Koki and Checkers were both "failed fosters". Neither one was ever supposed to stay, but they did. They didn't come to me at the same time, but over the years, they grew very close and were often lying together, usually with Koki grooming Checkers face.

Koki, the black and white cocker mix, had been surrendered to the shelter when his owners moved to South America. The shelter was full, and so was cocker rescue. I was supposed to turn him down, but when our eyes met through the shelter kennel cages, I knew he was special. I brought him home intending to do a "private rescue", using cocker rescue's website and adoption shows, but I knew within 8 hours that Koki wasn't going anywhere. He was too perfect. In fact, I called him "my reward" for all the sick dogs I had taken to foster and rehabilitated so that someone else could adopt them.

Buff Checkers had been a stray with two other cockers that looked very much like him, possibly even littermates. He was a mess, severely matted, intact, cherry eye, Lymes positive. He spent eight weeks with us getting rehabilitated before he was adopted to a home with a single mom and her young daughter. I cried when Checkers left. Amazingly, she brought him back after a month, saying that she couldn't housetrain him. I agreed to foster him a second time and the minute we both got home, he climbed up onto my lap, laid his head against my chest and let out the biggest sigh of contentment. I was lost and he stayed. I think of the old poster from the 70's: "if you love something, set it free... if it comes back to you, it's yours." Checkers was mine.

Other dogs have come and gone, but these two were always "best buds". Koki and Checkers were both very mellow dogs, welcoming other foster dogs to our home and "showing them the ropes." They made my job as foster mom much easier. We lost Koki in August 2010 to liver failure. Checkers followed 7 months later with cancer. I miss them both deeply, but I know they are together again at the Rainbow Bridge.

Kathi A (Mom to Koki & Checkers)

Brandy came to us on August 22, 2004. We had lost our first cocker Freddy earlier that year and had been looking for another buff boy. Someone who knew I was looking, told me about a little girl in a rescue in CT who needed a home.

Her name was Brandy and she was seized in an abuse case in Ohio. She and other dogs were tied to trees and fed scraps. After I heard this story, I knew I wanted her and agreed to take her, sight unseen. She was about 3 years old.

The foster Mom brought her all the way from CT to meet us and do a home visit. She told us that Brandy liked to sleep in bed. Dave said "no", but agreed to let her sleep there just for her first night. Guess where she spent every night since?

Brandy adapted to our home right away. We had two large dogs already and everyone got along fine. She loved her yard. It was a thrill for her to run with the others and chase the birds and squirrels. One time she caught a beautiful cardinal who wasn't paying attention. We began taking her to the Nursing Home and the residents absolutely loved her. She in turn, loved everyone. This was a surprise since she had been treated so badly by humans in her earlier life.

Brandy would sit in the window and watch for me to come home from work, as she knew she would get fed soon after. She never asked for much...just a warm bed, enough food, and love. Her needs were very well met.

One Saturday started out like any other. I gave all three dogs their Interceptor and then fed them. Brandy cuddled while I read the paper, then got a nice walk. The dogs all ate their dinner as usual. About an hour later Brandy vomited and seemed to be uncomfortable. We were keeping an eye on her, trying to figure out what was going on with our baby girl. A little later we tried giving her a treat which she refused (this NEVER happened)! We took her to the ER, as our vet was closed. As they were doing tests on her, she crashed and they were unable to bring her back. We were devastated, to say the least. We still don't know what happened.

Rest in peace, sweet baby girl. Your memory is forever etched in our hearts. You left us all too soon. Love, Mommy Diane and Daddy Dave

Noah came to us on January 31, 2007 as a foster and a little over 4 months later he became ours to keep. I was in love with him from the first day I saw him and that love only grew stronger with each passing day. He would look at me with eyes so full of love it would melt the soul of me. He had a mischievous grin and an endearing personality that brightened every moment of every day. He loved his sisters...first Suki who was here when we first got him and later Ginger who we got a couple months after Suki died in 2009. He was always grooming them and cleaning their eyes and ears and they loved it. He was a good brother and a wonderful companion to us. He was a social little guy who enjoyed the CockerPals brunches and picnics and going visiting at my sister's and son's houses. He would always act like a little gentleman at their homes often times sitting close to mommy on a couch. On July 5th 2011 we were taking our daily walk (which he loved and looked forward to every day!) when a driver came down our road erratically riding the edge of the road and hit my boy. I thought I had pulled him off the road far enough to avoid being hit but he must have stepped his leg far enough into the road to not avoid being run into. My world came crashing down in that moment and I snatched him up and carried him home and then Brian and I drove him to the vets for his last ride. There will never be another Noah in my world. He was the love of my life and my most precious boy. Words cannot even begin to describe how much I love him and how greatly he is missed! I know you knew you were loved, Noah so take that love with you and let it embrace you until we meet again. Love, Mommy

Today, March 5, 2012 would have been Jesse's 12th gotcha Day with us. It is not to be. When Jesse came into our life no one could pick him up-not until 6 weeks later on Easter Sunday, a miracle, the day God called him home, January 25, 2012, I carried him in my arms on to his final journey.

Between these two times of carrying him Jesse carried us. Jesse gave me a life filled with love, wisdom beyond a dogs capabilities, laughter, tears devotion and the beauty I found in his soft brown eyes, in short he gave me a new life.

Jesse James, my little man, he changed my life from a high school teacher to a dog trainer. He gave me an understanding that not all aggressive dogs need to be put down. He assisted me in my most difficult dog cases as he understood other dogs better than any human could hope too and he was fearless. He started agility classes at age 12, after having two cruciate surgeries at age seven and eight. He was strong and kept up with the youngest in the classes.

I thank Jesse for helping me grieve the loss of my golden retriever Winston at age seven and in helping to raise his companion - my golden retriever William. I thank Jesse for opening up a whole new world of friends at cockerpals and cocker spaniel adoption center. I thank Jesse, my little man, who was known by many names; "skeeter", "roo", "magoo" and "J" for just being Jesse.

Since you have been gone we have honored your memory and life by adopting another cocker age 3 and his name is Jay. He is named after you.

Goodbye Little Man…run free with your brother Winston and watch over your "famiwee" until we can be together again. Jesse was adopted from Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center on March 5, 2000 but he will always be a cockerpal.

Dearly missed and much loved by Roberta Cerra, Judy Popso and Aunt Pat and William Lynn.