Another sad announcement. Our 2012 Alumnus Jack, has crossed to the Rainbow Bridge.  His mom Mason sent us his story…
 
Jack’s story starts as a traveling man.  After running away from home, he ended up in Kentucky where he was caught and scanned.  His family in NC was notified however did not want him back as he was already replaced.  He then shifted over to Birmingham to reside with his foster parents, Heather and Chris.  At the time, I was looking for a GSP as a surprise for my husband.  He loved the breed, and I wanted a dog.  After applying and completing a zoom meeting in 2012, we were chosen to be his family!  Of course, the day we scheduled to pick him up in Boone he decided to pick up a scent and travel once again from his home (typical GSP).  Fortunately, a neighbor found and returned him.  He was the perfect Christmas gift! 
 
Jack was unlike most GSPs, always wanting to sleep and just porch sit even at a young age of 2.  He showed us many tricks like scaling our chain link fence and flipping any handle that wasn’t locked.  I distinctly remember dropping him at doggie daycare one day and the staff members yelling “Jack is here! Please check the gates to see if they are locked.”  He loved his people and loved other dogs more. I was lucky to have a few days with him last week leading up to his departure.  He will be terribly missed by all and especially his sister, Willow (SEGSP rescue).  Time will heal and we will continue to look for him in the upcoming fall days (his favorite season). 
 
 Oh JackJack, I will love you for eternity!!! - Mom
 
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal."

Hello and Goodbye.
When GA shelter volunteers reached out to SEGSP for help with a GSP in an overcrowded, underfunded shelter, our volunteer Jackie (NC) answered the call and volunteered to foster her.

Though we learned Lillian was battling cancer, Jackie offered to bring her home as a hospice foster and give her some comfort, care and love for however long she had left. Three states and three transport volunteer drivers later (thank you Vanessa, Ellen and Jackie), Lillian was home in rescue on Thursday.  Tragically, we had to say goodbye to her the very next day.
Jackie said, “I knew her prognosis, but I had no idea I’d have so little time with her. When I realized how sick she was, I took her to the place that brings me solace: the beach. My community has become my family, and when I tearfully asked a photographer friend for a favor at sunrise, he agreed immediately, said a prayer, and grabbed his camera. This photo is how I want Lillian to be remembered.
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Despite her sweet spirit, her body just couldn’t do it. I didn’t get the chance to learn her favorite toys/treats, watch her chase lizards, experience ice cream or take a nap together. I won’t get to explain she isn’t a Dalmatian or pull something out of her mouth. But I did get to kiss her head, rub her chest, and whisper in her ear as she laid in my lap and took her last breath.
Why do this? Because I’ll let my heart break so hers won’t have to. I hope she knows we tried and that she was loved by many. And I’d do it again in a second.”
 
“Goodbyes are not forever; they are not the end. It simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” Unknown

​We recently received very sad news, that our 2021 alum Camo has passed away.  Camo had a rough life before rescue (we believe she was abused) and was dropped at a kill shelter in OK at 10 years old.  The rescue In OK reached out to SEGSP for help. We were able to save her thanks to her foster parents (and eventually forever parents) Betsy and Ted, as well as @Pilots and Paws who flew her to the area where Betsy and Ted picked up Camo.

Thank goodness we found out about her – she then had three years of being loved and spoiled by her family. Tragically, Betsy passed away last year, but Camo helped Ted mourn her loss.  And we are confident Betsy and Camo have reunited and that makes us smile.
 
This was one of those amazing success stories that stick with us and those at SEGSP that were involved with Camo’s rescue will never forget her… and we know neither will Ted.
 
“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling an emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” – Thom Jones  

We start the day with sad news. On August 3rd, one of our oldest alumni, Christopher Robin, passed away. Krista and Charlie fostered him and became his forever family.  His story is told beautifully by Charlie…
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“It is with a heavy but also relieved heart that I wanted to let the group know about SEGSP All-Star Christopher Robin’s passing today. He went by several names; Robin, C. Robin, Robby, Bob.. the list goes on just as his memory will.  Robin entered SEGSP care on Oct 7, 2010 when my wife Krista went to pick him up down in Warner Robins after the group was alerted of his presence in animal control.  We used to try and incorporate where they came from in their name, he was such a sweet boy it just fit.  The intent was to get him into the “system” and adopted out because he was such an ideal example of what we do and hope to keep doing - finding these special beings and match them with their forever home.  We had 3 already and were not looking for another one.  But we failed, again.  Almost 14 years later, he let us know he was finished in this version of his self.  It was a peaceful trip across the bridge, he even yawned just as the last injection was given letting us know he was at peace.
He was super special, and I'll be looking for him to show back up in a way only these guys can.    The picture of the Rainbow was from the evening of the day we said goodbye...that was his favorite perch, standing vigil over the barn and keeping a weather eye on Krista.  I'm pretty sure we all believe in signs - otherwise we'd be cat people!!  We chose to believe this was from him telling us he's ok, and not to feel the pain we were.  That's the kind of selfless, "benevolent Alpha" he was.” Charlie and Krista
 
“You are near, even if I don’t see you.  You are with me, even if you’re far away. You are in my heart, in my thoughts, in my life, always…”  Unknown

We have sad news, our 2017 Alumnus, Buddy (previously Quick Draw), has passed away.  His dad Davis sent us a beautiful note:
 
“I am writing to you with sad news this morning.  When I came downstairs this morning, I found Buddy on the sofa in his favorite spot.  He passed away peacefully sometime in the night.  Our son told him goodnight and covered him up with a blanket and that is how I found him this morning.  The vet discovered a large mass in February and gave him 4-6 months.  He rallied twice over the last month and ultimately slipped away in his favorite spot. 
 
We know that his life before joining our family was not kind, but we gave him a second life that he couldn’t have imagined in the first.  His original owner wanted him euthanized but Greenville Animal Care did not and called SEGSP instead.  We are sad to have him leave us, but he is a success story of SEGSP.
 
I am attaching a photo we took yesterday afternoon with Buddy (all white on right), Hank (brown on left SEGSP ’22) and Maggie as they rode home from a visit with Grandma.”
 
We hate losing another alumnus, but Buddy truly had an amazing second chance at life and we love success stories. Thank you, David, Jamie and your entire family, for giving Buddy the love he deserved.


#buddyforever

We have very sad news… Our 2018 alumnus Remington, aka Remi, has left this world (but not our hearts).  His parents sent us this beautiful note:
 
“Remington (2018 Alumni), Remi, Mr. Remi, Rem dog, Bub, Little Bub, the King. We had to say goodbye to Remi this week. Remi was 11 years old and adopted us 6 years ago. He was pulled out of a shelter in Tennessee by Southeast GSP Rescue, fostered by Tausha and her family in AL, and chose us one fateful Fall afternoon in Atlanta. That day is engrained in our memory as we nervously waited to meet Remi and then watched the back of an SUV open and out jump Remi.
 
He was a big GSP, weighing between 70 and 80 pounds (depending on cheese and pup cup consumption). One of his SEGSP transporters dubbed him The Gentle Giant. And that is exactly what he was. Remi traveled the country with us, taking road trips to New Mexico, Colorado, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He camped and hiked with us all over the Southeast. He was a GSP on demand; he could go on a 10-mile hike, or he could sleep all day.
 
In his golden year, he loved his weekly walk through the Davidson River Campground where he would beg for a treat from the guard station on the way in and try again on the way out. Remi loved bananas. Most of all Remi was a momma’s boy. He always had a watchful eye on Sandy and would follow her from room to room; wherever Sandy went, so did Remi.
 
Our hearts hurt and we are immensely sad. We will miss the paw, the snoring, the talking, and the snout nudge. We are extremely thankful for SEGSP for rescuing Remi, for Tausha and her family for fostering Remi, and for the great care Remi received, especially in the end, from Blue Ridge Animal Hospital.


We will always love you Remi!  John and Sandy

​Another sweet alumna, Ivy, has passed away.   Ivy’s mom Robyn told us her story…
 
“Ivy came to us in 2019, she had been the breeding female at a local hunting farm. She lived the first part of her life in a kennel.
 
When she came to us, I knew immediately she was going to be a foster failure. All she wanted was to be loved on…. She was shy and timid at first but once you sat still, she would come and curl up next to you for some snuggles.
 
Over the next few years her confidence grew, and she became queen of the house. She loved to snuggle but she also loved her cozy cave. She was a master chipmunk hunter and taught her sister how to dig up the yard... we still have some holes to remind us.
 
Last fall Ivy started losing weight.  Within a few weeks she really started to slow down. She was diagnosed with liver cancer and in December she told us she was ready to run free from pain. Her decline was really quick, so she did not have a chance to suffer. She was the lost mellow GSP ever and we miss her greatly!”
 
Ivy was no doubt incredibly blessed to spend the last 5 years of her life with her true forever family.
 
“What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” Helen Keller

​We have more sad news… Our 2018 Alumna, Dottie, has passed away.  We received this beautiful note from her family:
“This is so hard to write, because when I do, It becomes real. On April 8, 2024, we said Goodbye to Dottie Nottingham. It was very peaceful. We stayed with her awhile after she was gone. She almost looked like she was smiling. I think it was then she passed over the Rainbow Bridge!! Dottie had been sick on and off this past year. She was diagnosed with Addisons. She fought a good fight but finally succumbed. It was time to let her go. Dottie will be missed by her mom and dad, Karen and Bob, my sister Sherry, and nephew Chris.
 
Dottie, we loved you so much and still do. We love you forever sweet girl. We will meet you in heaven at the Rainbow Bridge, with Fauna (Doberman), Hannah Banana (former SEGSP alumni) and many dog friends!! A special thank you and love to Dorothy Thompson, the SEGSP FL State Coordinator.”
 
We know Dottie had the most amazing 6 years with her forever family and is smiling down in thanks to Karen and Bob for their unending love.
 
“While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet her behind the veil.”  John Taylor

​We begin the weekend with devastating news.  Our 2017 Alumnus that is featured on our 2024 t-shirt, Scout, has left this world (but not our hearts).  His bucket list included raising money to help the GSPs in SEGSP foster care and he succeeded.  Thank you, Scout.  Below is a letter his mom Taylor wrote to Scout and read to him, along with singing his song, before he passed away.
“To my dearest Scout, You weren’t given a fair shake the first part of your life.  From an airport bomb-sniffing failure, to a cross-fit dog scared of people & noises; your first years were anxiety riddled and torture for you.  In 2017, we adopted you and began the slow process of earning your trust. Teaching you a safe environment is possible and that you deserved unconditional love.
 
You instantly gravitated to your lab sister, Zoey, and every possible toy you could fit in your mouth. You loved being tucked in tight to your humans at night, under a blanket of course. In turn, we were rewarded with “white noise” listening to you snore.
 
It took years for you to fully blossom into a social dog with family & friends. But you trusted us not to put you in harm's way and opened up to show your love & kindness to everyone. My heart was filled with joy when your “springer” of a tail would wag back and forth. Finally showing you happiness was my mission in life.
 
We’ve known for several months you were getting sicker, but you fought like a warrior. You fought to give us all the love in your heart.  Scout, my hope is that we returned that love so fiercely that it helped erase the memories of that first part of your life.
 
You were a gentleman, a toy hog, and the best friend I could have ever asked for. Thank you for choosing us all those years ago.
 
I will say goodnight the same as always. The chorus from “your” song that I’ve sung to you since the beginning, until today as you cross the rainbow bridge…
 
“Godspeed, little man.
Sweet dreams, little man.
Oh, my love will fly to you each night on angel’s wings.
Godspeed.
Sweet dreams.”
(Godspeed by The Chicks)
 
Final day photos include a chocolate frosty.