Tribute

Jeff and Rachele said goodbye to Lea on December 28, 2018.

I had always been afraid of dogs and have never had them until 6 years ago. We rescued a golden retriever who we thought was going to be put down, we had totally misunderstood. Two months later we decided to look for a dog to keep our golden retriever company. I saw Lea in the shelter hanging out as far away from the gate as she could get, she just had the soulful eyes. Not being dog owners for very long, we didn’t understand that was hiding and fearful. She must have been beat and was afraid of most men for the first couple years of having her. If a cuss word was spoken around her, she would run and hide in the bed.

Eventually Lea learned to trust and wag her tail, and even to lay on her back for my wife and I, to give belly rubs. She always had the most soulful eyes. She loved to go camping and hiking and get in the trash if it was smelling especially good. Lea loved to sleep with us and cuddle up at night.

For her final day we took her to her favorite park for a short walk, for a drive (her favorite thing to do) to the mountains and a short hike in the snow, and a lunch of chicken nuggets.  

Our hearts are broken, but we know that we have her more love than she could have ever imagined. 

Pamela said goodbye on December 8, 2018.

Joe, my husband, was a Vietnam Vet. Me & Joe started looking on line for another rottie to rescue, found a dog at the Media Humane society. We got there before they opened, we were both excited. We go in & saw the dog that was on line, def not what we expected, unfortunately. I started walking down the aisle & there HE was!! I fell in love instantly!! It was his 1st day out of quarantine, he was found abandoned. They named him Nero. Ha! Def not a Nero, he was so full of energy, happy, oh I was in love! 

They let us take “Nero” for a little walk. What a trip!   Sug was all over the place. No containing his enthusiasm! In between both our legs, not listening to any commands. I knew at that moment he was family.

Unfortunately Sug wasn’t neutered so we had to leave him & come get him in a week. My daughter Katie came with us the next week to pick him up. Another love at first sight! They sat in the backseat on the 45 min drive home & were as close as a brother & sister could be by the time we got home. 

“Nero” became Sug on the way home, and he made himself at home right away. There was a pile of toys from our previous rottie Romeo in the corner, Sug went right to it, picked up a stuffed robot pull toy & ran into the kitchen. I wish I had my camera because the look on him when he came back with the toy hanging from his mouth & his eyes asking “Can I, can I?” was so precious! Then he jumped up on the sofa. Sug was home. We were a family.

He was a great friend for Joe. Joe used to take him for drives & let him sit in the front, tried to put a seatbelt on him, but Sug just loved hanging out the window. I miss our cruises so much. I have a Honda Civic & the backseat is his. I took him everywhere I could.

Since Sug passed, Pamela has welcomed much new joy into her life in the form of TWINS! Her daughter Katie had two precious babies

Anne and Rob lost Holly on December 4, 2018.

There is so much I could tell about Holly, sturdy, joyful, inquisitive, tender, gentle, utterly faithful. She would sleep close to me for a few hours before going off to her own bed. How many times I’ve thought how impossible it is to describe the sensation of sleeping cuddled up to a dog. It is total trust and symbiosis. I mean, who would sleep so peacefully with someone you don’t trust? 

Even when I was ill, Holly simply hopped onto the bed, layed down beside me and didn’t move again. I could just feel her breath on my neck, knew she was there and would stay with me. Whenever life threw something nasty at me, she would sense it and come and comfort me the way doggies do, bless them. She couldn’t solve the problem,  but she helped me face it better.

Together my husband and I welcomed Holly into our lives when she was just two months old.

Yesterday [December 4, 2018], just before dawn, my dog Holly died.She had been with me for nearly 16 years. Holly lived a very good life: healthy, active, loved beyond belief.

She was out and about right up to her last few days, much luckier than many dogs who lie there for months before being finally released from pain and suffering.

Now it’s my husband and I who are suffering.