We are so sad to announce that Bo (formerly Tyler from FL), our 2020 SEGSP Alum, passed away peacefully Sunday night.   He was our Volunteer Coordinator, Amanda’s first foster dog.
 
From Amanda, “Bo solidified my commitment to SEGSP.  When he came into rescue, he was clearly malnourished and acted as if he had never known love from a human.  No eye contact and zero reaction when you went to pet him.  After a few weeks, he started to come out of his shell and slowly warmed up to people and would actually come up to strangers to be petted.  We had every intention of being foster fails as we had fallen in love with him.  Unfortunately, he absolutely despised our younger GSP.  As fosters, we struggled - it wasn't easy, but a huge thank you to the FL Volunteer Coordinators Gail and Manasi who continued to encourage us and give us hints on how to manage the situation.  We stuck it out and things worked out exactly as they were supposed to.  Once Bo was ready to find his forever home, I worried that it would be difficult to find him the perfect home.  Along came Nicole - I'll never forget our first conversation.  She told me he was hers.  She hadn't even told her husband yet.  I was hesitant (to say the least) since she told me they had other dogs.   I wasn't sure how he would do in a home with other dogs.  We scheduled our meet and greet with their pack and we all agreed it just felt RIGHT.  A couple of weeks later, Bo was on his way to his forever home.   While we were excited for Bo, it hurt leaving him.  My husband and I could barely even speak on the way home - We almost decided to never foster again.  Then...Nicole sent us updates - wonderful updates!  Bo was doing so well, going on adventures, learning to play more, and even sharing a bed with his fur brothers!  We knew he was home and living his best life.  Thank you to Nicole and her family for taking in this sweet lug and showing him how great life could be.  It isn't always easy taking in a senior dog, but it sure is worth the effort. Rest in peace sweet Bo.  You'll always have a very special place in our hearts.”
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Bo, at age 9, had been dumped at a NC shelter and Amanda drove all the way from FL to NC to pick him up. Bo was a very lucky boy with such dedicated foster parents and he was so happy and thrived with the Hemmerly family. And they promised him unlimited cheese treats over the rainbow bridge.

We don’t know what the first 9 years of Bo’s life were like, but we do know he was very much loved in his last 15 months…

Very sad news… We’ve been informed that our alumnus Miller passed away in February.  He came to rescue in 2011 from a puppy mill where he was used for breeding under terrible conditions. He came with 6 other GSPs that were rescued and they were all given names after towns in the area. He was rescued in NC, however fostered in AL.  Our records are sparse for that time period so we’re not sure who fostered Miller, but they chose an amazing family for him in Florida with our ‘now’ volunteers Richard and Marjie.  In fact, Miller was their gateway to volunteering with SEGSP (thank you Miller).
 
From his mom Marjie, “He loved to beg to go out to eat and we usually took him with us. He had his canine good citizens and we attempted agility but he never got over being frightened of a few things because of his early years before rescue. Miller always had a soft stuffed toy in his mouth and it seemed to comfort him when he got scared.”
 
Miller was loved and cherished – beyond words.  Richard and Marjie honor his memory by supporting SEGSP and we are so very thankful to have them as volunteers.  

We received very sad news... Our senior alumnus Louis has left this world, but he will never leave his dad’s heart.

Louis entered rescue in GA in 2020 after his person passed away.  Then his foster/forever dad, Steven, endured the sudden loss of his beloved Daisy Duke (also a SEGSP alum).   Updates from Louis’ dad were always sweet... Louis shredded a bed in his crate, so Steven got him a sturdier one. Louis was a bed hog (and could be cranky about it) when he wanted attention, but his dad just thought that was funny. We were reminded of the famous last line from “Casablanca” delivered by Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine to Claude Rains’ Capt. Louis Renault, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  And it was…for a year and a half.  A short time together, but packed with love.
From Steven, He was a bed hog, an obsessive licker (of all things), a perpetual nap taker and a “damn good dog all around.”  
 
“We’re given many gifts as we go through life. Some we enjoy for a long time, others only briefly. But each gift has the power to change us, enrich us, to make us better people.”  Unknown