This a story of 1 very special rescue boarder collie named Tippy. Just like Pepsi Tippy would bolt out the door and this dog was a runner he could run for hrs we would get a call from a person 5 miles away 20 min after he got out, now at this point I must say Tippy was abused in some way because when a storm came or Quantico would be practicing or the quarry would be blasting Tippy could chew thru a metal crate we called him Hudinnie his poor little face would be so bloody. It was so sad he was such a smat would fetch balls frisbie,or kids even tossed him big rocks and ran baclk with them. And this whole time my son Dougie fell in love with Tippy he slept in his room and follow him any where Doug went. Tippy was really a mental wreck he would do anything he could to escape when the bombs blasted or thunder even the sound of crickets drove Tippy crazy, one night during a bad storm we forgot to close the doggie door and Tippy got out. The whole family took off in different cars looking for him. He ran like always but this time right for the highway and was hit by a car. We found him on side of the road on the way to emergency vet he died in Dougies arms. We miss him so much.

– Doug from Stafford, VA

An “unwanted” dog — part yellow lab, part Shar Pei, part ?? — was left one evening tied to the gate of my friend’s animal sanctuary for special needs (“unadoptable”) animals… it’s a wonderful place, but it was a Friday night and my friend had no place for this dog in her no-kill, no-cage sanctuary and no way to have her checked out at the vet before the weekend.  I offered to take her home “for the weekend”… a weekend that lasted more than 5 years.  I named her “LoLo” … short for “Lokahi”, which is Hawaiian for “harmony.”   She was about 7 at the time, and fit in well with my other dogs and my cats and she adored my beloved mother, with whom I lived.  LoLo was my “clown dog” who made me laugh all the time and was so full of joy and love.  I needed the laughter; for those years, I was full-time caregiver for my mother, as I watched dementia and old age take her.  She ultimately no longer even knew who I was.  In late June 2010, LoLo was diagnosed with cancer.  She wasn’t expected to live more than a month.  But she had other plans, and stayed.  Then, on the morning of August 1, 2010, I found my mother in her bed, having passed away in her sleep.  I had prayed fervently for years that she might go that way… still, it was the worst loss of my life.  Throughout the dark months of grief that followed, nothing and no one were as great a comfort to me as my LoLo.  Somehow, some way, with the help of prayer and a wonderful vet, my girl remained alive for well over a year after Mom died.  She was happy and did not suffer.  But ultimately, cancer began to take a toll and on October 1, 2011, I had to make the awful decision to have a vet come to the house to help her leave her body.  It had come to the point that LoLo was at high risk for, and possibly very close to, drowning in fluid in her lungs.  While I still feel agonized over the decision… I still see her smiling face and loving, trusting eyes … I know in my heart there was no choice… that I could not let my darling girl suffer.  I miss her so much every day, even as I still so miss my mother.  \’m so thankful for my other two dogs and three cats and love them very much.  But there was no one like my LoLo.  I feel sure she’s with Mom now … and all the other precious animals I’ve loved and lost over the years.  Thank God I believe we’ll all be together again one day.

— Juli from S. Daytona, FL

On March 2,2012, we lost our beloved Zoey.  We adopted her 5 years ago from Prayers for paws, a local no-kill adoption group. They had a bunch of the dogs at a local pet store, trying to get them homes.  My wife and kids went in before me.  I found them all petting an older, large, yellow 3 legged dog named Zoey.  Well, they talked me into bringing her home to live with our weiner-dog.  In short order, she became one of the loves of our lives.  My wife called her my girlfriend. Always surprising us with some of her new “tricks”.  My favorite was getting a sandwich off of the table.  Since she only had 3 legs, she couldn’t jump up.  Well, she figured out that if she pulled the table cloth, she could pull the plate with the food on it down to the floor.  I liked that one.  Because of missing a back leg, her back hips were always pivoted so she could walk.  Eventually, the pain got too much for her.  She could not even do her favorite thing in the world, going for a walk.  Taking her to the vet that day was one of the hardest things we ever did. I totally fell apart when, coming home from the vet, I saw that her big water bowl was almost empty, and reached to fill it for her. That’s when it really hit me. My wife and I cried for days afterwards. We know that she is in heaven, chasing cats, and chewing on knobby rawhides waiting for us.  We all love and miss you so much Zoey.  Thank you for being a part of our family.

— Robert and Michelle from Ravenna, OH

I would just like to say that our 9 yr old lil yorkie Zeba lost her battle with cancer today. She had 2 previous surgeries and an issue with paralysis in her hind right leg. Today she had 3 more little cancerous breasts removed, which went well. Then her little heart couldn’t handle the recovery and we lost her at noon today. She was the sweetest little dog ever and will be truly missed by our family!!

— Lorrie from Blacklick, OH

In memory of my beautiful rescue Hannah Mae who brought hair raising excitement and heart stopping escapades to my life!  She was 4 months old when she came into my life in February of 1995.  She was 18 years old when her physical self left me on Valentine’s Day of 2012.  Her soul and spirit will always be with me.  My rescue, Lucy and I miss her so much.

— G from Pittsburgh, PA

Buttercup is mine and my family’s 2 1/2 year old hound.  Her mom is a black and tan hound and her dad a blue tick hound so she is all hound. She has the best and most curious nose in the world. It keeps her going all of the time. She is very social and lets everybody know it with her bey bark. My girls named her and it’s amazing how a 3 syllable word comes out when you are calling her to come. She also loves the snow!

— Dave from Albuquerque, NM