Bandit

Our sweet 2020 Alum Bandit has passed away. His mom sent this loving tribute:
 
Stealing Hearts Like A Bandit  ~ July 2, 2015 – February 26, 2026

At five years old, Bandit entered our lives in January of 2020 as a foster for the Southeast German Shorthair Pointer Rescue.  He had been picked up more than three times by animal control, which, by ordinance, led him to automatic neutering.  We guessed that since it was around Christmas, his owners did not have the extra money to bail him out, so he was listed as an owner surrender, released to the shelter and eventually to me as a SEGSP foster to be rehomed.

I went to the shelter to pick him up and fell in love instantly.  He was shaking and visibly uncomfortable with his surroundings.  At first, we thought just getting him out of the shelter would help, but little did we know it would be a very long time before Bandit would show anyone any affection.  He was a loner, and it was very clear from the beginning that all this boy wanted to do was run and hunt!

He bonded with Remington first, hence his nickname “Ditto”.  Those two became inseparable, and since they both came into the same shelter, I always wondered if they may have crossed paths in their past.  Bandit stayed with us in our home for an extended period of time due to COVID.  When it came time to open his profile up for adoption, I just couldn’t bear to see him leave.  I quietly adopted him (not telling Troy), naming him Stealing Hearts Like A Bandit AKA “Ditto”!

This is truly where his story begins.  For the first year or so, Bandit participated in Barn Hunt.  Just like Remington, he was an amazing hunter, but quickly he realized that he would not be able to kill the rat, so he lost interest.  We instead visited parks and did a lot of training all on leash due to the fact that he was a runner; agility was never an option.  Little did I know that Bandit’s true passion was the water, and to be honest, if I hadn’t adopted Walker, I may not have ever known.  I wanted Walker to be a dock diver so bad, so I took him and Bandit (who was just tagging along) to a dock at a friend's house.  The plan was to introduce Walker to the water, as he was only 10 months old; instead, Bandit, on his own, jumped in after a bumper.  He was a natural.  No training needed, and it was a sport in a controlled environment that he didn't have to do on-leash.

His first dock diving event was in October 2022.  My little pocket rocket would take us on many adventures over the next three years.  Bandit would earn titles in the Novice, Junior, and Senior divisions.  His personal best would be 17’6 inches.  In 2024, we celebrated Bandit’s 100th jump with North American Diving Dogs (NADD). Bandit was invited to five regional events, including 2026, which he will obviously miss. He finished 3rd in 2024 and 1st in 2025 in the Veteran Division (8 or older).   Bandit traveled with me to Nationals, Springfield, MO, in October of 2025, which would be his last dock diving event.

Also during this time, Bandit would attend and title in many events from the dock to urban hunting.  Alongside NADD, he started to participate in United Dock Diving (UDD).  Bandit would participate in two national events with UDD, finishing in 3rd in Long Jump 2024 and 2nd in SPEED 2025 in the GOLD division (8 or older).

Bandit was a huge part of a few calendars to support fundraising for dog rescues, the Hodges Badges Catalog, and the Chewy family.  Bandit participated in many photo shoots and even landed himself on the front of the 2023 Chewy Christmas catalog and a dog food bag for the Chewy brand.  Bandit was known at Chewy for loving to get dressed up, his happy smile, and the fact that his love for life was captured in every photo.

Bandit was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on December 14th 2025.  We were given the prognoses with a timeline of days possibly a few weeks.  We were lucky enough to spend the next 11 weeks with him.  To say that he was one of a kind would be an understatement.  His story is truly a “One man’s trash is another man's treasure” type of story.  He deserved the best and we tried our hardest to give him just that!  RIP Ditto!

Thank you SEGSP for bringing him to my home.  He was a special boy. We miss him terribly but know that now he is no longer in pain.  The Levee Family
 
“Dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive.” – Gilda Radner