♥Rainbow Bridge♥
Rescues Who Will Live on Forever in Our Hearts
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Panzer, aptly named in German for “Tank”, was exactly that when we rescued him; and what we would soon find out that he was a tank in all aspects of his life. What a fitting name! We were lucky to have Panzer for four and a half wonderful years- and I will admit that for a hot minute we considered finding a new home for him, but our hearts and love for him wouldn’t let us do that. He was hard-headed sometimes, but what we now know is that’s what allowed us to have so many more memories of him. Panzer loved food and hated the outdoors. Rain, sun, snow, you name it all he wanted was to be on his bed lounging in the living room, so that’s what we let him do. His partner in life was Olivia, our 11-year-old Belgium (he had great cougar taste!). Our blessed Panzer, only six years old, fought a silent blood cancer that we never knew he had and never showed us he had until his body could not command anymore…like I said A TANK! We love you and we are so sorry we didn’t have more wonderful years to grow together as a family. We love you and will miss you!
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I met Blake after a long deployment to Iraq and it was love at first sight. It didn’t take long for this energetic 4 yo to become my faithful companion. He loved our long runs, every time I put on my running shoes Blake would jump up and down with excitement.
Blake was a farm dog at heart. He was the happiest on our vacations to Iowa, where he had 5 nieces and nephews that he adored. One of his favorite past times was following the little ones and cleaning up the Cheerios they left behind.
For the last 7 years Blake and I have been inseparable. We have shared adventures and hardships. Through it all Blake’s never failing love has been the constant in my life. On April 27th I helped my beloved Blake cross the rainbow bridge.
“My heart aches for the day that I will see you again, my beloved faithful friend”
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MOOSE
July 4, 2006 - September 17, 2014
I once read that it's not the dates that mattered, it was the dash. What happened between those two days!!
In September 2006, I drove down to North Carolina to pick up our sweet little Weim puppy at a TWR Fun Day. Moose was about 10 weeks old and had been found in a barn, so very thin and with an obvious walking abnormality.?We were prepared to care for this special little boy and do whatever was needed to make him strong and healthy. Over the next weeks and months Moose got bigger and stronger and his gait was getting stronger each day. He was a joy and a bundle of love.
When Moose was about 6 or 7 months old he developed an acute subluxation of his left shoulder and sclerosis of his cervical spine. We took him to NCSU Veterinary Hospital to be evaluated. After many tests and biopsies they were not sure what caused his abnormality but stated we could look into experimental surgery to correct it. We decided that since he was not in any pain, and otherwise healthy, that we would not put him through the surgery with no guarantees.
Moose lived the next eight years as a very happy and spoiled Weimaraner. He was loved by everybody that met him. He greeted everybody with kisses and a waggling tail. He lived with his two siblings, Raegan and Gertie (another TWR). He was an inspiration to many. He never seemed phased by his abnormalities. He would run, play and jump with the other dogs.
On September 17, 2014, I helped my best boy cross the Rainbow Bridge. Over the weekend he began to lose his back legs and could not walk. We tried medicine to make him better, but it didn't help. So while he lay in my arms, I sang him a lullaby and kissed his sweet face good-bye. I told him I loved him more than the sun, the moon, the stars and earth. He took his last breath in my arms.
Our hearts are saddened by his death, but he will always live on in our memories. Till we meet again my Mooseman, I love you. We cannot even begin to thank TWR enough for the wonderful gift they gave us when allowing Moose to join our family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for our Mooseman. Truly the best boy ever.
Love,
Paige, Bob, Raegan and Gertie
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We adopted our Gigi right at Christmas time 2010. Gigi may have gotten a home for Christmas but we gained a dog who made our home and family complete.
She exuded joy and love. Everyday she woke up and smiled at us. She was always happy and always ready to give love or be loved. Ready to go on a walk or go for a ride or snuggle or chase a squirrel up a tree. We truly enjoyed her quirky fun and silly personality.
She went on many trips with us to the beach. She really enjoyed chasing seagulls! She also loved laying in the shade of the awning just watching. Gigi would let our dachshund thoroughly lick her face and eyes and ears. If Gigi was done she would just stand up. She was good to our children and good to guests in our home. She was also the perfect amount of protective, she looked to us for her guidance and followed. You never had a doubt that Gigi would protect you if needed.
Gigi would lay in our living room in the evenings or rainy days often with our son laying his head on her chest. We teased that he was her puppy because she very often checked on him before bed or would sleep with him during a storm. I really can't say enough nice things about her. Even with being sick for 2 years she took it in stride and just did her best. Gigi had a sense of humor that comes along with being a Weim. She loved life and we are so happy we were able to share life with her, I am absolutely positive our lives are richer for it. A loyal and loving girl ready with a smile. They say when you adopt a dog you change that dog's world. Gigi changed our world for the better as well.
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On Friday, July 5th, 2013, my wife Tina and I lost our best friend, Smoky. To say that he was loved and cherished would be an understatement that only those who have lost their own best friend can fully understand.
Smoky came to us in December, 2005 with the assistance of Rosi Adams who has helped so many others find just the right companion. When we met Smoky he was a pretty wild, undisciplined two year old with eyes that just arrested you and a spirit that was indomitable. Tina was immediately taken in and I knew within minutes that he'd be taking the long drive back home with us. And so it began...
Over the next 7 1/2 years, Smoky was a constant and faithful companion. He hated every minute that he wasn't by our side and though it wasn't always easy, we were the richer for it in so many ways. He was strong, loving, and friendly with all he met, animal or human and rarely voiced discontent, even when he himself was ill or in pain.. He gave so much more than he demanded in return.
As it is with all of our best friends, the days we spend together are too short and the time comes when nature begins to take its course and assert its will. Though Smoky was strong and stalwart to the end, there was no escaping the dictates of time, his body and the law of nature. Eventually, we sensed and began to see that something was amiss and it was ultimately confirmed by our vets who always gave Smoky great care over the years.
Perhaps the hardest decision we ever had to make was to say goodbye to our sweet, handsome boy so he would not have to needlessly linger on or suffer on our behalf. He was still so strong, so full of life and good humor and we wanted him to be able to depart this life while he was still every bit the Smokyboy we cherished, despite the terrible sense of loss we knew we would experience in his wake.
We will always miss our beautiful boy and hold dear all the wonderful times and memories he has shared with us. Rest in peace, beloved boy. Godspeed.
Elliott & Tina
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Remember Our Love
I was chosen today, I'm learning to fly.
The world took me away, but please don't you cry.
And I chose you today to try and be strong;
so please don't you cry and don't say that I'm gone.
When you're feeling alone,just remember our love.
I'm up near the stars looking down from above.
Remember our love, in a moment you'll see
that I'm still here beside you when you're thinking of me.
Julie Epp
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In October 2004 after losing our 6 year old Weimaraner unexpectedly, we contacted the Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue and asked that they look for an adult male to fit into our family. A short time later, Rosie contacted us to say she had found just the dog. We traveled approximately 200 miles, entered the facility where we were to meet Tucker and anxiously waited for him to enter the room….and did he ever in a big way! He bounded into the room talking the entire way. He had been abandoned by his previous owner and left to starve…yet he was so full of energy and life! We knew right away we were not leaving without him and quite frankly he wasn’t going to let us. On the way home we found out Tucker was not wild about riding in the car, however he was soon our constant companion as we traveled in our RV. He ended up becoming so much the traveler that he accompanied us to the west coast and back in 2011. Never meeting a stranger, Tucker spoke to everyone, his most famous statement being "I’m a good boy ". Then on February 9, 2012 we lost our good boy. He was approximately 12 years old and had hung on as long as he could. We fought hard to save him but could not. Our hearts are hurting and we haven’t made any decisions yet, but when and if we decide to get another pet, we will definitely adopt again. Tucker was forever grateful for the home we provided and responded with so much love and joy that we will never forget our handsome fellow.
Tom, Donna and Shannon Dunn
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Dino
Chris and I wanted to reach
out and let you know that we lost our Dino to cancer on January 16, 2012.
We first brought Dino home on October 2, 2010 as a foster. Dino was our
first foster dog and we had every intention of giving him a warm, safe place to
lay his head until we could find the perfect family for him. Dino had hit
a bit of a rough patch in life as his original owner had unexpectedly passed
away that summer. Well…we didn’t have to look long or far. It’s safe to
say we all fell hard and fast. Before I knew it, I had a gray shadow
following me around everywhere I went and my husband (who works from home) had
his newest “business partner”. Every morning my husband would wake up and
say, “let’s go to work” and Dino would grab his favorite toy “Hedgie” and head
straight to the office. It’s amazing how quickly a bond forms and we knew
after a short period of time that Dino would fit perfectly right into our
home. My husband jokes we are “foster failures”. After fostering
for 3-weeks, we contacted TWR to complete the adoption paperwork. We
needed Dino as a permanent part of our family.
As a few more weeks went
by, we like to say Dino started to “come out of his shell”. I recall the
first time he “talked” to us. Now, Dino was our first Weimaraner, so
we’re not sure if this is considered “normal” Weim behavior but I’m sure fellow
Weim owners can relate. I had just gotten home from work and after
greeting me at the door, Dino runs to grab a toy (he always had to bring people
a toy as they entered our home). I’m standing in the kitchen talking to
my husband and Dino rounds the corner and begins to “talk”. My husband
and I look at each other and for a moment we weren’t sure if he was growling or
in pain! Dino keeps “talking” and paces from the kitchen into the living
room. Finally, my husband follows to see what he wants…but, Dino keeps
right on “talking” and pacing. Finally, I make it into the living room to
see what all the fuss is about. That was all he needed. Once he
rounded us both up into the room he wanted to hang out in, he plops himself
down content as can be. I guess you can say he found his “voice” and from
that day forward he was never shy about telling us what he needed.
Dino began to develop a
cough the summer of 2011 and in July he had surgery at NCSU Veterinary Hospital
to remove a growth in his throat. Dino’s doctors informed us that within
15 minutes and after a very long and complex surgery they went into the
recovery area and they find him standing up in his crate. This dog is
a fighter. By the next morning,
the hospital called and informed us that although he should be monitored at the
hospital over the next few days; Dino was telling them he was ready to go
home. My husband and I looked at each other and knew…”they’re kicking our
boy out”. Like I said earlier, once he found his voice, he always told
you what he needed. We immediately went to go pick him up. Sadly,
it was discovered that the growth was cancerous. Mid-December 2011 his
cough returned and we were able to keep his quality of life strong until
mid-January. It happened very quickly. One Saturday morning Dino
had trouble following me up the stairs after breakfast. We initially
thought he was suffering from one of the side affects of his new medications –
it can cause lethargy and muscle weakness. Over the course of the day
though, things progressed quickly and soon he’d lost the use of his hind
legs. We carried him to the Emergency Vet and ultimately lost our little
guy on January 16, 2012. Dino may no longer be able to “talk”; but he
hasn’t lost his voice. I wanted to share part of Dino’s story to speak to those
of you that are considering either becoming a Foster or adopting one of these
amazing dogs. They are everything you’ve ever read a Weim to
be…strong-willed, headstrong and forever in need of attention. But they
are also full of personality, love and pure devotion. Don’t ever doubt if
you’ll be able to bond with an older dog. We adopted Dino when he was 5
years old and he’ll forever be a part of us.
Thanks for all you do
for these dogs.
Jill & Chris Hughes
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A
Dog’s Last Will and Testament - Author Anonymous
Included
in a recently published book in Germany Der Verlust eines Hundes The Loss of a Dog by Elli Radinger and translated by
Janet Beasley
When
humans die they prepare a will in order to leave their home and everything they
own to all those they love.
If I
were able to write I would also make out such a will.
To a
poor, lonely, full of longing stray I would leave my happy home, my food bowl,
my cozy bed, my soft pillow, my toys and the beloved lap. The gently
stroking hand, the loving voice, the place I had in someone’s heart and the
love which, at the end, will help me towards a peaceful, painless
end while being held in loving arms.
And when
I die, then please don’t say:
“Never
again will I have a dog, the loss is much too painful.”
Find
yourself a lonely, unloved dog and give it my place in your heart.
That is
my bequest. The love I leave behind is all that I have to give.
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Gracie
We lost our sweet Gracie unexpectedly and our hearts have
ached ever since. She was a perfect companion for our other Weim and taught
Coco many of the pleasures of just having fun - running through the dog door at
the sound of the other dogs barking next door, tracking lizards and
"possums," sneaking treats from the cabinet, and even opening doors
that we thought were closed. She had such a kind soul, never met a stranger,
and gave us unconditional love from the minute she joined our family. We never
tired of watching Gracie stalk lizards around the pond or chase squirrels up
the trees. She loved the freedom of being in the yard when she chose or when
she tired of hunting, settling into her favorite couch. She always loved having
her tummy rubbed and when she sat up and looked at us, her huge beautiful eyes
seemed to look into our souls.
Cancer stole her from us but the blessing was everything
happened so quickly, she did not have to suffer. She had her evening meal, even
ran in the yard with Coco shortly before she became sick and we took her to the
doctor. We never dreamed she would not come back home with us. We are forever
grateful to Rosi Adams and Dr. Rita McGinnis for giving this girl the chance
she deserved and giving us the opportunity to love her. She will never be
forgotten.
Pete and Melissa
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Missy
First, we need to thank Mary Dobbins for helping us to find
Missy. Our much-loved friend died March 13. Cindy and I were blessed to have
known her for the short five years she lived in our home. She added nothing but
love and light during her short stay. Missy never once was a problem of any
sort; always a true lady .... even to the end. She got on well with everybody
even our Jack Russell who often nagged her. I know somebody must have taken
care of her early in her life and I would like to think that her "golden
years" were just as kind to her. Where ever we went around the house or
yard, our dark blue shadow was not far behind, she even had her special bed in
our bedroom. I must say, however, that even though she loved a car ride, she
hated the water and only took a bath under protest. Such a lovely lady, she is
sorely missed.
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Icey
Sweet Icey's death was a total shock. She had
been fine and in fact had her well check up about 6 weeks prior with no
indication of any problems. She played as usual with Colin, took her nap with
him and took her ride to pick Landon up at school. She always starts about 5pm
doing her dance wanting her supper and she ate good. After the kids went home,
we took our usual place in our big chair, Icey always trying to take up more
than her share of space, then about 9:30 she had a massive heart attack. She
died immediately. She has a final resting place in a very special place in our
yard. It will be so hard fill this void. Icey loved children and got along with
cats. There are very few pictures that we have taken since Icey has been with
us that do not include her.
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Betsy
The wonderful folks from Brother Wolf Rescue once again
intervened on behalf of a Weimaraner in need and contacted Tarheel
Weimaraner Rescue. As plans were being made for Betsy to be transported and
fostered in the Charlotte area, Brother Wolf Rescue pulled her from a kill
shelter and arranged for a vet check and spay. Unfortunately, in addition to
being emaciated and in all around poor condition, Betsy was diagnosed with
Parvo. Dr. Craig Hill and his staff provided around-the-clock care,
treating and watching over this sweet girl with a kindness perhaps she had
never known thus far in her life. For a while it looked like she might recover; but in the
end, Betsy just did not have the stamina to pull through. We do not know sweet
Betsy’s past, but we deeply mourn the loss of her future. At least she left
this world surrounded by warmth and kindness.
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Peace
Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue found out about a female
Weimaraner from Brother Wolf Rescue in Asheville North Carolina. This nameless
girl was dropped off at the kill shelter as she was unwanted and very obviously
unloved. She had been used as "breeding stock" and had the sad body
of a female dog that was used up and worn out at a very young age. She had
recently delivered her very last litter.
We agreed to take this poor girl into Weimaraner Rescue get
her spayed and much needed health care and with the help of Brother Wolf Rescue
adopted her from the shelter and took her to a Veterinarian. Unfortunately this
girl never had a chance to find the loving home she deserved as the Vet found
an advanced malignant mammary gland cancer with a very dire outlook.
With the advice of the treating Veterinarian we felt the
kindest decision was to send her to the "Rainbow Bridge" in a caring
and loving way - telling her (possibly for the first time) that she indeed was
a good girl.... We named her Peace as now she has peace, no more abuse, no more
being exploited and used. This was a very sad day for Weimaraner Rescue .... it
hurts.
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Bonnie, aka "The Big Nonnie"
We lost our girl, Bonnie, to heart failure after seven
wonderful years. We adopted her from Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue in July of 2000
to be a companion to Rommel. They had a great time and enjoyed each other
immensely - he is really grieving her loss. It was really hard going back down
to the house in North Carolina without her and watching Rommel search every
room to look for her. I especially miss her vocal greetings at the door after
coming home from work and her "talking", she'd tell you all about it!
I never realized how quiet Rommel is until she was gone - they would howl
(sing) together. I really miss having her lay on my feet sucking on her baby (a
big fuzzy stuffed dog or Easter bunny - she never chewed toys). She added so
much life to the house and she was just a real sweetie. Everyone loved the The
Big Nonnie! She had a hard first three years, but I feel we gave her a
wonderful seven with us. She traveled and played, and she was loved more than
she will ever know.
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Murphy
We had Murphy for 13 months having gotten him from Suzan
Fontaine at Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue. We all agreed that he was about one year
old when we got him. When we met Suzan and Murphy (then called Jethro), we were
enroute from Florida to Virginia Beach and then home to Ohio in a motorhome.
Murphy joined our troupe which included Vickie and I, Jack, our ten year old
male Weim and Whitt, Vickie's three year old male Jack Russell Terrier. It was
sudden and complete immersion in our "pack". Murphy bonded with us
quickly and everybody got along very well.
When we arrived home, Murphy began to have
"episodes" of separation anxiety. He would open cabinets and drawers
and remove the contents only occasionally chewing something that was too good
to resist. I had to resort to child safety locks for some kitchen cabinets
which he figured out in no time. I then got the super duty child safety locks
which he also figured out. He figured out how to open the back gate and the
door at work. There was not much that he couldn't figure out.
Murphy loved to go with me to work which he did almost every
day. He was very well behaved and wanted to please. Murphy died unexpectedly of
heart failure while we were leaving for work recently. He was a very special
guy.
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Gatsby
Bred and born as ‘King Wrigley Rio’ on October 7, 1997 in
the Southwest of the country, our wonderful companion spent the first year of
his life searching for the right caretaker. And with a little help from the
Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue, he finally ended up with us on October 21, 1998.
Since we could not handle that much royalty, he was renamed ‘Gatsby’ and had
ever since tried to live up to his name.
We have a personal Training studio, and Gatsby was an
integral part of it. He was ever willing to provide assistance. He firmly
believed that hand and finger exercises are essential and provided ample
opportunity on his own body for any amount of kneading, rubbing, petting and
stroking. In return, he was very willing to provide ‘towel service’ if
requested (or rather: tolerated).
He was also a willing model for the annual Christmas card,
and we have it on good faith that his picture still has a permanent place on
many refrigerators.
He continually demonstrated that dog training is a two-way
street. The question of who was training whom will forever remain open. Gatsby
has been our lucky charm. For all his mischief, we love him very much. And, as
is quite normal for any dog, Gatsby encompassed that what is best in humanity.
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Dominic
I wanted to inform you that our weim, Dominic, passed
Memorial Day weekend. We adopted him as Mozart in 1998, I think. I'll never forget this story. We contacted your organization
with our desired criteria for our adopted family member: under one year old,
male, intact. You called us with the story of Mozart. As typical of most
rescues, he was in a divorced family but he was about 4 years old, neutered and
very overweight. We decided to visit him anyway to consider adoption. Once we
saw this boy, we were hooked. Yes, he was extremely overweight, 145 lbs, but he
was sweet, affectionate and already protective of our kids. Not to mention, a
handsome specimen. Dominic turned out to be the most wonderful, loving and
important addition to our family. Over the spam of two years, we reduced his
weight to around 90 lbs. He was happy.
During the month of May of this year, his 14th year, we
started to notice that he was losing control of his bowels and his rear legs.
Having accidents in the house really bothered Dominic as he was always trying
to please us. How could we be upset with him, he didn’t know what was
happening? He was already nearly deaf and had cataracts but nothing changed his
spirit and nature. My husband, who enjoyed a weim as a child, was worried that
he was one slip away from a disaster. We could not bear the thought of
Dominic being in pain, so we enlisted the help of our dear vet surgeon friend.
He came to our house when we were ready and sent Dominic to the great milkbone
in the sky from his favorite spot – his bed. We were with him through it
all and never cried so much in our lives! What a wonderful gift from a
friend.
Thank you for allowing us to share in the life of this
amazing boy. We will miss him terribly, but he will be in our hearts
forever. I have attached a photo of our guy.
With tears of Loss, Jennifer Hardman
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Lucky
We contacted Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue about an adoption, we
looked at all the different dogs which were available. There was no picture of
Lucky only her sad story of her life, so we decided to set up a home visit.
Lucky, who was estimated to be 7-8 years old, arrived
on a Saturday morning. We saw the car turn into the driveway and we went to the
door which opens into the garage, as soon as Lucky hit the ground, she ran up
the driveway into the garage and into the house, right past us and began to
inspect every room in the house. Once satisfied, she came back to us and sat
down, as to say, "This will do." Little did we realize then, we were
not adopting her but she was adopting us.
For more than six years she gave us her unconditional love.
It was in the last six months of her life that we began to see her health begin
to deteriorate quickly, and we had to begin to look at was best for Lucky. This
was not an easy task, when we looked into her eyes they were full of love and
life. My wife summed it up the best, she was a young soul in an old body. On
August 27th our veterinarian came to the house and brought a quiet and gentle
end to her life. She will always have a special spot in our hearts.
Sincerely, Rick and Lisa Cleveringa
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