In Memory of
our beloved GSPs
2022
Chester T. Rescuehound, our 2012 alumnus in Florida, has said his farewell to his family and left for the Rainbow Bridge. Chester came to rescue as a stray right before Christmas in 2012 and was temp fostered, then fostered, then adopted by our longtime volunteer and board member, Linda, her husband Larry and their family.
A little bit about Chester from his mom… “He was a bit of a wild man when he came to rescue. He has always preferred to be outside and on top of something. Chester was a happy-go-lucky guy, and loved life and all the adventures that come along with it. He loved to ride on anything that had 4 wheels, in a car, truck, golf cart or on the seat of the tractor. He loved his people and being with them, and always looked for lots of attention. He loved the outdoors and having fun chasing birds, squirrels, etc. He had a long tail that wagged non-stop.” We can visualize that tail and Chester’s smile making his way around the Rainbow Bridge, greeting several GSP alumni that arrived before him. Run, play and enjoy being with your friends Chester! “Barking, playing, an endless run; I’m up in heaven having fun.” Unknown
0 Comments
Our dear, sweet, 2019 alumnus Oscar has crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. His time with his forever family was short on this earth, but was overflowing with love and adventure. The note from his family says it all:
I am writing with news of Oscars passing on April 30th 2022 of congestive heart failure and end stages of canine cognitive disease. We adopted the “old man” in March of 2019 at the estimated age of 8 and didn’t know how much we would learn from such an amazing creature in a short amount of time. When we first got Oscar home, he seemed very shy, would pace all night, and it seemed we couldn’t comfort him despite our best efforts (didn’t help that he was deaf). He had several health problems, arthritis, severe dental disease, and buckshot in his body. We helped him gain some of his mobility back and removed his painful teeth and got him in the best shape we could. After melting his heart with treats and affection his personality really shined and opened up to our love. He demanded food (with a bark), was an epic snuggler, loved car rides, and being with us. He was a steadfast hunter and successful in finding moles despite poor vision and lack of hearing! He went on an adventure of a lifetime in 2021 when we drove an RV throughout the US and Oscar got to see and smell it all. He has been to 22 states in the three years we shared with him (including 15+ national parks, the mountains of the Cascades, the deserts of the American Southwest, the shorelines of the oceans and Great Lakes). His favorite place by far was the Juniper campground in eastern Idaho with lots of space to run and big trees to sniff. He never seemed to complain despite his rough past life, he always seemed very happy and grateful for love and a safe place, and he got along with everyone and everything. He taught us patience and to never give up despite the obstacles, love is trusting someone enough to let them close, and that saving one dog will not change the world, but for Oscar the world did change forever. RIP our Oscar man, we love you always. We miss him with all of our hearts and will never forget his presence in our lives. Love you Oscar man "The light of life does not go out, the sun of love will never set; Let not your heart be filled with doubt, let not your soul be troubled.” Unknown We have very sad news to share… Our 2018 alumnus Abe (aka Abraham Lincoln) has left this world for the Rainbow Bridge. From his dad Jack, “I wanted to share with you that Abe passed this morning. He was 14, and always acted like he was still 6. I know he ran across that rainbow bridge as happy and excited as he always was. We gave him the best life we could give him for the last 4 years. He was the best friend I could have asked for.”
We found a note in Abe’s file from his foster mom Kari on his adoption day that shows how Abe’s life with his family started, and no doubt ended: 4/3/18 from Kari: It was love at first sight when he met them on Saturday. It was the sweetest thing. He kept walking from them to me with the biggest smile and had that pant that dogs get and I swear it is the sound of a dog laughing. At one point, he walked up to Jill, sat in front of her and just offered her his paw. It was so sweet. Their puppy loved him and Abe got a little nervous when they picked him up to leave. He has fit right in with them and is transitioning great. They are in absolute love with him. He has been an excellent role model for Finn, their pug puppy, and his good manners have started rubbing off on him. Yes, no doubt Abe had a wonderful life and that makes us smile… Our hearts are broken. Our 2013 alumnus Jake, formerly Brownie, has left this world for the Rainbow Bridge. We received this beautiful message from his mom Amanda…
“We had to make the hardest decision to say goodbye to our beloved Jake on May 7th at the approximate age of 16. I have tried to find words to express how much Jake meant to me, but nothing captures the bond we shared. Several words can describe Jake - sweet, loving, loyal, goofy, always happy, fearless, determined, demanding (he never missed a meal), his canine brother would describe him as aggravating, the best cuddler, study partner, and friend. But I often admired his will to live and resiliency - No matter what was thrown his way, he would always overcome it. While in the care of the rescue and his foster mom, Alison, he was treated for heartworms, pneumonia caused by his heartworm disease, and bloat. I will forever be grateful to Alison and the rescue for saving Jake more than once. Over the years, Jake's resiliency helped him face a laundry list of medical concerns, from intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) to dilated cardiomyopathy. Even with all he faced, he was the first to wake up and was always excited for breakfast. We're so thankful we were chosen to be Jake's forever parents and for the support we received from the rescue as we faced some of the most difficult times. Jake brought us so much joy and happiness. His absence will leave a hole that will last a lifetime. There will never be another Jake - He was my favorite hello and hardest goodbye.” “Remembering you is easy, we do it every day, but missing you is a heartache that never goes away.” Unknown We are heartbroken to announce that our recent alumni, Joe, crossed the rainbow bridge last week. Joe, a senior former hunting dog that battled hookworms & dental disease, had looked forward to retirement with his new forever family that adopted him in April.
From his mom Allison, “I was hoping to have much more time with him, unfortunately he took a turn very quickly. But in our 2 short months together I quickly fell in love with this sweet guy. His sleeping positions were a constant fascination, and I will miss giving him his favorite ear rubs with his soft, floppy ears. He was the perfect addition to my home, despite what Pepper may tell you. It’s never easy to make the decision to let them go, but I didn’t want Joe-Joe to suffer anymore as his body was failing him. He was a strong pup and fought through a lot in his life before me. He will be missed.” Joe may not have had long enjoying his retirement with his forever mom Allison, but he left this world loved and happy - every dog's dream. Bowen, rescued in 2015, has left this world and is now waiting at the Rainbow Bridge. Bowen came to rescue from the St. Frances Animal Shelter in Georgetown, SC as a stray with heartworms. He was fostered by our volunteer Debra, then by Kristin who found Bowen’s perfect forever home with the Gillam family.
From Bowen’s dad Gregory, “Bowen was the sweetest and most gentle giant and he will be dearly missed. His favorite things to do were playing fetch, destroying squeaky toys, chasing any critter he could, and snuggling with his family. He enjoyed the finer things in life like big comfy dog beds and soft cozy blankets. He was loved by so many. Everyone that he met couldn’t help but fall in love with his big goofy self. He was truly the best dog ever and we can’t wait to see him again.” You’ll be forever loved Bowen… “I know that you can’t see me, but trust me I’m right here. Although I’m up in heaven, my love for you stays near. So often I see you crying, many times you call my name. I want so much to lick your face and ease some of your pain. I wish that I could make you see that Heaven indeed is real. If you could see me run and play how much better you would feel. But our loving God has promised me that when the time is right, you’ll step out of the darkness and meet me in the light.” Kim Niles We got sad news about our 2015 alum, Dexter, a few days ago.
From his mom Cathy, “A few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to the bestest boy ever, our sweet Dexter. We adopted him through Southeast GSP Rescue in 2015, and he truly filled a gap in our family we didn’t know we had! His pre-rescue early years were not the best, but the moment he joined our family he wanted nothing but to snuggle next to someone or lay his head in your lap (and maybe a cookie before bedtime). He was the sweetest, gentlest dog on the planet. Our hearts are bruised with the loss of him but we know that he was aware of how tremendously loved he was.” Run free Dexter. Run free. Pete |
SEGSP Rescue |
© COPYRIGHT 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|