WE REMEMBER FRIENDS AND FAMILY

This video is for all of us who have loved and lost our pet family
GOING HOME

LUCCA 1/25/05 ~ 12/29/11 "He was a sweet and loving boy and even though the catheter at the vet hurt him, he yelped but didn't bite anyone. I was there to hold him in his final moments. He will be missed. Sleep well my sweet boy. You will always be in my heart" We extend our deepest sympathy to our good friend Marilyn on the loss of her boy Lucca who finally succumbed after a courageous battle with lymphoma. Lucca was diagnosed this past summer and knowing she could only buy him about six quality months, Marilyn chose to aggressively treat with chemo which did just that. Lucca had a very GSD-like temperament; confident, smart, dominant and loaded with personality. He left us far too early. Some of his more recent months: LUCCA'S SILLY SIDE.............................. AND REGAL SIDE ...AND HIS SOFTER SIDE

TRINITY July 01, 2001 - June 8, 2011 TRINITY & BFF COURAGE who left for the bridge in JULY, 2010 HOW A MEGA DOG HAS TO EAT~NO PROBLEM IN THE GOOD OLE DAYS EARLIER THIS MONTH (JUNE) HEADING HOME TO MICHIGAN AND SHORTLY BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE RAINBOW BRIDGE Our sympathies go to our dear friends and supporters Dee & Rob Dwight who wrote: Steff...it is with a heavy heart that we said farewell to Trinity on June 8, 2011. She went to join her big brother, Courage, and little sister, Tina, at the Rainbow Bridge. Those that knew her were aware of her courageous life. She was born with megaesophagus. The average life span of a mega dog is two years. Trinity lived 10 years. Except for the mega, she was one magnificent German Shepherd Dog. She was a happy girl and full of fun. She made us laugh and she taught us more about love than we thought possible. She had been failing for the past few months. We asked her to hold on until we made it back to Michigan and the beach. She loved road trips and she had such a great time moving from Phoenix back to the beach. When we got here, her tail was wagging so hard, I thought her butt would shake right off!! The attached photos were taken on the trip

April 17, 2011 After a long battle with many health issues, our sweet Nick went to the Rainbow Bridge early this Palm Sunday morning. His mouth started bleeding yesterday again and we took him to the vet and it subsided enough they sent him home. During the night he was bleeding and because of his VonWillebrans (his blood doesn't clot) we couldn't control the bleeding and by this morning he was bleeding internally and we had to say good-bye. Our hearts are heavy with sorrow, but he is now free from his body that was so broken. He put up a good fight until the very end and there will be no other dog like him. He was a wonderful therapy dog, he adored children, he was a big brother to all of the foster dogs who came into our home and he taught us many lessons about life. He had a good run and we think he was about 13 or 14 years old which was a very long life for a Doberman. One month ago today Hope died, and I am pretty sure they are together at the Rainbow Bridge. Phil and Becky

DALLAS April 2000 ~ February 7, 2011 DALLAS NEVER MET A STRANGER ~ ALWAYS READY TO SHARE HIS BED Dallas, Mom Jennifer and yet another friend DALLAS BELTIING OUT IRISH SONGS ON ST. PADDY'S DAY

RAVEN June 7, 1999 ~ February 8, 2011 Raven was always up for a ride in Dad Jack's convertible Mustang GT..almost as much as she loved basking in the sun. Every morning, like clockwork, she would lay in the grass to watch the sunrise. It's been a very tough week for many friends, including Jack & Diane Holliday who bid farewell to their regal lady Raven today. Raven was a unique GSD in that she was an easy keeper; easy to be around, easy to please, easy to love. Our deepest sympathy, dear friends, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

COCO Coco with Mom Marcy, Dad Jerry & foster pup Lily In 2008 our friends and puppy fosters Marcy & Jerry elected to do surgery on their Chocolate Lab Coco who was diagnosed with anal cancer. The surgery was a success and bought Coco a great quality of life until January of 2011 when the cancer reoccurred. She declined rapidly and peacefully left for the bridge on February 5, 2011. Pictured below are Coco playing tug with their foster kid Jerome and choosing the holiday toys over tug with Conan & Jerry. These wonderful giving people have fostered several youngsters for us; we feel their pain and hold them in our hearts as they heal from this loss.

AERYN~11 YEARS ADOPTED FROM A SHELTER IN NEW JERSEY IN 2000 MUCH LOVED BY OUR FRIENDS & FOSTERS, THE JAWOROWSKI FAMILY AERYN LEFT FOR THE BRIDGE ON DEC 17, 2010 She was one of many fostered-then-adopted gals belonging to Jessica and her parents who shared 'custody' as they live within blocks of one another. Jess & her parents, Tio & RoseMarie, have fostered then adopted several seniors including Honey, Ossie and Jolie along with many homeless or sick Greyhounds. Our deepest sympathy to a special family

Giovanni v Kleiner Feuerball December 4, 1998 ~ August 10, 2010 GIANNI AKA G-MAN Gianni, in nearly four years you taught me more about German Shepherds and myself than I had learned in the previous thirty...I love and miss you. Steff 1999 2001 2003 2007 MORE RECENTLY WITH HIS FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS

Kathy & Marty Froncek in loving Memory of "Reign"

from MILITARY WORKING/WAR DOG TO FAMILY COMPANION, TO THERAPY DOG, TO KITTY SITTER HE EPITOMIZES OUR BREED MWDB163- BENNY- ALOVE MWD Benny B163 (Ret.) wears his award for being an "outstanding" Therapy Dog from the American Kennel Club MWDB163- BENNY- ALOVE (click for slide show tribute) IN MEMORIAM: MWD Benny B163 (Ret.) September 11, 1997 - January 3, 2010 It is with a broken heart I must tell you of the news of our Benny's passing on January 3, 2010, at 3:30 pm. He died as he lived...with dignity and on his own terms. He was not in pain, but he fought valiantly to live. As we gave him every chance to stay with us, his great and precious heart ceased beating and Benny died in my arms.We were together till the end...and he was surrounded by love. We realized from the start that this Great and Mighty Warrior with the Gentle Soul was a very special loan from God. When we adopted him in January 2008, we thought we could be content to give him even a month of retirement. Little could we know HOW MUCH this AMAZING Benny would change our lives. We will NEVER be the same...and TWO LIFETIMES would not be enough to share with our Special Boy. Hug those that you love...both human and animal... each day...cherish even the mundane moments for life is fleeting. Let there be no room for regrets. Rest in Peace, Our Darling Benny...Mighty warrior and Faithful Friend. Your Mission is Accomplished and your job is well done. FOREVER we will love you! Debbie and Mike Kandoll

MARKIAN & KERRIE PELENYTSCHKA have made a donation in memory of their beloved GSD GUNTHER..a much loved family member of 14 years. See you at the bridge sweet boy.

Our deepest sympathies to our good friends and SWGSR's Tucson contingent, Carl and Nicki Lewis, on the loss of their precious Kady. Kady left for the bridge on October 21st at the age of thirteen. She was not your classic German Shepherd or your typical Labrador Retriever, two of the Lewis' favorite breeds; Kady was, well, a classic character. She was the shortest and the oldest yet without a doubt, the matriarch of her three-dog pack. She was a constant source of joy and entertaining antics. Even with her funny little waddle she kept up with the big boys. Kady was special; she left very deep paw prints on her family and will be missed beyond words.

May was a rough month for our dear friends and Vegas fosters Phil & Becky Gang. They lost their precious Zoe after nine wonderful years and a long battle with Degenerative Myelopathy. As a puppy Zoe had been in training as a guide dog for the blind but washed from the program due to allergies. Becky and Phil never let a physical challenge stand in the way of adoption and took her as their own at eleven weeks of age. Their friend Karen Buck made a donation to SWGSR in this special girl's memory. Just one week later they lost their 12 year old Doberman, Faye, an ambassador for her breed when she received an award from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce for her work as a Therapy Dog at Nathan Adelson Hospice. Our thoughts are with you dear friends

IN MEMORY OF MITZIE There isn't anything Bob Johnson would not have done in order to spend more time with his "Mitzie" who finally succumbed to cancer in April 2007. Bob & Alice Johnson have made a donation to SWGSR in memory of their special girl and that of their dear friends, Jack & Diane Holliday's "Blackjack" who left for the bridge in May 2007. Both Mitzie and Blackjack led charmed lives, spoiled rotten by their respective families. They will be missed. "Mitzie Johnson" & "Blackjack Holliday"

In 1999, Gene & Betsy Hackman were visiting the football stadium in Baltimore; they had their two GSDs with them. When a staff member at the field saw that they were German Shepherd folks, she told them about a stray that had been wandering about the field. "Duke" flew home with the Hackmans and after some "polishing" became Gene's number one buddy. In 2005, now down to just Duke, they added "Maisie" with whom Duke quickly bonded and constantly frolicked. Duke left for the bridge on July 4, 2007. In August, 2007, the Hackmans drove to Phoenix to give Roscoe his forever home; he has some big paws to fill. GENE & HIS BOY MAISIE & DUKE'S 1ST ENCOUNTER FAST FRIENDS