SWEET MEMORIES

Dutchess Penelope "Penny"

February 5, 1990 - December 21, 2000

HAVE YOU A DOG IN HEAVEN?
Have you a dog in Heaven, Lord?
And do You pat her head?
Does she sit up and beg each night
Before she goes to bed?

Does she look up with shining eyes
when she sees Your smiling face?
Does she wag her stubby, little tail
when she wants to run a race?

Have You a dog in Heaven, Lord?
Is there room for just one more?
'Cause my little boxer died today;
She'll be waiting at Your door.

Please take her into Heaven, Lord,
and keep her there for me.
Just feed her, pet her, love her, Lord;
That's all she'll ask of Thee.

Author unknown

~~~~Kayla~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear, sweet Kayla never had a chance. We treated her for 3 months, but in the end, the kindest thing to do was let her go. The demodex had already done too much damage. Her previous owner never took her to a vet, even when she had lost all her hair. She would always wiggle her butt and have a lick for my hand, even when I know she was in pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sheba~~~~~~~

"For all the times you stood by me, for all the joy you brought to my life, for all the wrong that you made right, for every dream you made come true, for all the love I found in you....I'll be forever thankful 'cause you loved me....I imagine you know by now, our little angel girl went to heaven today. But, she didn't leave without giving me this message to share with you. It's a Celine Dion song and has helped me tremendously. For all the times you held me up and never let me fall....(for the last few months of her life, she couldn't walk. We used a towel as a sling to help her get around.) You're the one who saw me through it all. You were my strength when I was weak. You were my voice when I couldn't speak. You saw the best there was in me.... Thank you so much for the last year of her life. She was so precious."

This was the email that I received from Sheba's adoptive parents last November. Sheba was 8 years old when she was rescued and soon adopted by Frank & Linda Nickles. She lived her last year as a happy family member. Nobody could help but see the best in Sheba. She was a beautiful spirit here on earth.

~~~~Josie~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Josie was adopted by a beautiful family after she had successfully been treated for heartworms. She lived with them for about a month and a half, and then underwent a spay. For reasons unknown, even after necropsy, she died 3 days after her spay. She was such a sweetheart, and we are so happy that she enjoyed her last months with a loving family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sam~~~~

Sam was a big, lovely boy who was PTS for aggression problems. Most of the time, he had a sweet disposition, but he could turn suddenly into a totally different dog. He also had seizures and we think it is possible that his aggression was seizure-related. Sam was loved to the very end.

~~~~~J.B.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just 9 months old and outwardly healthy, J.B. dropped dead one evening. Probably boxer cardiomyopathy, but we don't know for sure. One thing we do know for sure is that he left us all too soon. J.B. was not a rescue and knew love from the first day of his life to the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Poss~~~~~~~~~

No, Poss was not a boxer, but there was one month's difference in his and Penny's ages and they grew up together as buddies! He was a dear, family pet, and he survived only 6 months after Penny was gone. He was a great dog.

~~~~~Mutt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another sweet family pet, he could keep up with Penny and Poss even though his legs were much, much shorter! The "3 amigos" are running together again! Mutt was a very special beagle!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Maggie~~~~~~~

Maggie belonged to my dear friend, Karen. She was so beautiful, that as you can see, she was a cover girl! Here is what Karen had to say about Maggie: "Maggie was born Aug 21,1994 and died Dec 23, 2002. She was more like a person than a dog. She was our friend, companion, and pal. She had the sweetest disposition; everyone loved her. If you ever wanted a best friend, she would be it. She certainly gave us unconditional love. We miss her very much, I know she earned her wings. Her parents, John and Karen"

~~~~~Duke~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another precious friend is grieving today, as her beloved Duke passed on to the Bridge 3 days ago. Wasn't he a handsome boy? "DATE OF BIRTH: OCT. 1, 1993 DATE OF DEATH: APRIL 4, 2003 Duke was our lovable 9 1/2 yo Fawn boxer..His official name was Duke of Essex XI..When we picked him out of a litter, we thought he was the "runt" of the litter, but we soon found out we were wrong..He grew to be a very "big-boned" Boxer..He gave our family so much unconditional love and devotion..Duke loved to play with my two grandsons and loved children and people very much..He had a great disposition..If there is a Dog Heaven, then Duke is right there licking all that come through the Gate..We will miss you Duke, so very much.. Your best friends, Joyce and Maynard"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Drake~~~~~~~

DIXIE'S SOUTH'RN PRIDE/Aka Drake
Jan 2001 to April 2002
"Drake was my first boxer and will always hold that special place in my heart. He was the most handsome boy on the block! One of Drake's favorite pasttimes was to play in the water. He was especially fond of splashing through the kiddie pool that we set up in the back yard. After a short show career, we lost Drake to dilated cardiomyopathy, a deadly disease that took him from the show ring to death's door in a matter of weeks. He is missed terribly but I still see him in my dreams....." Jane Coker

~~~~~Joy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In loving memory of Joy Ogilvie
06/09/99 to 05/24/2003
Gary wrote "What can I say about Joy? She lived up to her name everyday". God bless you, Gary & Katherine; we know how much you miss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tyson~~~~~~~

Tyson went to the Rainbow Bridge on 5/31/03. Even after being treated for the heartworms, he never completely recovered. He began seizuring that morning and ultimately he was let go to finally rest. The only consolation we found was that he died with a family who loved him. He had finally found a home. Sweet dreams, beautiful boy. You are sorely missed by many.

~~~~~Saint~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St John's Draco Interfector (Saint) 2 May 2001 - 22 August 2003 The moment we met, I knew you were the pal I needed...and would be great for our entire family. You grew up so strong and proud, welcoming all, yet standing guard to ensure our safety...so devoted and attached that you tore a door frame off the wall and "shredded" it. You worried and whined every time I left the house for even just a moment...but spun, wiggled and shook your stub tail like I'd been gone for weeks when I came back in. If Darin, or Stephen, or anyone other than me, took you out to potty, you would RUN through the house on return to find me and let me know you were back (a hint I should have waited at the door like you did for me). You knew what time the bus would bring Stephen home so you would sit and stare at the door in anticipation...waiting for "your boy". And you certainly loved when Ethan wanted help eating...ever ready for a sly hand-off and anxious to clean up the highchair afterwards. I could write a book FULL of memories from the short time we had each other...I will cherish them in my heart forever. You ARE your name....SAINT... Love Forever... Mare, Darin, Stephen, Ethan, & your equine buddy Chico