In Memory

Tanner was his name. Part Golden Lab. Born 5/19/91 passed away7/25/06. He got arthritis in his behind legs and could not stand nor walk so we had to put him down.The look in his eyes just killed us both knowing his life has come to an end/yet he was in great pain/ he knew it too /his life had ended. He got along very well with kids, he was a very lovable pet. We got Tanner a buddy who gave him an extra 3 yrs to live. Tanner took lot of abuse from the other dog who now is 3 yrs old.
Tanner is missed very much in our household. There will never be another dog like Tanner.
Miss you buddy.

Sadie was a Pitt Bull, sweet, gentle, loving and full of energy. She loved running for the throw of a ball. Sadie was only 4 when we found out she had cancer. Too short of a life, we miss her terribly. Pitt Bull's are wonderful, loving dogs. :) Thank you for letting me share this fantastic breed. :)

Cats Willie and Chessie each came to me at the tender age of 5 days, about a year apart. I was President of the Williamsburg SPCA back then and I took these fragile little beings home to care for them on formula. They both won places in my heart and lived with me for more than sixteen years. I couldn't have asked for two more loyal and loving friends and so, at their end, I was relieved to be able to euthanize them gently and humanely and witness their departure from this world. I feel blessed to have known them both. Dr. Ellen

Toby came in my life in 1994, as a cute 7 week old kitten, and has slept in my bed with me ever since. We had a communication that no other animal has, and if I didn't understand what his "meow" meant, I could tell him to "show me" and he would walk me over to what he wanted. Everyone who has ever been to my house has fallen in love with Toby Tobers, as I called him. Cancer took you from me way too soon but I hope to see your adorable face greet me at the pearly gates someday. There will never be another cat like you.

You were the most love it dog, patient, brilliant and kind that we ever had. Your lost has touched us all in the deepest way ever imaginable. She was 4 month old when we got her and since that she grew in our hearts as fast as air. She was love for all our family and everybody that came here, she was a really special dog and in her eyes you could see her kindness of heart. She always helped us in our trouble times with a lovely cuddle or a big kiss. She was lost on Aug 31st from cancer. We lost her in two weeks from discovering her illness. She started coughing very strangely for a few days and when I took her to the Vet she had a mass on her left lung, two days later we arranged a surgery for Sept 1st, the day before the surgery when I woke up she was having problems breathing and when I took her to the Vet she had metastasis. There was no hope at that point so I had to put her to sleep. Since that day she has been missed and cried. She was the best dog ever and she will always be loved and miss.

In recent years I have lost may family members and close friends; however, nothing has been as devastating as losing my best friends...Sampson and Goliath. After interviewing with the breeder, his children, and the puppies we were allowed to select a new family member. While playing with "Big Boy", soon to be Goliath,(head and shoulders larger than his brothers and sisters) we heard a continual scratch on the wall...the scratching was "Mocha", soon to be Sampson, (runt of the litter). We had no intentions of adopting two dogs however after seeing the two puppies play together we knew that we could not seperate them. For the next twelve years they were the twinkle in my eye and the pep in my step! It has hurt so badly knowing that they have gone to rainbow bridge without me and I miss them so much. For the longest time I could not understand why it hurt so much because I had lost so many people in my life and hadn't shed a tear. A friend gave me the answer..."because you allowed them to love you back". As William said "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee the more I have for both are infinite". Sampson & Goliath I shall meet you at the Rainbow Bridge and we shall enjoy eternity together.

Though a 4 1/2 pound Toy Poodle Fluffy had the heart of a German Shepherd. We found her in our backyard and for over ten years she was a faithful companion, buddy and someone that would listen to you.
She never ceased to amaze me with her talent, wits and big heart.
God willing, one day Fluffy, Proton and I will meet once again and spend all eternity together.
Thank you my faithful friend for being part of my life. I hope I made you as happy as you made me!
Love, Dad

Manhatan's “Shawnee “ Princess
3/25/93- 5/5/09

I woke up 5/6/09 two hours before my alarm went off. The silence woke me. A deafening quiet. No panting, or bumping into the dresser, the mirrored closet doors, the bedroom door could be heard. Only myself breathing. My eyes still swollen from crying all day yesterday.

I let my beloved 16 year old Chesapeake go. She’s been slowing down allot lately. She was very tired. No longer able to go for walks as anything more than a block would exhaust her. No longer able to go to the park as she was worn out by the time I coaxed her up the dog ramp into the Explorer. Only daily outings in our front yard.

She’s been having “accidents” daily in the house, so daily I would be cleaning carpets, always telling her “it’s okay, Momma’s not mad at you.” But I must admit, I too was getting tired. She suffered from arthritis in her hind legs & I suffered a shoulder sprain two weeks ago & found it more & more difficult to help her stand up with a bum arm. A dear friend of mine who just put her 14yr old to sleep last week gave me a harness so I could wrap it around her middle & pick her up with my good arm. That in her last week made it easier for both of us.

I’ve been fortunate to work close to home so I’d been coming home on lunch breaks to check on her. Every once in a while she wouldn’t eat a breakfast or dinner. This morning I couldn’t even get her to take her favorite treats from me by hand. It took me 2 hours to get her to stand up, then another hour to get her to drink some water. I called the vet & they said they could come to our house by 1pm.

I held her head in my lap, stroked her face & kissed her gently, telling her all the while how beautiful she was & how much I loved her. That it was going to be okay, she wouldn’t be in pain anymore. She slowly relaxed her breathing & let go of this world.

I let her son Comanche say his goodbye’s to her & will try now to focus on all the positives... Now he & I can go for walks again as I never wanted to leave her behind. He & I can go to the park again & play Frisbee.

I felt blessed to have my niece Melissa here with me & she brought the sweetest stuffed bear with a curly coat just like the Chessie’s have. I’ve been holding on to her and brushing the soft coat with my fingers, remembering how it felt to hug & love on Shawnee. I’ve also added her dog tag to the heart necklace my sister Loreli gave me last month. Inside is a heart shaped charm with paw prints on it; she understands how much I love my dogs.

My late husband Brian loved all his animals but he had a special place in his heart for her. He took her through the dog shows & she won not only in conformation but obedience, which was unheard of for Chesapeake’s. Its how she got one of her many nick names… “Shawnee Show girl” because she loved to perform with him in the show arena. I called her “my little apricot” because of the way her coat would take on an orange hue in the summer months and I hated the term used in AKC for their light blonde called “dead grass”.

She also brought us two other dogs to love in Sioux & Comanche out of a litter of 8 puppies, of which she only had 6 teats, so every two hours when the pups where feeding I had the job of rotating them out so everyone got their fair share. She was an excellent nurturer. Even as I had a miscarriage, she jumped up on the couch just to lay there by my side and comfort me.

We hiked everywhere we could, swam everywhere we could & traveled everywhere they would allow dogs and when they didn’t we brought the motor home. She was, still is a part of my family.

Shawnee is now reunited with the love of her life, our 1st Chesapeake, our 140 pound Chinook & her Daddy Brian, as well as her daughter Sioux in heaven.. I still remember the excitement I had in picking her from the litter in Sacramento. She never made a sound the whole way home. We placed the dog crate on the front lawn & proceeded into greet Chinook after being gone several days. We let him out onto the front lawn to “do his business” and as he was heading towards his favorite tree he smelled something that momentarily distracted him. He stretched out as far as he could towards that smell & this sweet 8 week old puppy let out the most ferocious growl, far bigger than her size, to which he responded by promptly lifting his leg & peed on her. Welcome home!

I will remember all the love & joy she brought to my life & take comfort knowing she’s not suffering any more. She’s free once again over that Rainbow Bridge, riding the waves with Brian. She is after all a Chesapeake & oh, how they love the water!!!

God Bless you my “fur angel”…

When I was just 6 yrs of age I prayed for a friend. God sent me Damion. He had been hit by a car. He had tags but that only led me to find his owner had passed and they didn't want him back. I had a friend at last! He stayed at my side for years. He protected me from any harm. He met me every day at the bus stop ever faithfully. One day he didn't come. He was getting old. He layed in my bed. I lost my best friend that night but he still remains here in my heart.He will never be far from my mind.

I took my three very small dogs, 5, 7, and three pounds to visit in another state. I was in the back yard supervising the potty detail when the coyotes came out of the woods. I screamed for my dogs to come but the two smallest ones ran toward danger. Chin Chin, (3 pounds)was snatched up in his jaws. Faver, (5 pounds) attacked the beast, he released Chin chin and killed Faver. My injured dog was in intensive care for four days, had emergency surgery, and three blood transfusions. But she will live thanks to her courageous sister. Thank you for letting me have a place to tell my story. Clara B.