We adopted this beautiful Chow/Cocker mix from a wonderful rescue organization. She was originally my daughter’s birthday present (“I will take care of her, mom!!”); however, turned out to be my sweet baby girl. She had been badly abused, as we were told by the foster family. Gia was certainly shy and timid, but became the best companion and family guard dog we could have ever imagined. We had the pleasure of having her in our lives for 11 years. She developed kidney failure and I tried so hard to make her last days as comfortable as possible. Her last walk with me meant I had to carry her most of the way, but she loved every minute. I miss my sweet Gia and cannot wait to see her again in Heaven. (Incidentally, our two new rescue dogs love digging up the pizza crusts that Gia had buried in the yard!)

— Karen from Middletown, VA

I had to put my 19 year old Manx, Mimi, to sleep today due to advanced Hypothyroidism and Renal Failure.  Having lost my dog to cancer last year I am sad beyond words.  I have one remaining 17 year of cat of the 4 member animal family I once had and I cherish him all the more now.

Mimi was the undisputed head of the animal family.  She kept all the others in tow with a quick ‘pop’ and always demanded her share of attention first!  She was also a prankster and a clown!  She had this one annoying habit of chewing anything plastic:  blinds, plastic bags, whatever, which drove me nuts!  I could never put any plastic bags on the floor or anywhere she could reach!  But she was also endearing.  She loved my dog (Zoe) and often would curl up next to her on the sofa.  She would also clean Zoe’s ears and face when she deemed it necessary.  And Zoe took it in stride.

Mimi filled 19 years of my life with joy, laughter and snuggles and I will miss her dearly.  It’s going to take me a while to get past this loss.

— Sandra from Atlanta, GA

My husband and I had wanted a dog for a while and were waiting until we had a nice backyard and plenty of indoor space for a pup to be comfortable. We narrowed down breeds as to which one would be best for our lifestyle.

A Weimaraner topped our list.

After we bought a house to accommodate a dog – I mean, a house for us – the search began for our new family member.

At the time, we were living in South Carolina, and started to search for safe and loving Weimaraner breeders in the area. We stumbled across the Greater Charleston Weimaraner Club in Charleston, and began a year-long email relationship with Elena, the woman in charge. She would let us know about upcoming litters, as we originally wanted to buy a puppy.

One day I emailed her to let her know I’d be in the area, and would love to stop by to meet her Weims. She quickly responded that she had a recently acquired a rescue Weim that had come into her care and still needed a home. This was very surprising, as Weim rescues generally don’t have any problems finding homes. I instantly had that gut reaction that this was “meant to be!”

When I met Dunes, I knew right away that I could never leave him again.

Elena told me he’d been found three weeks prior, wandering around the beaches of the Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston. He was severely emaciated, heartworm positive and not neutered.

Based on the fact that his tail was docked and his dew claws removed, we knew he had to have been with people prior to being found. His severe dehydration and lack of nutrition meant he had been alone for awhile, which still makes me sad to think about even now, four years later.

Despite his fragile exterior, Dunes was immediately dubbed “Mr. Happy” at Elena’s, as his tail would wag non-stop – and it still does! On the drive home, Dunes crawled into my lap from the back seat and stayed there the whole way.

As a special surprise, I called my husband and told him I wouldn’t be bringing home a dog that day. You could hear the disappointment in his voice. When I got home, I asked him to help me “unload groceries” from the car, and that’s when he met his new best friend, Dunes. It was so much fun to watch them bond, and to see how close Dunes has become to us, our family, our friends and even strangers ever since.

After getting neutered, successfully completing a heavy dose of heartworm treatment and gaining almost 15 pounds, Dunes had no problem adjusting to our home in S.C., or to our new home in Chicago.

Going to the beach is still his favorite thing to do, although this time he has a huge lake to play in versus the Atlantic Ocean. Chasing birds along the shoreline makes him the happiest pup ever. Dunes’ time on the beach has made him a free spirit, and for that, we’re forever grateful. Dunes is by far the sweetest, gentlest and absolutely the most loving dog I have ever met, and will probably ever meet.

We try not to think about why Dunes was lost and why no one ever came to rescue him as their own – but we’re confident he is our little angel, and that God had a hand in bringing him into our lives. To think he was only 55 pounds and that frail back then is mind-boggling, as he’s now a happy, healthy 72-pound, 6-year-old boy.

Rescuing a pet is a humbling and rewarding experience. We hope to change another dog’s life again someday.

— Danielle from Chicago, IL

If there is a God, I do not envy Him. Not if his duties include determining when it is that we make our exit from this mortal stage.

It has been a tough and sad week at our house. Our dear Jenny, who so graciously has shared her life with us for nearly eighteen years, has been waiting patiently, and with great dignity, to make that final exit. It came today, April 14, 2013 at 11:50 am.

We loved Jenny very much and did not want her to suffer because of our selfish unwillingness to say Good bye. However, determining when she should make her exit, playing God, was a role too far for both Pat and me. We can only hope that we played our roles adequately and did not make her wait too long.

If there is a Heaven, and what a nice surprise that would be, we know that Jenny is there, now, digging holes in the back yard and running playfully in the new-fallen snow.

Farewell Jenny. You were a dear and faithful friend and we will miss you very much..

— Dick from Omaha, NE

For the past 14+ years, my husband, Buddy, and I have had the joy of sharing our lives with our wonderful German Shepherd Dog (GSD), “Grover”.  We have both had lots of different dogs before, but neither of us had ever experienced the intelligence, loyalty and wisdom that Grover showed us every day.  As he aged, Grover developed osteoarthritis and began having difficulty walking.  And, when Grover made his 14th birthday in Dec., ’12, we knew that we were very blessed to have had him as a part of our lives for so long.  But, we also knew that his failing health would soon take him from us.  So, in his final months, we committed ourselves to keeping him as comfortable and happy as possible.  These were difficult times for all of us, but we told him we loved him every day and – when he no longer could get up from his bed, and had refused to eat for several days – we knew it was time to do the the ‘right thing’ for Grover.  This past Tuesday, April 9th, we took our beloved pet to be “put to sleep”. – and then brought him home to be buried in our yard.

— Dianna from Lebec, CA

In the winter of 1999, I drove down a dark lane with scraggly trees like hands reaching down to touch me, out in the dark country somewhere.The moon was in and out behind black clouds.This was to be my umteenth ‘rescue’ and inside the farm house I found a crestfallen little yellow lab, sitting near a cupboard in the kitchen with his head drooping. I entered and asked which dog was the one they were planning to put down, he was pointed out to me and I gathered him in my arms, all 6-1/4 lbs., and left without looking back.  He  grew into the most wonderful,giving Therapy Dog  (TDI) and our county Hospice Dog. I had to have him put down on Jan. 9, 2013 as he had just worn out, his joints carrying him up and down too many hospital and nursing home halls, for too many years. Too many people to love and look after and Commander was a gallent and compassionate friend to everyone till the end.  I’ve known & loved many animals in my life but I’ve never been as close to another – Commander & I were soulmates and I miss him terribly, every day that dawns.

— Judith from Clyde, OH