Keely and Zoe |
Keely and Zoe |
| Chloe June 12, 1990 ~ March 25, 1999 | |
 Chloe and her buddy, Winky |
Nothing I walked home one day, To the door leading into my home. My hand fit over the brass handle, And turned to the right. The door pushed open, Without a sound. As I waited to walk in, The silence overcame me. I took one step, Nothing. My eyes wandered, Yearned to see something, Something that wasn't there. Not a sound, Or smell, Or trace of hair. Gone, Gone, Gone. No wagging tail, No puppy dog eyes, No scurrying of feet on the ground, Rushing towards me, Waiting to greet me, With that wonderful face. A big pink tongue, Was no longer there. A bark heard nowhere. And I, I stood waiting, Waiting for that which was no longer there. An empty bed, Cans of food that would never be eaten. No more pats, Or baths, Or walks, Or talks, And no more squeaky toys to be thrown. |
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All that was once known, Naturally a part of me, Torn, And gone, Gone, And never to be filled again. The tears rushed forth, Without any cease, Drowning, Overflowing, Always growing. I visited my grandparents, And spent the night. At the dinner table, A head and body of a dog sat next to me, But not my dog. The tears came again, Without warning, Flowing, Drowning, Eternally. The tiniest memories, Actions, Or words, Now would cause the dam, Full of water, To overflow. No way to leak but to flow, Out from within, Never ending, And never knowing when to begin. Some say healing will come, Slowly, But truly, Helping to cheer up one, But until that time, And forever after, That dog of mine, Will always live on, In my memory, Every day, With every second passing, A love and life full of love, Everlasting. |
 Chloe |
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Chloe was a beloved member of the Siebenthall family. This poem was written by Jason Nicholas Siebenthall. |
|
 Biscuit Biscuit was a little white Bichon Frise. She wasn't a great watchdog. She didn't perform special tricks or amaze in other outstanding ways. In fact, when you read a description of her breed it states quite simply they serve no function other than as excellent companions. She was that, a companion of great humor and just a darned good buddy on an otherwise lousy day. | |
 Roxanne January 16, 1990 ~ February 27, 1998 | |
| She was the love of my life. She belonged to my son but he had a job out of state so he asked me to keep her for him for about a month. One month turned into 6 and by that time she was mine. He said Mom I can't take her, you love her and she loves you so much. So she was my baby, I adored her and where I was, so was she. When I went anywhere she stayed at the window until I got home. We took her to be spayed and the vet said, she is too fat and she has a breathing problem, it would be very dangerous. I was so scared, I put her on a diet, she never lost weight, every time I mentioned it he said the same thing. I trusted him and didn't find another vet like I should have. She had several false pregnancies and the vet said that's normal, but I don't want to put her under anesthetia. I was so naive and dumb, I should have known. She paid for it with her life. At the age of 8 we found a lump. I was so scared. We took her to our vet, another one, our old vet had retired, and we knew by the look on his face that it wasn't good. He was going to do a biopsy and give us an option about surgery. We searched and searched until we found a specialist, anything for our baby. He said she will be fine, she has a lot of years ahead of her but we have to operate now. We trusted him, again a terrible choice. He took out 3 mammary glands, and all that he could take out. It was a horrible surgery and she died 34 days later after going blind and having seizures. The cancer spread immediately to her brain and it was terrible. We turned him in to the Veterinary Board in Texas. They did nothing. They said he had treated her under *acceptable* guidelines. My baby was gone and it was my fault. I found out later that our first vet is an alcoholic, the receptionist told me, and he just didn't want to operate. I wonder how many animals died because of him. Roxanne had no breathing problems and was never overweight. I will live with this guilt the rest of my life. I loved her so and she didn't have to die like that. If the*specialist* had told us she had cancer, we would never have let him operate. He convienently *forgot* that we had begged him to tell us if he even thought that it was cancer, that we didn't want her to be operated on if it was. He admitted to me when I went crying to his office that he had known but thought that he would get all of it. She died at home, in our arms, and I thought I wouldn't live through it. I didn't want to. I will never get over losing my Roxanne like that. She was my love, my companion, my best friend. Love, Mom (Bette) |
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 Shoshanna | |
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Shoshanna came to Pets Lifeline Animal Shelter, in Sonoma, with a 22-caliber bullet wound in her jaw. She was found in a dirt field in early October when it was wet and cold. Thru PLL's Indigent Animal Fund, Shoshanna's jaw was repaired by Dr. Gurevitch in Petaluma. Carole and I took Shoshanna home to foster until we could adopt her. Unfortunately, as she was recovering from all her other problems FIP set in and I had to kiss Shoshanna good bye January 6, 1999. She was a wonderful kitty of only eight years. Although Carole and I fostered Shoshanna for only 45 days, we will miss her forever, but we know that somewhere another kitten was born with Shoshanna's soul and this new kitten will bring joy and happiness to another family. Rest in Peace Shoshanna, we all love you. |
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In
Memory of Jake |
Jake was (and is) the love of my life. He was my best friend, my protector, my comedian and my son. He loved me as much as I loved him. He was taken from me abruptly and cruelly. I will never be the same without my Jake. I got Jake in 1988, when he was about 3 months old. He was a round ball of fur that only wanted to please me and make me laugh. He could do both very well. We took long walks in the woods together daily. I worked long hours and spent quality time with my boy while I was home. He loved to splash in the stream and dash through the woods. I began taking Jake to a rest home as a therapy dog in 1992. He was a pro. He knew these people needed to be treated gently and he also knew who was blind or unresponsive. Jake would go to the blind residents and very gently place his head under their hand. He did the same for Alzheimer's patients. Jake could get a person who was otherwise unresponsive to smile and pat his head. The staff was amazed. I took Jake with me everywhere I could. I hated being away from him. He was such a great friend and protector. He was always the perfect gentleman wherever we went. On Thanksgiving Day, 1997, I let my four dogs out as I had done for 10 years. Their routine was to romp the woods, do their business and come home. On this day my life changed. About 3 minutes after letting my boys out I heard two very loud gunshots. I flew out of the house and screamed for the dogs. Three of them came back...but not Jake. I was panicking and so were the dogs. I looked down and saw blood. Hershel, my black Lab/Greyhound mix was bleeding from a huge wound at the base of his tail. I was alone and terrified. I called my neighbor and got her to look for Jake while I rushed Hershel to the vet. I returned home as quickly as I could. No Jake. I gathered friends and relatives to comb the woods. We came upon 2 deer hunters that would not allow us onto adjacent property. I went to the property owner, but he refused to allow me onto his property. I called the Sheriff's Department who would not take action because the vet I had taken Hershel to said that Hershel's wound did not look like a gunshot wound. I KNEW HE HAD BEEN SHOT!! Later Thanksgiving night I walked the woods again, hoping to find my baby. I encountered the property owner that I had pleaded with earlier in the day. He was sitting on a fold out chair holding a high-powered rifle. He told me that he thought I would come back and if I set foot on his property that I'd be looking down the barrel of his gun. Jake's body was never recovered. There is a big hole in my heart where Jake used to be. My life is not the same without my buddy. I miss Jake more everyday. All the unanswered questions haunt me. I'll have other dogs in my life as long as I live, but Jake was the best dog I have ever known. He was my angel, sent here to look after me for a little while. Jill East Belews Creek, NC |
Tammy |
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Teraden's Sturm Ruger Ruger |
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| Ruger.
He came into my life a waddling pup, smaller than a
breadbox, floppy ears and folds of skin and feet much
bigger than his legs. I lived in a second-story flat at
the time, and he was too little to manage the high
outside steps. He soon tired, however, of my carrying him
to negotiate the long staircase, and insisted on hauling
his chubby body, step by laborious step, up and down
those stairs himself. He was wonderfully trainable, and quickly learned any command I wanted to teach him - sit, down, stay, come, go potty, take, give, on your side, crawl, circle, shake, wave, sing, bang (always a crowd-pleaser when I "shot" my dog) ... I took him to puppy class when he was six months old, and remember clearly his perfect sit-stay while I was on the other side of the room and puppy bedlam was erupting around him - he simply looked at me quizzically, waiting for the release command. He loved food - any food. I could throw him pepper tops, apple rinds, pickle pieces, any old scraps as I was preparing dinner, and he perfected the mid-air catch-and-swallow. When he was young, he lived in a crate while I was at work, and I would prepare little "puzzles" for him - peanut butter inside a hollow chew-toy, or dog cookies inside an empty milk carton - and tie these to the roof of his crate. He would quiver with excitement while I did this, and then, when I commanded, launch himself into his crate hard enough to rock it and then set to on the treat. As he grew up, he learned to love many things: playing with other dogs, going for walks, serving as our dishwasher's pre-wash cycle, chasing sticks in any body of water, going to the barn when I rode my horse, camping, chasing squirrels, sitting beside a fire. He turned into 80 pounds of hard-muscled black sleekness, silky-eared, long-limbed and built for running (which he loved). Some of my enduring images of him:
What I miss
most: his leaning against my leg;
his intense, quizzical look when asked "Do you
want... (followed by bounding about if the sentence ended
"cookie" or "a ride in the truck");
his ability to curl himself into a ball almost as small
as a cat; his "cauliflower"-ear expression when
those hound-ears of his turned inside-out and stuck; his
big, panting, goofy Doberman grin when he'd been playing
hard and was happy. |
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Julie Chapman and Paul Stafford |
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In Memory of Teaser Born
December 3, 1983 |
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Teaser lived to be 14 1/2 years old - She
had contracted pneumonia Teaser
had been a Christmas gift from a half dozen friends in
1983... |
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Goodbye my dearest
friend... RoseAnn |
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Stewart's
Golden Beau |
Your sweet old white face is still sorely missed by David & Noreen Stewart. Ascension (by Colleen Hitchcock) And
If I go while you're still here... You
will not see me, so you must have faith. And
when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart, We'll
always love you, Beau. |
Mollie
& Hilary |
| Mollie came to
me as all of my dogs have. She just appeared one day and
I was sure that someone must be heartbroken to loose such
a friendly and happy Golden Lab. I posted notices for
"Found Dog" on bulletin boards and telephone
poles and in the local paper. Nothing. I waited. She
didn't go away but played with my husband's hunting dog
and hung around at dinner time. (In no time at all she
had her own dish) After a respectable amount of time I
took down the signs and claimed Mollie, although she had
already claimed me it was quite clear, and hauled her off
to the vet for various shots, a spay and toenail
clippings. And so began a happy relationship that lasted
over nine years. Mollie loved everyone, especially anyone with treats and would reward you with a smile for even the slightest bit of affection. She and Hillary, the cat, became fast friends and both of them would accompany me to my ranch on Pine Mountain in the summer. There the three of us would laze away the long hot days only stirring to follow the shade around the deck and take in sips of cool mountain spring water. Adults and children, men and women were all her friends. Never once did she attempt to be aggresive or cruel and large family gatherings only meant more handouts for the sweet face no one could refuse. The pose of Mollie and Hillary sleeping together was typical of their relationship and I am convinced that Mollie was the only being that Hillary ever really liked. Having been raised by a hen in the De Martini chicken coop, I think Hillary never really understood just who she was which made it difficult to get close to her. But she was content to hunt for mice and gophers and hang out with Mollie while digesting. Both gone now, Hillary the chicken reared cat and Mollie the friendly lost Lab gave my life much joy and entertainment for which I am very thankful and no matter how many dogs claim me in this lifetime there will never be another smiling face like the one I carry in my heart of my sweet Mollie. Sydney Sciaini |
Lady
Adelaide |
Dog
Gone Melissa Cox |
 Tiger as a Puppy |
In Memory
of Rainbow’s Golden Tiger My beloved Rhodesian Ridgeback Born Feb.1988 Died Feb. 1998 It was a lovely morning, The day that we first met, And as I sit here mourning you,Girl, I know I’ll not forget..; Even then you had a
spirit, Ok , so not an
easy pup, ‘Trouble’
was your middle name, |
| The regal
head, the amber eyes, the depth within your soul, the golden coat, the prancing gait, You’d always had a goal, Right from the very
beginning But as
adulthood finally came round, A soul within,
a dignity, An independant
nature, And after
graduating obediance, |
 Tiger Waits for Santa |
Tiger |
Your daughter
lil April, The gift you left me with, Tries hard to comfort me at night, but it’s you I’m thinking of.. I miss your leaning
gainst me , I miss that
crooked cocky smile, I never ever
can repay, To maintain your dignity.. I shall carry you in my heart always. Love, 'Mom' Andi Thomas |
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In Loving Memory of |
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| I
Remember I remember the first time we saw you, I remember the
day we took you home, I remember how
easily you took to house-training, I remember your
first day of obedience class, But I remember
too on graduation day, And I remember
the day that you won your CD, |
But
more so, I remember the trails, riding my horse in the LA mountains, with you, always, beside me, listening for a command, and your sheer delight when, per chance, we came upon a stream you could play in. And nestling at the
campsite at my feet, And I will
always remember the love that you have given: But what I will
always remember most, dear Jenny And we want you
to know, |
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Your
Mom & Friend now, & forever |
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IN LOVING MEMORY Gypsy 1987-1998 You were and always will be my guardian angel. I love you and will always miss you. Terry Houston |
Dr.
Gibbs |
Our Memories of Doc My husband had always said that he would love to own a "Giant Schnauzer",and if he did get one he would name him "Dr. Gibbs" for a charactor he had once played in a play. That's when I began my search for a pet to surprise him with. It took me acouple of years of scanning the paper off and on before I finally found one at Skansen's Kennel in Sebastopol, Ca.. I decided to surprise him with a puppy for Christmas in 1992, and it was the surprise of his life. I've never seen a happier man when he saw "Doc" for the first time. My older daughter had gone to the kennel for me, and picked out this 4 mo. old bundle of joy. Here he was the cutest "furry person" we'd ever seen, and he and my husband seemed to bond immediately. We were like first time parents trying to do everything just right, giving him exactly what the instructions called for ie; vitamins, vegetables, cereal, meat, etc. It was like raising a child all over again, but he was well worth it. He was a fast learner, and in no time was house broken, and crate trained. As he grew up, he became very protective of his family, home, and car, and wouldn't hesitate to let people know it should they get too close. He loved children, and our grandchildren enjoyed many hours playing with him when they came to visit. He went with us everywhere, and never spent a night outside. Then in Dec. of ' 95', we noticed his breathing had changed slightly, so I took him in for a checkup. After all was said and done, and a trip to Davis, we lost our precious boy to cancer two days before Christmas. He was such a loving companion, and we still cry every now and then, and we swore we wouldn't go through that pain again. But then my two daughter's decided they wanted to surprise my husband with a new puppy for his birthday, so in March of ' 96', they brought him another darling Giant Schnauzer puppy, who my husband promptly named Dr. Gibbs II, and we call him Little Doc. He's the joy of our life also, and now we're the overprotective parents. Everytime he does the slightest thing out of the norm, we're ready to rush him to the doctor. We'll never forget our first "Doc", and have many happy memories that we will cherish always. Leslie Young, Jacksonville, N.C. |
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Sam You big, happy dog. Everyone was your friend...well, with the exception of a cat or two. You gave us such joy in the short time we shared our lives with you. I'll never forget just how much room you took up on a king-sized bed. Nancee Tavares. |
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Sparky and Faye Two Scotties as different as could be. Sparky, so slow and sweet. You went out of your way to greet children. Faye, you were a terror of a terrier and would not tolerate the affection of any stranger. I'll see you both in Heaven. Nancee Tavares. |
Memories of My Dog, Jones |
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| My best
friend's dog got pregnant before she got a chance to spay
her. My friend was pretty upset about it. My husband I
most sincerely sympathized with her, but told her that we
did not want a puppy. Since my husband and I were both in
agreement, nothing more was said about the subject, and
we actually forgot about the pregnancy, and the birth of
the puppies. Months passed, and we received an invitation to come over for my friend's world-famous lasagna, an invitation that simply couldn't be refused. I really don't know how she pulled it all off, but at some point between the cocktails and the main course, a h erd of puppies came tumbling into the adjacent room which was occupied by my husband. Shortly thereafter, I was stunned to hear him say, "We'll take this one." To calm my doubts, my husband described the characteristics that made this puppy so special. While the other puppies just rolled into the room, Jones (named for Indiana Jones) stopped at the door, checked out the room, found the fun, and then joined in. My husband was certain this was the sign of intelligence. He was right. |
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Jones at 9 weeks. The first night in his new home, he was lonely. Sleeping with a wind-up alarm clock on an authentic WWII flight jacket was just the trick. He slept all night. | |
| Jones became a very wonderful member of our family, and for sixteen years his entire life was devoted to us and anyone who was important to us. And with him we formed an incredible bond of love and friendship. He taught me how to be a mother when he taught me patience, and how to love selflessly. (I always joked that he was my "first child".) When I was stupid enough to go swimming alone, he helped me get out of a reservoir that I was trapped in. (Although I never felt alone, after all, I had Jones with me!) He was extremely gentle with any baby creature. He faithfully guarded over our kittens, chickens, a rabbit, and later my baby daughter, Jocelyn. Even in his old age, Jones was an extremely patient and dutiful playmate for our daughter. He took his playing duties quite seriously, but his passion was for retrieving the ball. | ||
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By one year, he had developed quite a sense of humor. | |
| Jones
taught us about being old. As he aged, he didn't run so
fast anymore. Occasionally his back legs would just give
out on him. He would turn and look at them as if to say,
"What did you do that for?". His eyes grew dim
after he protected our house from a marauding skunk. A
direct spray to the eyes dimmed his ability to see very
far. After a while he didn't hear too well, but he knew
what we wanted by our faces, hand signals, and seemingly
by intuition. After sixtee n years of love and
friendship, he was very in-tune to any thought, emotion,
or want we might have. During all of this, he was always
cheery, always delighted to be with us, and forever a
puppy in his own mind. I am very grateful for the persistence, and craftiness of my friend. Back then, I would have never chosen to have a dog. Now, I can't imagine not having one around. When Jones died, it was like someone took the sunshine away from our house. The yard was so strange and empty, and way too quiet. I felt the loss as if he were human. (We often stated that he was more "human" than most humans.) I still feel his loss kee nly, but am able to remember him with happiness because we did not wait too long to get another puppy. |
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At 2 years old, he had my same goofy grin! | |
| I spent
a few months researching dog breeds and searching for the
right puppy. Eventually I ended up on the Internet. We
found the breed mixture that we wanted at the Healdsburg
Animal Shelter web site, and drove the two-ho ur round
trip in the hopes of finding a new friend. This is how we
came to adopt our now four-month-old puppy, Kodi. (Short
for Kodiak the Bear!) Kodi has brought so much joy into
our lives. She isn't Jones, but she has her own wonderful
personality and our bond is growing so much every day. I
can't express my gratitude to the employees and
volunteers who work so hard at the animal shelter. Thank
you to those who volunteer their time and talents
creating this web site. It's a wonderful use of the tec
hnology! As a last thought to those who might be grieving the loss of a loved pet. Please adopt again. In life, your animal friend couldn't stand to see you unhappy, he wouldn't want you to be that way now. The introduction of a new animal friend into your life will bring you new joy, but never erase the wonderful memories of your old friend. |
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Kodi and Susan |  |
Kodi and her 'new' kid, Jocelyn |
Dusty |
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| Dusty
was a purebred Sheltie. We got her for our daughter's
sixth birthday. Dusty was three months old when we
brought her home. The people from whom we bought her had
not housebroken her. We brought her home in a crate and put her down in the kitchen with the door to the crate open so that she could get used to her new surroundings without any pressure. She ventured out only to the water and food dishes nearby and then went right back into her cage. It was many hours before she stayed outside of the cage for more than a few seconds, but eventually she did. She was very shy. I had had a dog before we got Dusty and figured that it would take time and patience to housebreak her. I read all the books and set about to follow the suggestions the experts had made. It made sense to take her outside as soon as she woke up so that she could go. Same thing after meals and before bed in the evening. I took her out once, twice, maybe three times. She behaved perfectly. We had had her for half a day by now and she had made no mistakes in the house. She never made any mistakes in the house that day or any other. Before the weekend was over she was heading to the back door whenever she needed to go outside. That's the kind of dog she was. She was a very smart dog as well as well behaved. We had gotten her because we had heard that Shelties were smart and loyal. We lived in Philadelphia at the time and wanted a companion like that to watch out for our daughter. We wanted a smallish dog too and Shelties were just the right size. She actually grew way bigger than most Shelties. She was about as big as a Collie. With that one exception, she lived up to all the best traits of her breed. She was a part of our lives for 15 and a half years. She was my daughter's constant companion from the moment she came home from school until she left for school in the morning. She was great with the kids in the neighborhood. In fact, she played frizbee with them. If for some reason Barbara was not home, the kids would come and ask if Dusty could come out and play. |
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Jasper |
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| Jasper
was our grey long haired cat. She, yes she, came into our
lives unexpectedly. We had had dinner guests who stayed
until the wee hours of the morning. About 1:30 a.m., as
they were leaving, we opened the front screen door and in
dashed this little grey ball of fur. Totally fearless and
instantly at home, this little kitten had no desire to do
anything but stay with me. My ex-husband was not as taken
by the courage of this little creature as I was. Oh, did
I mention that Dusty was already a member of the family
and while she lived with and liked the other cat we had,
the kitten could not have known that. She marched right
over to the dog and slapped her across the face with one
tiny, claws extended, paw. After the dog got over her
shock, she knocked the little guy off her feet and
sniffed her all over. They were friends from that moment
on. I guess Jasper knew the dog could have killed her and
didn't. Once, when Jasper was about a year old, she spotted me across the street from our house and dashed into the street to get over to where I was. I saw the car speeding down the street, the cat running right into harm's way. I felt my knees turn to jelly. I couldn't do a thing to stop the cat or the car. Jasper was hit on the side of her body--she had almost made it to me--she was tossed into the air and landed by the side of the road. She lay there for a moment. I was sure she was dead and was so busy crying that I didn't see her dash back across the road. When I got to where I expected to see her, she was not there. I called to her, searched the grass nearby--no Jasper. I headed back to the house to get the rest of the family to help me find her. I was sure she was dying and I didn't want her to be alone. We all started looking for her. It didn't take long to find her. Now, if I hadn't had witnesses to this I wouldn't have believed it but, I did. We all ended up in the backyard at about the same time. We all heard the strange meowing of several cats. It was kind of meowing I had never heard before -- a deep, gutteral sound. We followed the sounds and came to the spot where Jasper was lying. She was being licked and meowed to by our other cat, Chance, and our neighbor's Siamese cat. Jasper was obviously in shock. I looked her over and saw few open wounds but her head was quite swollen. I called our vet, described what had happened and asked what to do. He said I was right, she probably was in shock and probably was dying. He suggested that if she was not in pain perhaps I could just be with her and comfort her until she died. I went back outside to do as he suggested which was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do. The cats and I comforted her for one hour, then another and another. She hung on and actually appeared to be more coherent as time passed. We probably spent four hours out there---the cats and I---keeping a vigil of sorts. I was mesmerized too by the way the cats comforted her. They lay down beside her, licked her, meowed to her and in general showed their concern. Suddenly they just got up and left. Jasper gave a weak little meow and tried to get up. I didn't know what to do. I left my daughter with Jasper and called the vet again. He said that if she hadn't died by now her chances of survival were a bit better. Time to bundle her up and bring her in for a check. We did. She was in bad shape but she did mend eventually. And she lived for another 16 and a half years. She was always a delightful cat--friendly, gentle, and loyal and beautiful. Oddly enough, she never meowed much after that accident. She ended her life far from West Virginia, where she was born. My daughter had moved to Lake Tahoe and had taken Jasper with her. One night as Barbara was leaving for work, she patted Jasper on the head, wished her a good night and was just about to lock the door when Jasper meowed. It took Barbara by surprise because the cat seldom made a sound. Barbara said she walked back into the apartment, picked Jasper up, petted her a bit, asked her what was wrong and Jasper died. Her death in this gentle way was such a gift. She had been suffering from some health problems and none of us wanted to have to make the decision to end her life. We were grateful not to have to do so. |
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