We have a double sad announcement today… two of our 2019 alumni, siblings and bonded pair, Lucy and Lefty have left this world for the Rainbow Bridge.  Lucy passed recently and we just found out Lefty passed away last year.

Lefty and Lucy came to rescue in 2019 after their owner passed away from cancer.  They were fostered by one of our most dedicated foster volunteers (20 foster dogs… that we have documented), Beth Davidson. She was a successful foster fail with both of them, and they lived their remaining years having an amazing life and being loved more than you can imagine.

Lefty developed a bloated stomach, and they discovered he had blood in his abdomen. He was 12 ½ when he passed away peacefully in March 2025. Lucy was 14 years old as of last month and passed away on September 15th.

Beth loved both Lefty and Lucy equally, but Lucy had Beth’s heart from the start. She would often travel with Beth because she was so easy.  Beth said, “I've never had a shorthair who was so willing to hike close in, off leash, all over the US.  I've had close to 10 shorthairs, and it will be hard to find another like her. I wasn't ready to lose her, but her body was ready to go. I will miss you so much, my Lucy.”

“Loved you yesterday, love you still, always have, always will.” —Elaine Davis

We end the day with heavy hearts… Our 2022 Alumna, Tori, has left this world for the rainbow bridge.  Tori came to rescue as a 10-year-old with a lot of anxiety from the shelter environment, where she had been surrendered. She was no doubt very confused and sad. But with the loving tenderness of her foster mom Deanna and her family, Tori found love with the Faris family.  Her Forever Mom, Kari sent us this tribute to Tori: 
“For the longest time, I always wanted to adopt a senior dog, even knowing that our time with them may be short. We found that senior in Tori (she was almost 11 when we adopted her). She was the piece of the family we did not even know we were missing. She came right in and took over. Her 4-legged brother, Auston, who was never an alpha to begin with, became even less so when she came around. He deferred to her on everything. She calmed him down and they became a pair together. Although both German Shorthaired Pointers, he could never be accused of being a supreme hunter and would always burst out the back door into the yard. The dirty looks she would give him if she was out there first, stalking a bird or rabbit. He would scare the target off and she would have to start again. When we boarded them together, she always provided comfort so he would not be scared. They slept together in side-by-side crates at home so they could see each other.
 
Not only will Auston miss her, but we will as well.  We will miss: the snuggles on the couch, the constant scrounging in the kitchen for every little crumb, the attention she gave to the person who was in the kitchen cooking, the sitting at our feet under the table waiting for something to drop (she knew her Dad was the weak link  ) the internal alarm clock that got her in my office at 3:45pm even though dinner was not until 5:00pm (I think she was hoping I would not look at the clock and go ahead and feed her), the stare at exactly 9:00pm telling us it was time for bed, the bouncing on her 2 front feet whenever she was excited about something, especially Dad coming through the garage door when he got home from work, and the howl when we did not put her food bowl down fast enough.
 
We were so lucky to have spent the last 3 ½ years as her family. Run free sweet girl. We love you and will all miss you.  Thank you to Southeast GSP Rescue and Deanna for trusting us to give her the best life. Thank you to @Keagy Village Veterinary Hospital for their compassion.”
 
 
“What you see with your eyes is never as important as what you feel with your heart.”  The Universe Talks
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​With every hello, ultimately there’s a goodbye… or as we like to say, farewell. The Stovall family said farewell to our 2020 Alumna Rowan in February and sent us this…

“Unfortunately, Rowan passed away after complications from surgery. We were so very lucky to have her in our family, and she is missed so very much. She loved to chase chipmunks and squirrels. And she had a deal with the deer that if they don’t come in the yard, and she won’t chase them away! She loved lying in the sun and cooling off on the garage floor after. She loved car rides with the windows down, the dog park, and running laps around the property. Rowan was loving and happy and had the sweetest demeanor. Her passing was felt by our family and our friends that loved her. We miss her so much it hurts. SEGSP is an amazing organization to be a part of. We are fortunate to have recently adopted another dog and are thankful we were connected again through the rescue.”

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” —Aristotle

Our Alumnus Gus has left this world. Gus had a rough life before coming to rescue.  He came from a breeder and his original owner surrendered him to an Alabama shelter with heartworms.  He healed while in rescue and thanks to his foster mom Vicki, he found forever and lived out his days happy, healthy and loved.
His dad Bryan said, “We got Gus about 2 years ago, age 9 and unfortunately at the end of February this year we had to put him down because of an oversized spleen with a large tumor attached to it. We found the problem on a Thursday at our vet and the next Monday evening we had to take him to the ER where he crossed the rainbow bridge. I will tell you that for the 18 months we had him it seemed like we had him for his entire life. It was the best 18 months of his life. We loved him, spoiled him rotten and he was one of the greatest dogs we've ever had. 
By the way the happy pictures in the truck were taken on the way home from picking him up from Vicki.  He was content from the time we met. He was afraid of loud noises, loved affection and treats, always had a toy in his mouth or close to him, didn't really like to swim but would lay on the top step of the pool as shown in one of the pictures. We did struggle the entire time keeping his left elbow healthy from the surgery prior to us getting him. He was such a loving and good dog. Never wanted to leave his house, he would just look if the front door was opened or the garage door was open. He was a lizard slayer and caught 1 rabbit and brought it into the house. Thanks for all you do for our German Short-haired Pointers.”
How very softly you tiptoed into our world, almost silently, only a moment you stayed. But what an imprint your footsteps have left upon our hearts. – Dorothy Ferguson
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We received a message from a former SEGSP adopter near the beginning of our rescue’s existence.  Don and Ann adopted a Mother/Daughter pair in 2005 and their foster mom was our founder Beth Cochran, who has since passed away.  The older girl, Katie, passed away in 2016 and her daughter Abbey passed away the following year.

Don’s message said, “These girls are alumni of SEGSP rescue.  Katie & Abby were found in NC.  We were told they were sisters.  Our Vet thought they were mother and daughter.  We had so many great years with these girls.  They definitely traveled as a pair. Anybody considering adopting might want to consider 2 especially if they were found together.”
Thank you Don and Ann for contacting us… and for giving Katie and Abbey 12 years of love!
"When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure." – Unknow

Miss Polly Wiggletail passed away peacefully on February 7th, surrounded by family in her Durham, NC home. Miss Wiggletail, formerly of Charleston, SC, had contended for years with great dignity and strength the malignancies to which she finally succumbed. She was said to be 15+ years old but was herself silent on her age.
 
Miss Wiggletail, as a Charleston ingenue, developed unfortunate relationships with a cat and two smaller dogs, that ended unfortunately, leading to her departure from the low country for Durham, North Carolina. On arrival there, she promptly rescued her adoptive family, the Kelsoes, and undertook the education of her stepbrother, Buddy Thumper. It would be imprecise to describe Polly as the alpha-dog, as she was the alpha-member of the Kelsoe family.
 
Miss Wiggletail was widely known as a GSP grande dame of the NC Piedmont and Outer Banks. She had many admirers and gladly met them when invited to her Bald Head Island estate. That stately warmth did not extend to the uninvited, however, and on occasion she offered biting discouragement to those who chose to trespass or worse, deposit their post-digestive defilements.
 
Miss Wiggletail was preceded in death by her stepbrother, and is survived by her parents and sisters, Camilla of New York City and Julia of London. She will be missed and long remembered by her friends and family.
 
“We don’t move on. We move forward. We don’t get over it. We integrate it as part of who we become. We don’t get back to “normal”. We are forever altered by loss as we were by love.” Unknown

We are heartbroken to announce that our 2015 Alum Maddie has passed away.  Her mom Glenda sent us this beautiful tribute:

     “Maddie, formerly known as Morgan, brought our family more joy and happiness than we could have imagined over the past ten years. She loved every adventure and was always ready to go wherever we went. At home, was just as happy lounging on the couch, chasing lizards in the yard, or soaking up the sun during her favorite daily ritual—sunbathing at noon.

       Maddie filled our lives with laughter, comfort, and unconditional love. She truly became part of our family. We adopted Maddie from SEGSP in 2015, shortly after my two daughters graduated high school. She was there through so many milestones—when my children got their first jobs and when they graduated from college.

      When my daughters eventually moved out, it was the first time my house had been empty in almost 30 years. Maddie’s calm and loving presence brought me comfort and peace during that transition.

       Maddie meant the world to my husband. As he entered retirement, she was by his side every day—his constant companion and loyal shadow. She truly was his best friend. As we continue grieving the loss of our sweet Maddie, we find comfort in the countless beautiful memories she gave us and the love she will always leave in our hearts.” 

“Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes. This ... is goodbye. But not our last hello.” — Charles Martin