A sad announcement… Our alumnus Duke passed to the Rainbow Bridge yesterday with his family by his side.  After a long battle with Pulmonary Hypertension starting in early 2020, all of the resulting complications caught up with Duke and his family had to make the difficult decision yesterday to say goodbye.
 
Duke came to rescue in 2016 as a stray in south Florida.  The shelter said he was 7 years old, however we believe he was a bit older than that.  Our volunteers Chris and Nicole jumped in to foster Duke (formerly Bradley), and helped him recover from severe kennel cough, horribly long nails and rotted teeth.  Duke was such a great fit for their family so it was an easy decision to adopt him.
 
From Chris: “If it were not for the rescue and the work you put in on a daily basis, we would not have had the pride of our home over the last 5 years. Thank you for you all that you do and thank you for providing us with an absolute joy whom we will never forget. We began fostering him with you when he was found at the local shelter as a senior maybe 8-10 years old. He quickly dug deep into our hearts and became a foster fail. I don’t want to remain too sad because it’s not at all what he would have wanted.” 
 
Run pain-free Duke and know you will always be loved and remembered.
 
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It is with incredible sadness that we must report the passing of our sweet boy Bob at approximately 2:30 AM this morning due to breakage of his brain shunt, which likely occurred during a seizure. He was one week shy of his first birthday (May 18th).

Bob came into rescue at age 8 weeks from his loving breeders, who knew he required the specialized medical care that SEGSP Rescue could provide. Although Bob was tiny, he made up for it by loving BIG. Bob was born with congenital hydrocephalus, which causes cerebrospinal fluid pressure to build on his brain. Last December, Bob had a procedure to remove excess fluid from his brain. He received medication to slow CSF production while his neurosurgeon, Dr. Jason King, sourced a brain shunt that would serve to permanently regulate his fluid pressure. One month ago, Bob received his brain shunt, which Johnson & Johnson generously donated. The surgery to install it was successful.  

Bob was never one to feel sorry for himself or let his disabilities slow him down, and he was recovering well from his shunt surgery for the first few weeks. He showed across-the-board improvements, with progress in potty training and fewer behaviors we affectionately call his “Bobisms” - nipping his foster mom’s bottom to get attention and “going gremlin” on his foster siblings when they intruded on his loving. However, he recently developed seizures (the most common complication from shunt surgery) and had to be hospitalized at the ER on Mother’s Day before transferring back to his neurosurgeon in Savannah last night (a 6-hour drive). His original temp foster mom, Vanessa, and foster mom Leanne made the trip down with him yesterday and loved and comforted him on his final day.

Bob was loved by the entire Live Oak Veterinary Neurology staff, and they tried their best to save him when he went into cardiac arrest during the night. In the end, his little body had fought all it could, and Bob went to Rainbow Bridge with a fully restored brain to go with that beautiful, sweet heart of his and his 32-lb frame. His surgeon examined him after his passing to determine what happened. He discovered the shunt had snapped in two at a pressure point due to its design. Bob’s surgeon says he believes this model of shunt works well in humans but presents complications for dogs and that he will not install that model again. He is sharing Bob’s case with his veterinary neurosurgeon listserv so others know. Other dogs will benefit from the knowledge gained from Bob’s loss.

From Leanne:  Bob lived a very happy, VERY busy life, like any other GSP puppy. He loved to run, was a master jumper, and played tug with his humans and foster brothers. His foster siblings (3 older GSPs) didn’t quite know what to make of Bob at first, but he grew on them over the months.  His favorite toys were chew toys, tugs, and (most of all), my old flip flop.  Bob was a big-time Velcro pup. We spent the entire pandemic year at home every day, where he helped me to telework and snuggle.  He was the most loving little boy, and would sleep between me and his foster dad, Paul, every night. He was always next to us and he had to be touching us always. He loved to help in the garden and would consistently carry the empty grower’s pots back to the house (or all over the yard when he chose). No matter how tough a day we had, Bob was ALWAYS happy, and he was very smart!  He could open the food bin to help himself (and you’d never believe how that kid could eat!). He could sniff out any hidden toy. All you had to say is “hey, sweet boy!” and he would bathe you in a million kisses. I think his sweet kisses and silky soft snuggles will be missed most of all by those who got to experience them. Bob didn’t live long by GSP standards, but he lived BIG! He savored every moment of the time he had here in our world. He certainly made it brighter! He was always happy and never had a bad day until the very end. Bob was loved so much by so many, and he knew it. Even in his final days, he didn’t hesitate to lick my hand and lie his little head in it as he rested. Bob took his turn for the worst Sunday, on Mother’s Day, and we decided that should the impossible decision have to be made for Bob, or should he not seem capable of recovering, that we wanted to adopt him so he would know he was forever our sweet boy. Because he had to be rushed to the ER that day, then to Savannah yesterday, we didn’t have time to get the paperwork submitted at that time, but we did this morning, dated Mother’s Day. Aside from our two human children, Bob is the best Mother’s Day gift I’ve ever been given. Bob was a selfless pup who blessed our life every single day, even when he was being naughty. The house is too quiet, too empty, without Bob there.

Bob was fortunate to have a whole tribe supporting, helping and loving him. The SEGSP Board and other volunteers -- Cathy, Jordan, Vanessa, Gail, Linda, and many others. His breeders who knew he was a fighter from birth and never gave up on him. His foster family - human, GSP, and feline. The neuro and ER teams at Blue Pearl Sandy Springs who stood in the gap for him and kept him sedated and comfortable when things got bad. The phenomenal team led by Dr. Jason King at Live Oak Veterinary Neurology in Savannah. Johnson & Johnson who donated his shunt. The hotel staff at Home2Suites in Savannah who waived his pet fee and prayed for his healing. And certainly not least, his social media warriors, who sent up thousands of prayers, gave sage advice on everything from training to tips for taking his meds, and who encouraged Bob and his caretakers throughout. You all are Bobby’s angels.

For years, Leanne has always said, “dogs don’t live as long as humans because their hearts are already so pure. It takes us longer.”  Bob was a blessing straight from God. He has returned to Him now. Bob will be loved and remembered every minute of every day until he reunites with all those who cherished him at Rainbow Bridge. Fly high, sweet boy. We love you always and will never forget you. 
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Our 2011 alumna Tina, aka Martina, has passed away.  She came to rescue in North Carolina as a stray and was fostered by our transport coordinator Heather.  We don’t know what her life was like before she came to SEGSP, but we do know that she was loved and cared for from that point forward.   Her dad said her favorite things were going on hikes in the mountains, chasing all of the birds and animals in the woods and getting scratched behind her ears…and she loved tiny humans! Our hearts go out to the Webber family - Tina sounds like the perfect GSP…
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Those we love remain with us, for love itself lives on.
Cherished memories never fade, because one loved is gone.
Those we love can never be, more than a thought apart,
For as long as there’s a memory, they live on in our heart.
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