 We have sad news to share today… Another one of our alumni, 2022 Alum Oreo, has passed away.
Oreo’s original owner had a bad fall and was tragically not able to keep him. However, we found an amazing foster home that fell in love with him so quickly and adopted him immediately. So, Oreo went from a sad farewell to a very happy life with his foster/forever family. His mom Marci said, “The first thought I had upon seeing Oreo jump down from the back of the transporter's SUV, was "what a big dog with such big feet", and that continued for the next three years to be a joke around our home. With 8 GSPs before him, I still got a little intimidated by his size. However, in the next three years, Oreo's feet didn't get any smaller, but my heart grew larger for this big goofy dog. What a great dog he was, what a great life we had together. He loved his two daily walks around the neighborhood, seeing his doggie friends and barking at the Amazon trucks...only the Amazon trucks! But there comes a time, when you know. In the last few weeks, Oreo had trouble getting up, so we lifted him up with a harness and he was raring to go. A very tough guy, Oreo didn't cry or whine, but he stopped eating, and we knew he was in pain, so we had to say goodbye. RIP Oreo.” Oreo will be treasured in his family’s hearts forever. “Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.” Sydney Jeanne Seward  Tragically, we say goodbye to Johnny Peter (TN).
Some dogs come to us with stories that break your heart—and Johnny Peter was one of them. He and Junie (NC), both estimated to be at least 10 years old, were found together as strays, likely discarded after being used for breeding for over a decade. Johnny arrived in rescue in rough shape: severely malnourished, heartworm positive, battling serious skin issues, and already beginning to lose his sight. But even through all of that, he still had a spark. When we discovered he was also battling cancer that had spread throughout his chest and lungs, we were faced with an impossible decision. After consulting with our vet, it became clear that treatment wasn’t an option—his frail body simply couldn’t have survived it. So, we made the most compassionate choice we could: to let him go peacefully, knowing love, safety, and rest. What brings us comfort is knowing that Johnny Peter’s final month was filled with joy, care, and warmth. His incredible foster family gave him that—and more. They surrounded him with love, and he gave it right back. It’s as if he forgot all the years before and just soaked up every moment with them. We’ll never be able to thank his foster parents, Anna and Jake, enough for what they gave him. The note below, from them, clearly shows what an impact he made on them and they on him. "We got to spend a month loving on Johnny Peter “Old Man.” From day one, all he wanted was snuggles and scratches. He had a little bit of a cough and a lot of weight to gain so we decided to give him time and nutrition to see if his health improved. Old Man spent the next three weeks eating all the food, enjoying naps on the couch, and learning how to be an indoor dog. At his follow up vet visit, his cough had gotten worse, and his left eye had gone cloudy so the vet did some tests for both issues. We also found out that despite all of the food, he lost two pounds. We ran all of the tests and eliminated every possibility until we had a diagnosis for Old Man. He has glaucoma in his left eye leading to loss of vision and cancerous masses all over his lungs. Based on this diagnosis and his overall condition, we knew we had to let him go. But we made sure he had the best life possible until that time! We spent his last day exploring and enjoying all of the things we could! We started the morning by sleeping in and enjoying a morning nap in the sun. Then we went to McDonald’s and ordered lunch which we ate picnic style at a creek we love! At the creek Old Man got to play in the water, meet some new friends, and discover his love of French fries. On the way home we stopped by Home Depot for more pets and love from people there! The afternoon was spent watching movies and napping in his favorite spot on the couch. After dinner we got all of the pups together to celebrate Old Man! Everyone had a slice of baked sweet potato and a pup cup while playing outside. The morning of his appointment we got Chick-fil-A breakfast and headed back to the creek. We tried our best to make sure Old Man got to have the best life we could possibly give him and felt love all the way until the end. He definitely left his mark on our household, and we will miss him but know that this was the best decision we could make for him." Johnny Peter was an amazing dog, no doubt, but it's foster families that are the heroes. What a wonderful gift they gave Old Man... but something tells us they feel pretty lucky, too, to have loved and to have been loved by sweet Johnny Peter. “In the golden glow of old dogs, love shines brightest.” Unknown  We are sharing another very sad alumni update. Our 2018 alumnus Griffin has passed away.
His mom Melanie said, “I am devastated to be sharing this update but… Last week, we said goodbye to the best dog ever, our sweet Griffin. Joel and I were fortunate to be chosen as his forever home in January of 2019 and loved having him as part of our family every single day after. Griffin turned nine this year and was still as loving and happy as ever, but the tumor in his chest had spread, interfering with his ability to breathe. I know “everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong,” but Griffin was exceptional. He was a proper gentleman who was gentle with children, patient with his GSP fur brother Wagner, and amenable with his people. His favorite things were treats (especially peanut butter), fetch, being under cover, snuggles, sitting under his tree in the backyard, stalking all the critters, and playing with Wagner. Griffin wasn’t a barker; if he needed something, he would let you know with nose nudges and kisses. I work from home, and Griffin was my constant, my faithful assistant who was always at my feet while I worked. He was our little buddy who loved his regular rounds of fetch with Joel. We loved that dog, and while our hearts are broken, we are honored to have known such a precious and good boy. We thank his fosters, Katie and Austin, for choosing us to be gifted with the absolute joy that was Griffin, and we thank SEGSP Rescue for everything you do. Griffin was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.” Griffin was fostered by our volunteers Katie and Austin, who graciously fostered him for 4 months including their wedding date. Griffin was their 5th of 6 SEGSP foster dogs. Griffin was a very lucky, and loved, boy. ‘I'll always be beside you until the very end, wiping all your tears away, being your best friend. I'll smile when you smile and feel all the pain you do, and if you cry a single tear, I promise I'll cry too.” by Leighan  We are mourning the loss of our SEGSP Alumna, Truffles, who passed away recently. She came to rescue in 2010 and was first fostered by our founder, Beth Cochran, who chose the perfect foster/forever home for her. Truffles was even the ring bearer at their wedding.
Her parents, Cheryl and Chip, said, “We have had many dogs in our life that we loved but she was that special heart dog who only comes once in your life. We are crushed without her. She was a 2010 alum and will always be thankful for her first foster mom, Beth Cochran. Without Beth we never would have known the love of our sweet Truffles girl.” I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death. Unknown |
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