 We are so sad to announce the passing of our 2015 alumna Margot (formerly Bonnie). Her dad Jonathan sent us this beautiful tribute to Margot:
“Sadly, on July 11, we unexpectedly had to say goodbye to her after what appears to have been a splenic mass rupture. We adopted Margot over a decade ago. She was probably 3 or 4 years old when we picked her up in Georgia on December 6, 2015. She was initially part of a brother-sister duo (Bonnie & Clyde), although they were adopted into different families. We were just a young, married couple at the time, and she stuck with us through two children, a move, and countless friends and family in our home. She was happiest when she was outside – especially hunting for squirrels or lizards – or when she received your undivided attention. She was an incredibly noisy licker, she knew how to position herself so she was the most in-the-way as possible, and she had a knack for passing gas while we were praying with our small group. Above all of that, however, she was incredibly gentle and loving. If a guest gave her any physical affection, even the smallest head rub, she would be their friend for life. As I said my goodbyes to her, the number one thing I thanked her for was being an excellent dog to our children – she was loving and gentle with them. She silently accepted every superhero cape, princess tiara, and sequined bow that our children could throw at her without batting an eye. Our home is far too quiet without her. I’m not sure how long it will take to stop looking expectantly at her corner in our living room when I walk through the front door, or thinking I need to let her out before bedtime. We will never forget her and the GSP-sized impact she left on us.” "What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us." -Helen Keller  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  We have sad news… Our 2013 alumnus Bo, formerly Pasadena, has passed away. His parents Lauren and Reece sent us this beautiful tribute…
“Last week we said goodbye to our boy Bo, originally Pasadena. We adopted him in 2013 in Tennessee, shortly after we got married and we recently celebrated his thirteenth birthday. It’s hard to imagine what the last 12 years of moves, new jobs, new homes, road trips and adventures would’ve looked like without him. He was our companion and best friend. He was sometimes ornery and always sassy. He kept us on our toes and usually laughing. He was recently diagnosed with cancer, and we’re grateful that we had a few more months to love and cuddle him. He’ll always be our first baby and hold a special place in our hearts. He was the bestest boy and he’ll be missed. Thank you for the opportunity to call him ours and the great work this group does!” “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” ~Henry Van Dyke  We’ve lost another alumnus this week. Scooby came to rescue in 2017 in TN surviving severe broken bones, surgery to repair his front leg, amputation of his back leg, neutering and advanced heartworm disease (twice). His first Foster Mom Tausha patiently saw him through emergency surgery and a slow recovery. He was then transported to FL to his then Foster Mom Janet who nursed him back to health, fell in love and adopted him.
His mom Janet said, “Scooby left us on Friday June 6, due to major heart failure. He is and will be missed terribly as he was an exceptional companion who never complained and was very in tune with our emotions. He died in my arms quickly, peacefully and without any pain. It’s difficult to adjust to his absence as I sometimes feel that he’s just napping in another room in one of his many beds. I brought him home and he is buried in a place of honor where I can see his final resting place from many windows in my home. It’s difficult but I felt having him nearby would eventually bring comfort to those who couldn’t imagine him ever being absent from our lives. The sunglasses picture is when he first came home. He was such a mellow guy, didn’t mind the glasses at all, cool dude. Thank you all for any part you played to bring him into our lives. He is truly one in a million and we are heartbroken without him. Thank you for remembering him.” “Those we hold closest to our hearts never truly leave us. They live on in the kindness they have shared and the love they brought into our lives.” Unknown  We are sad to announce our 2019 alumnus, Jep’s passing. Jep came to SEGSP when his original owner had cancer and couldn’t take care of him any longer. It was obvious Jep had been loved very much and went straight to a loving foster home with Liz and then was adopted by the Short family, his loving forever home.
His mom Chara said, “We had to say goodbye to Jep on Tuesday. He developed epilepsy in January of 2024. We managed to the best of our ability, but it is a vicious disease. He was the best dog and the easiest patient to manage. I’ve never known a better pill taker. In the end, we couldn’t keep the seizures controlled. Our hearts are broken but are comforted in knowing he isn’t suffering. Jep was the most perfect dog who truly did no wrong. He will never ever be replaceable and will always be in our hearts.” “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them." – John Grogan  When one of our alumni passes away, we try not to think of the sadness, but smile because we know their lives after being rescued were filled with joy and love. When we heard that 2015 alumnus Charlie, formerly Rudy (fostered by Sara and Clint), passed away we reminded ourselves that he lived the life of a king with his family.
Hi mom Barbara said, “Hi SEGSP Rescue team, It is with a broken heart that I write to you today. Charlie (2015 alumni Rudy) crossed the rainbow bridge early Saturday (5/31/25) morning peacefully at home at the age of 13. Charlie came into our lives as a bag of bones even after being in the rescue for a while. He was always such a good boy, he settled into our lives easily. He was the best lapdog I ever had even at his full health weight. He loved his car rides with stops at the ice cream shop for a doggie Sunday all the way to the end. Charlie helped with 3 fosters teaching them the ropes, before he was given bad news that he had cancer. The last year has been giving him all the love we could and spoiling him even more than we did before. He has touched so many people’s lives that it is not just his direct family but his extended family that are trying to find a way to live without him. Thank you SEGSP Rescue for all that you do for this special bread. I know Charlie would want us to keep helping and we will, but we will need a little time.” “Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.” Unknown  We have very sad news to share. Froggy, who came to rescue in 2023, was fostered by Kara in TN and adopted by the Hepburn family in early 2024.
Her mom Dalene said, “It was my pleasure to be Froggy's Mom. In February 2024 a sweet girl named Froggy became the newest love of my life. After mourning my GSP Sadie Mae for 2 years I was ready to open my heart again. May 5th, 2025, my heart is broken. Our Froggy girl had to go on without us. Cancer took her way too soon. I knew adopting a senior would mean our time together would be limited. “My husband was hesitant to take on a senior having watched me struggle with the loss of my Sadie Mae, but I convinced him that it would not matter if the loss came sooner or not, because the important part would be everything before that.” That is a direct quote from the post I wrote adopting Froggy. So, about all that came before the leaving. Froggy was so smart. She learned her E-fence boundaries so quickly. Was quite the funny girl trickster, she would give you the sly look before pushing to see what she might get away with. Better than therapy or a weighted blanket, you never had to wonder if she loved you because she let you know often with the best snuggle times. She was a good travel mate, in our short time together we went to Michigan, Virginia and Washington D.C. Of course, everybody loved her and thought she was the prettiest girl. She liked a good lie out for a sunny nap, her friends the cows down in the pasture, a good lizard hunt and to point, well anything that needed pointing. All that to say even though our time was much too short & my heart hurts terribly I would do it all over again. RIP my BP (best puppy) A special thank you to SEGSP for all you do to help these deserving animals. Thank you to Kara Froggy's foster Mom who was a support & a friend to us, but especially in the last weeks when it got really hard. To the lovely volunteer who makes the memorial ornament dollies. Dr. Faulkner of Heartstrings Hospice (Knoxville) it meant so much to have Froggy at home where she would be comfortable and feel safe to make the passing easier for all of us. Let the ones you love know every day how special they are to you and that they are loved. Life is short, but beautiful.” Dalene |
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