Author: Admin

Our sweet Kirah was ushered to the Bridge Sunday March 17th. She was in a lot of pain and xrays revealed a new tumor near the top of the bone in her one remaining front leg. And that was that. One xray showed the whole top of the bone to be filled
with a tumor.

My vet left the room and came back with a syringe with a sedative in it and told me I would have a few minutes with her before he came back with the final injection. All discussion amounted to a simple “She’s in a lot of pain isnt she?” And his reply “Yes”. “There is nothing else to do now is there” and the known reply “No”.

Sweet Kirah licked my tears away before she dozed off. The look in her eyes said that she was ready to go. She seemed to be facing the Bridge with the same spirit and anticipation that she faced all of her hurdles with:

One last fence between her and that final freedom from pain and uncertainty and her reunion with the Source of that unconditional love she carried and shared her whole
short life.

I wasn’t ready. An xray and the stark reality of tumors came too fast. But Kirah was ready and that can be the only thing that matters. She was in so much pain that there was no question of trying to hold out for her dad a long-haul trucker to get back this week.

I brought her home and my son got a couple of friends to make her final resting place. We laid her by the fence facing the fence where she loved to hold her little ‘barkfest’ visits with the dogs next door. As we were nearly ready Sherrie let her dogs out next door and Bear and Mattie and Sheba barked their farewells to Kirah through her fence.

Then she came over with her little daughter and my friend who’d been taking care of Kirah for us those last three days came over and with her dad on the cordless phone we laid her to rest a rose tucked inside her blanket. And even then the swelling was soft and pliable as you’d expect not hard like this lump that came out between
Thursday and Sunday.

Kirah was always a great ‘talker’. A notorious ‘talker’. She loved children more than anything. During the year she spent in Norman Park GA after failing her screening for drug dog school and being adopted by the woman who’d first found her on the internet up for adoption in WA Kirah lived with her and went to work daily unofficial greeter at their small city hall where most of all she made sure that any children coming in were properly kissed and talked to.
She was a one-dog
canine community affairs officer.

So great her love of people. That lack of aggression was what caused her to bomb out in police training in TX after having been imported from Germany no taste for the sleeve at all. And that set off the chain of events that landed her next in Spokane WA with a woman who didn’t really want her and put her up for adoption after her father had sent Kirah to her as a surprise “gift”.

We never did know what happened to land her in the kill shelter there in Spokane. But Janis in GA had already been discussing her with the owner. Suddenly Kirah was in an Animal Control shelter and had five days to live. This is where Kirah first came into our lives when the GA lady found (rescue transport list) RollingRescue and made a plea for help in getting Kirah off
death row and to GA.

One look at that beautiful face and I got a hold of people we knew from past transports in CA and they got ahold of people in WA and OR and soon Kirah was safe at the Spokane Humane Society. A woman from ID fetched her to Portland OR on a business trip and people there fostered her until Mike her future dad got into Portland. LOL and Kirah taught Fence Management 101 to
the foster mom’s dogs.

The woman was surprised one day while unloading groceries to find herself surrounded by Kirah and her own dogs whom she had left in her fenced in yard. Until Kirah showed them how to open the gate that is. Then Mike arrived with the big truck and brought her back to Michigan where she caught another trucker headed south to GA.

So many people strangers working together to bring a new drug dog candidate to a small town police dept in southern GA. This was my first real exposure to the amazing dedication of the rescue network that moves unwanted dogs from shelter to foster and on to new lives. I knew the transport end well but had never been involved in trying to arrange an actual shelter pull and foster situation.

And each one who helped Kirah fell in love with her. You couldn’t help it. Especially the truckers who spent days with her on the road. Mike’s daily reports were funny. Kirah loved kids so much. He stopped at one truck stop and took her out in the morning to potty. He was taking her and Beethoven over to the fence to show them some Buffalo but just then a bus had pulled up to the resturant and a load of tourists
were getting off.

Kirah spotted one child amongst them and went flying off to deliver her kisses. The tourists of course did not realize this was four footed love speeding towards them and as she zeroed in on the kid with Mike running and calling behind her these poor people about had a heart attack at the sight of the German Shepherd barreling at them until she arrived and sat down before the child and delivered her
payload of love and kisses.

The other thing he discovered Kirah loved was the water. In CO she lept into a cold mountain stream surprising even herself and then stood on a rock in mid stream for a long time before she took the plunge back into the cold water to come back to shore. Possibly the only time she ever showed any regret at spashing into a body of water.

Somewhere else along the way as he waited overnight to deliver she took off into a pond on the edge of a parking lot enticing Beethoven the trucking terrier to follow her. We were on the cell phone at the time and our conversation was suddenly interrupted as I heard “Kirah NO Kirah Come Nooooo.” Followed by sounds of splashing and then “Beethoven NO Beethoven come back here” and more splashing. (Beethoven is the truckin’ Terrier who accompanies Mike on the road.) I was still on the phone with him when I heard a commontion and Kirah’s legendary talking. Kirah had just climbed through the open truck window to rejoin him dripping all over the passenger seat.

By the time they reached Michigan Mike had already announced that if anything ever happened and Kirah did not work out as a drug dog and needed a home she should come back to us. He was hooked.

In GA after they discovered that she had no ball drive whatsoever and Janis adopted her for her own Kirah continued to amaze people. The first thing they noticed was that she could not be contained. Fences were not a problem for Kirah. The first time Janis left Kirah in her kennel at home to go to work and had one of the officers stop by to check on her they called to say “yep she’s fine sitting on your front porch where do you want me to put her?”

Janis built the kennel up two or three times but Kirah was not happy at home alone. And thus Kirah’s career as the city hall greeter dog was born. And for a year she was thus employed spending her days laying behind Janis’ desk waiting for kids to come in.

When a family crisis came up it was no longer possible for her to keep Kirah and remembering Mike’s statement she contacted us. By April last year Mike was headed home from the west coast when a change in loads resulted in his going down into GA enabling to pick Kirah up and back to the West Coast before ultimately bringing her home to us.

Kirah loved to ride. She would have made a great road dog but for the fact that she didn’t like being left behind. Just as she scaled fences she didn’t think too much of truck window screens. Mike finally brought Kirah home along with two sets of truck window screens and both had perfect Kirah-shaped holes in them. She would always be waiting for him when he came back to the truck but she’d be waiting outside on the ground where she prefered to be.

She had her last great swimming adventure back in OR. Kirah loved the water. On a potty break in OR in an isolated stretch of beach near the OR port of entry scales she jumped into a lake to chase a flock of geese. Mike watched as she swam and swam wondering if he was going to have to go get her. Wondering if he could swim that far. She came back not even breathing hard.

Kirah only had a short few months between coming back home to Michigan and the diagnosis of osteosarcoma which required the amputation of her right front leg. But her amputation meant nothing to her. She was up and going as soon as the drugs wore off. Hopped up the stairs coming home and then the bed and then the couch. LOL the new used couch that was going to be off limits to the dogs. Well okay Kirah
off limits to four legged dogs.

I took her fishing with me after one of her post surgical check-ups and she was extremely irritated that I would not let her jump in and chase ducks. And then the fence. I was shocked the first time the next door neighbor brought her to the front door after she’d cleared the fence to go and greet her. How could a three legged dog clear a fence?

But this was Kirah and there was someone on the other side of the fence that she liked a lot. Of course she jumped the fence.
Silly me.

She went right on being the bossy big sister to Queper Frankie and Yahoo barging in between them when she thought their play too rowdy. Taking Yahoo by the neck and pushing him to the ground when he ignored “Kirah says stop”. And still chasing an occasional cat when the
opportunity presented itself.

And this was Kirah’s life after diagnosis and chemo. For almost nine months. Perfectly normal for Kirah. I didn’t mean to give Kirah’s whole life story short as her life was. But so many things intertwined in Kirah’s life. So many people. From Germany to TX to WA to GA to MI a score of people helped with Kirah’s rescue and fell in love with her along the way.

And then after her diagnosis even more people some of them rescue friends and some of them strangers from coast to coast who helped raise the money for her treatment. Something we could never have done
without their help.

And now slightly less than a year after Kirah came back into our lives she has gone to the Bridge. Too much love for the police work she was bred for. Too little time for the therapy work we hoped to do with her
and her love of kids.

As I said I didn’t mean to write her life story. But those doubts that plague us after we’ve taken the treatment path and it ends far short of the extra years we’d hoped to give her that in the end amounted to nine months those doubts are
perhaps inevitable.

And the sadness over a life so full of change and turmoil one of the things that has always haunted me with Kirah. All the changes she went through. She was clearly born to work only too late did anyone realize what kind of work she was met for. She would have made a great therapy dog. And with her three legged status she would have been uniquely qualifed it seemed. It all seems
such an injustice.

But in the end thinking about all of the people in Kirah’s life who returned Kirah’s great love of people perhaps this was Kirah’s mission in life bringing people together spreading her message of love. An ambassador for GSDs and rescue dogs everywhere she went everyone she touched.

And having written this much longer than I meant it to be I have answered my own questions. Kirah enjoyed and deserved these last nine months. Her life wasn’t necessarily the one we would wish for a dog with so many changes but we have to try and trust God’s process. What seems like too much uncertainty for dogs and humans to bear perhaps is not without the certainty of His plans which we may never
fully realize or understand.

All I can say to all of you all over the country in the rescue and transport circles and on the Caninebonecancer list and beyond who’ve helped so many times in so many different ways is a simple Thank You.

That is a heartfelt understatement.

Love

Laurel & Mike

Tickles

You are our lives and you are deeply missed! I can still remember 2 days before you died you jumped through the window and you always opened the refrigerator…

Our house is empty without you… We still can’t believe you’re gone .. We love you so much and we will never forget you!

We love you Tickles and
always will!

Crystal

For my precious little Max

You were truly and Angel send from the heavens above for all to love. You gave the most unconditional love always. We are so sorry you suffered the last 2 weeks here on earth but we were being selfish and trying to make you better so we could have you a little bit longer but your heart and lungs just weren’t strong enough anymore. I’ll remember you sleeping comfortably by the fireside during the last few nights. You were much too young only 10 years old to leave.

Our memories will last
a life time little buddy.

Love Forever

Mom Dad Deanna
Dennis Haley & Frisco………
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

MY SACHE MY HEART…..

THE BEST DOG A GIRL
COULD EVER HAVE……

S.A. Werwa

Oh Teeter we loved you so very very much!! But thru our tears we know you are happy on the other side of that Rainbow Bridge and you have no more pain Your little sister Mollie misses her ” BRUVVER” so much and is grieving in her own little doggy way.

Rest in peace my baby.

With hugs and Kisses

Mommy (June and Ron}

Kelly came into our lives when she was around 9 weeks old. We adopted her from the Animal Rescue League in Saint John New Brunswick on July 2 1996. We moved across Canada the next year and she travelled with us in the U-Haul. Boy the funny looks we got at the rest stops when hopping out of that truck with a cat on a leash. Kelly was never sick a day in her life until we noticed she was off her food the evening
of November 5 2001.

On the night of November 5 2001 I noticed that something wasn’t quite right with Kelly she had lost a bit of weight suddenly and didn’t have her normal appetite. I called our regular vet who really didn’t seem to concerned about this matter however I wasn’t satisfied with his answer so I found another vet who could see us on the 6th in the evening. The vet gave her a thorough exam and even tested her urine for diabetes. Well the urine test showed something else. It had a low specific gravity so we decided to draw some blood to
check the other parameters.

The next evening when I arrived home at 7:30 there was a message from the vet telling me that the news wasn’t good that Kelly’s BUN and creatine levels were exceptionally high and that I should call him first thing in the morning to discuss our options. I called him the next day and it was decided that we would give IV fluid therapy treatment a try to see if we could bring the levels down. So I rushed her to the vet clinic and she was hooked up to the IV and her blood levels were checked again the next day. Still no good news so it was decided we would give her another 24 hours of fluid therapy and if there was no significant drop in these levels that we would have
to make a decision.

Well we kept going by to visit her in the clinic those 2 days and although she loved to see us you could see in the way she behaved that she was telling us that she loved us but it was time to go. She would only eat for my husband and myself. The Saturday morning we went in to talk to the vet and find out the latest results of the blood work. It wasn’t good even though Kelly had seemed to have perked up and was truly glad to see us her levels hadn’t come down at all. We had to make a decision that day as
to how to proceed.

Upon discussing it further with the vet the kindest thing to do was to euthanize Kelly. I stayed with Kelly until the end saying good-bye and that we truly loved her and that we would miss her forever. In my heart I believe that Kelly was telling us good-bye and that she loved us and wish that she could stay but the pain was too great.

So at approx. 11:54 am on
Saturday November 10 2001
Kelly went over the Rainbow Bridge.
We still miss her and hope
that one day the pain
won’t be so great.

Paula

DUDE

From four weeks old
I took care of him
My hairy son the Abbysinnian.
He grew big and strong
and had attitude
That’s my hairy son
the one we called Dude.

I miss the touch of his
soft brown fur.
His big yellow eyes and
comforting purr.
Everyone knew he was
King of our house.
I remember when he brought me
his first mouse.

Around his neck
a silver chain he wore.
Not just a pet
no he was so much more.
For fifteen years
he was my best friend.
I ache inside to hold him again.

He was a very big part
of my family.
I’ll love him always
for eternity.
That soft brown cat
with the attitude
My hairy son
the one we called Dude.

Micaela

We had Gus for 12 3/4 year sand then he got sick. His thirteenth birthday came and he was still living. We were all thankful for this. It was the evening of November 22 when all he would do is cough. He never slept at all that night. We took him to the vet the next day at 3:30. The vet said that there was nothing that we could do for him. The vet took him into the back room to put a catheter into his little leg. When he came back he wasn’t scared or nervous. He was our brave little guy. She also brought the needle and a blanket to make him comfortable.

We laid him on the blanket. She put the needle in the catheder and slowly injected the fluid. Eventually it was all in. We kept saying over and over “I love you Gus you’re a good good dog!” She listened to his heart and said that it would only be a minute or two longer. She listened to it a minute later looked up and said “Gus is gone.”

I started crying that very second. I wish that I could have craddled his dead body. This was on a Friday. The following Monday we got him cremated. His ashes will wait until all of the snow has gone and then we will let them blow freely in the wind on his favorite walking place.

This is not good-bye

but I will miss you
until I will meet you
at The Rainbow Bridge…

I will love you always Gus.

Heather

Dearest Buster

There is no way for me to explain what I’m feeling know. I know that daddy mommy and sister will always love you. You brought so much love into our home. You loved us unconditially. We loved you just the same. I have your sweater and bandana that I will always treasure. You’re in no pain now and in the place where you are you can run play and eat all of the things that you want. Your sister Put Put is up there with you.

I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooo
much.
My heart is broken.

Rest in peace No Ni

Nancy

The Decision we made for you today was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make. You were just 4 years old in the prime of your life. Healthy and vibrant but yet we put you to sleep.

When we first adopted you from the shelter we knew pretty quickly we had our hands full. You were a fearful dog and difficult to manage. Because we loved you we worked with professionals and as a family to help you with your problems. We made excellent progress over the years and earned your trust. You in turn provided us with your loyalty and companionship.
Still you never
learned to be at ease.

You tried so hard for us and I know you couldn’t help it when you did not behave properly. I hope and pray that you understand that we did what we did to protect the members our our household
and to protect you.

Thank you for the joy you brought to our household and the numerous gifts you gave us. I’m so sorry we didn’t get to spend more time together. It was so hard to say goodbye to you this morning. Promise you’ll be the first to greet me when my time comes. Until then be free be at peace
and don’t be afraid.

We love you Misty!

S. Roe

Sylly-Joe-Vester —

Daddy and I miss you so very much. I’m sorry that we couldn’t keep you any more but we knew that God needed you more. He didn’t want you to suffer any longer and neither did we. We know that you are healthy again and you’re playing with Morris and Sam. Be good.

I still love you very much and
I’ll see you again someday –
beyond the Rainbow Bridge.

Love

Mommy

Cinnamon was my angel. She only had 3 legs but she took every step I did. Without her I don’t know if I can make it. She was the sunlight in my days. Everything I looked forward to. She was an angel in dog form. I pray she’s in heaven because she certainly
deserves her wings.

I will never forget her. She will always be a part of me and the unconditional love she gave every day. May God Bless Her and make her his most beautiful Angel. For the Love of Cinnamon. I’m already there
reminds me of her.

I love her so much.
I cannot take the loneliness
since she’s gone.
She will always be my baby.

Mary Helen

Cassa chose me on 9/9/00. I’ll always be grateful he did. He taught me to love bunnies and to open my heart to those that need a good home.

If I had done the choosing I probably would have come home with the grey/tan Lop I had been holding when Cassa corrected me. I was admiring this beautiful bunny when I heard a small tap on the glass. (It was supposed to be a thump but a 1 lb bunny didn’t make much noise.) I looked down into Cassa’s eyes and he pretty much said “Hay lady why are you holding that bunny you belong to ME.”

The other bunny was prettier (although I’d never said that around him) but there was something in his eyes that told me I was holding the wrong rabbit.

We had a short walk along life’s road together. He only lived to be 18 months old. During that time he was ill several times but I never expected to lose him this soon.

I named him Cassa
which meant dark and sweet.
He lived up to his name.

Even last night as he was waiting for the black rabbit to come for him he took a moment to give me a little kiss. That’s just like the Cassa I knew and loved. Even when he was in pain he wanted to make me feel better. He was a special little boy.

He will be missed
by many folks and rabbits..
none more then his room mates
Casper and Andvari.

Cassa go play in the meadows.
We’ll see you again someday.

Christina

My dearest Emmey

It’s now many years since you departed from my life. You are still very much in my thoughts as I think of the happiness you brought to me and your mummy. Sadly we have gone separate ways now but I’m sure she still remembers you too. I will never ever forget the faithful companion that you were to us.

The love that we shared with you and the time at the end when me and your mummy were no longer together. But we still put you first in our lives and I’m glad that I’ve finally had an opportunity
to pay this tribute to you.
Love and miss you always Emmey.

Goodbye and god bless you.

From your loving dad {Alexander}

Kitsala

You brought us so much happiness. I love you so much and I will always have you in my heart my sweet little baby… I love you dearly.. I can still remember when I felt sad and alone and I would cry you would lick the tears away. You’d wait for me to get home from skewl and you’d jump out of your bed and sleep on my stomach.

You are an angel sent from heaven. I love you dearly. I miss you so much! I wish I could have helped you. I am sorry. I am so depressed over your death. You were my baby and you will ALWAYS be missed!

Crystal

Mandy

You were always there for me whether I was happy or sad. I miss you constantly. I miss seeing you so excited when I would come home. I miss you folowing me around the house chewing the labels off of my clothes and most of all cuddling with me.

You always knew how I felt and what to do to make me laugh. There will always be an empty spot in my heart that aches for my best friend but I know that I will see you again. No one could ever take your spot. I just wish that I was there when you passed…

I am so sorry I didn’t know.
I love you.

Mandy

Our beloved Blackie left us all too soon. His death came unexpectedly and left a terrible void in our hearts. The joy and happiness he brought upon us were shattered by his sudden death. Though you’re gone physically in our hearts you remain and the memories that you left bring tears to our eyes because there were so many things left undone.

You will always be in our hearts and although we go on you’re always right there next to us. Although you left us all too soon your gentle footprints will dance along our hearts forever!!

WE LOVE YOU BLACKIE
AND MISS YOU!!!

Claudia

How do you say goodbye to your best friend. Nikki we miss you so much. You gave us so much love and you will always be in my heart. It is lonely here without you but you are in a good place now. And yes Nikki there are bananas in heaven and I bet there are cookies too.

Grandma Mavis is there and
she will see after you now
until we are all together.
Misty and Speckles
miss you and dad too.

You will never be
forgotton precious.
What a wonderful 13 years
we had.

Until we meet again
we love and miss you dearly……

Mom…Dad…Misty….Speckles

We will always love you
and never forget you.
Thank you for 2 wonderful years.
Lots of love from

Boss Granny and Grandad
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Laddie

I loved you since the minute I had you in my arms. You died a tragic death of a car as your murderer. I miss you so much Laddie. I miss your bark your lick your smell. I remember the time we were under the blanket with you and you jumped on all of us and found us under the blanket. You were my first dog. You were our baby our family …

And We Will Always Love You!

Crystal