team for a long time. Most people recognized me as that man with Rudy. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew Rudy and even my Mother who lives far away and only met Rudy twice in his 15 Yr life with us; yet everytime she called she would ask about Rudy, that’s the type of dog he was.

I could write volumes on his love and devotion to our family but let me just end this by saying that He was the Epitome of the description “Mans Best Friend”.

Max De Bruyn

Tribute to a Best Friend

Sunlight streams through window pane onto a spot on the floor…..
then I remember,

it’s where you used to lie, but now you are no more.

Our feet walk down a hall of carpet, and muted echoes sound…..
then I remember,

it’s where your paws would joyously abound.

A voice is heard along the road, and up beyond the hill,
then I remember,

it can’t be yours….. your golden voice is still.

But I’ll take that vacant spot of floor and empty muted hall,
and lay them with the absent voice and unused dish along the wall.

I’ll wrap these treasured memories in a blanket of my love,
and keep them for my best friend until we meet above.

Author Unknown

 

In Memory of Jazzy

We work with other rescues to help with temporary fostering, as needed, and transporting dogs to the foster homes for their rescues.  If not for the love of Loyal Rescue, this little senior boy would not have had the chance to know love in his short few months he was in foster care.

Thank you to Brenda for the compassion to save him to know a kind, gentle heart in his remaining months.  And thank you to Lucy Moye and her team of volunteer drivers for giving your love and time to make sure these precious dogs, saved from death row in shelters, a second chance to be loved.

Dedicated to the Memory of Jazzy

For those of you who helped transport Jazzy to LOYAL Rescue last September, I wanted to pass on this note from Brenda:

Lucy Moye
Open Arms Pound Rescue

 In Memory of Toby

I remember the first time I saw Toby.  I was looking on Petfinder for info on our rescue dogs that where up for adoption so I could post them on Kijiji to help find them new homes.

As soon as I saw his little face and his funny little expression I knew that I didn’t need to post him because he had his forever home, here with my family.

When Karen first arrived with him he was scared, but shortly after meeting my little boys that spirit I saw came out and he was home sweet home.  He played with my kids all day long and after they went to bed he would come over to cuddle up on my lap. He gave so much love from his heart and filled this home with that.

I remember all the tiny little kisses, all the nights that we watched t.v together.  Every night I would kiss him and tuck him into bed for the night.

I remember how he played with my sons, playing fetch and ran around with them and hearing their laughter.  I remember when he started to warm up to my husband he would come over and say good morning to him, or jump up on his lap just to give him a kiss.

Even sometimes he would sneak into bed with my daughter and cuddle in so close to her you wouldn’t even know that he was there, how she would pick him up and they would dance together.

As you can see Toby brought so much to this home, he brought so much love, happiness and such wonderful memories. Even though it was for just a short time, he gave us a life time of love and happiness. He was special in so many ways, more then anyone could ever imagine.  Me and my family where blessed with this tiny miracle and he will be missed dearly and will be held close to are hearts now and forever.

In Memory of Mindy

August 26, 2002 – January 7, 2011

It’s been two months since Mindy passed, and I still find myself looking at her favourite spot on the couch, trying hard to let my grief go, and concentrate on the eight wonderful years we had together.

She was such a happy dog, loved to cuddle, gave so freely of her doggie kisses, loved playing with her favourite toy “Buddy Wuddy” and hide and seek with me. And of course when company came, she knew that they were coming to visit exclusively with her, and out came Buddy Wuddy.

She was my shadow and Mac’s best buddy. She wasn’t content unless she knew where we were, what we were doing, and everything was ok in her house, and only then would she settle down for a nap. She never did master the art of belly rubs while laying on her back, but enjoyed them just as much on her side, and when wanting “extra attention” would place her neck next to my mouth for neck kisses, her eyes would close and could hear her say “Neck kisses are far better than treats, mom”.

Summer of course was her favourite season, the sniffing in the garden, the basking in the sun, the hours spent outside just laying around being a spoiled dog.

We were to grow old together, but God had a different plan for you. I like to think that there was a little girl or little boy in Heaven that desperately needed a loving dog, so God decided you were perfect for that child and took you to play with them.

On January 6th when I took you to the Vet for a shot to calm your tummy, I didn’t know when I held you on my lap that evening, and when I kissed you and carried you to your bed that night and said “Night Min, see you in the morning,” I would never hold you on my lap again or kiss you goodnight again, as you passed in your sleep next to Mac cuddled in your favourite blanket.

Your resting place is in the garden, wrapped in your favourite blanket, along with “Buddy Wuddy”, and a piece of my heart.

You brought such joy to my life, and I will forever miss you, my sweet Mindy.

Sharron Giles

Remembering Oscar

Oscar went to the Rainbow Bridge on February 1, 2010. He was more than “just a dog”. For those who didn’t know him, may I introduce Oscar, a kind, gentle and loving spirit. While we did not know his history before he was taken to our local shelter, we did know that he would be joining our family.

Just from looking at his picture and reading his bio on Petfinder, it was a matter of a day to submit our adoption application and within 3 days he was in his new home with his new sisters (two shih tzus Molly and Maggie Mae).

Oscar had a wonderful personality. He was so well behaved, loyal, loving, patient, eager to to go with us everywhere, loved to ride in our truck, go through the local coffee shop drive-thru and had his own favorite donut. Oscar also went to work with us every day and every customer who met him loved him!

When we first went to see Oscar at the shelter in July 2008, we were told he had dysplasia in his hips which was common for his breed (Collie/Retriever mix). Many people passed him by because he was a senior dog (approx 8 yrs. old) and they didn’t want the vet expenses that usually comes along with older dogs. That didn’t matter to us, we looked beyond the negatives and only saw his sweet face who was clearly ready to go home with people would would love him. His personality never changed from the first time we met him, always quiet and a joy to be around.

Once he came home with us, he had an immediate attraction to my husband and nudged him several times a day to go for a walk. Oscar loved his walks, sniffing every little thing on his daily walks and greeting people we met along the way. After 3 or 4 weeks of walking several times a day, the click in his hips were gone. He loved being able to run and once he discovered his limitation for running was gone, he could run like the wind .

Every morning before going to work, Oscar was the first one out the door in the morning and patiently waited for us to tell him it was time to get in the car. Sometimes we had to help him, but most of the time he could hop in on his own. Customers really enjoyed meeting Oscar as he greeted each and every one of them. Oscar didn’t let many people get past him as he always walked up to greet them and waited for a gentle pat on the head. He also strolled the entire yard area and once he was finished his stroll, he would wait patiently at the front door.

A week after Christmas 2009 while taking our early evening walk with both Oscar and our youngest Shih Tzu, Maggie Mae, we saw Oscar slip and fall on a patch of ice. Not thinking much about it, he just got up and carried on his way walking through a grassy area to enjoy the new scents by other dogs who has passed through the area.

A few days later we noticed him limping on his front left leg. We didn’t think the slip and fall could have caused it since it had been several days since he fell. Thinking maybe his nails were getting too long, we took Oscar to his groomer who bathed him and clipped his nails. He still had his limp.

The next trip was to our vet. We were concerned that he may have seriously hurt his leg in the fall. The vet gave him a thorough physical examination and found his winced when she moved his upper leg. During this visit, they also drew blood for a blood test. We left with a pain medication to help ease the pain while his leg healed.

The next morning we received a call from the vet who was concerned about the results of his blood work. Oscar’s results showed that he was anemic, his kidneys were failing (over 65%) and his red blood cells were not reproducing as they should. We took Oscar back the next day for a urine test which confirmed he had kidney failure. My husband and I were both in shock to hear these results. How could a dog with only a limp and no other symptoms be so sick?

His appetite was still good, he loved my home made chicken/beef, rice and vegetables (vet recommended supplements). Oscar was always a good drinker and we never had problems trying to get him to stay hydrated.

But his final week with us, we could see our boy was very sick. We laid two comforters on our living room floor to keep an eye on him and it helped to give him a cushioned area for his hips due to the weight loss. His hip area had become so thin and boney. He was losing his strength but he still had the determination to try to get up and go to the back door to go out. While Oscar had never made a mistake in the house, the last week he couldn’t help it.

We tried to help Oscar to stand but his body was so weak, he just fell in our arms. He could not hold up his back end without help. He was not interested in eating or drinking and could barely hold his head up. We both knew at that moment that we had to let him go. A call was placed with our vet’s office and we took Oscar in to be free of his suffering.

It was a very emotional and heartbreaking situation that we don’t wish on anyone. But we were both there for Oscar. His remains are in a beautiful small cedar box where he sits beside our first love, little Mickey, our 14 year old shih tzu who passed away in March 2004.

In the short time we had Oscar in our lives (since July 2008), we did our best to give him a good life filled with lots of love, kindness and patience. We can still see him running, waiting patiently for his dinner, excited to go for his nightly walks and rides through the drive-thru donut shop.

He is missed dearly and will be loved forever. May his sweet soul rest in peace and re-unite with the other little souls who have gone before him to the Rainbow Bridge.

If you are interested in adding your beloved pet to our In Memory Of page, we would greatly appreciate a small donation to help us in our mission to save urgent shelter animals.  Contact Nancy – please include your pet’s story and at least two pictures.