In Memory

OUR DOGS WHO HAVE CROSSED
THE RAINBOW BRIDGE

Zeke was loved by everyone who ever knew him. He
wagging tail to make the day a little better. In early
September of 2007, his inmate handlers noticed a
change in Zeke and quickly shared their concerns with
staff. Zeke succumbed to a an extremely aggressive
form of pancreatic cancer and a tumor on his heart.

Zeke was rescued by us after being surrendered after
a divorce. He spent nearly two years in foster care
waiting for a home. And, it was the loving people
who've cared for him through that time that stroked
his head while he crossed the bridge. Zeke had a
wonderful time at the jail. He was loved dearly by the
inmates and staff alike. We were was so grateful to the
staff and handlers involved with the HOPE Program for
giving Zeke what none of us were ever able to find for
him…a family and a home.

Jasminie Passed away from kidney failure in January
Barb when she passed. She was surrendered to the
rescue when she was 11 years old.

Jasmine was a very sweet dog but was very shy when
Barb started to care for her. Thanks to Barb, Jasmine
came out of her shell and enjoyed all the attention
she was getting. Sadly she developed Cushings and
then kidney disease so she was only with Barb a short
while but she was definitely loved and had a
wonderful home.

"Me and my family adopted a cocker spaniel, Buddy, in
November This past Saturday we took Buddy to Shiloh
Vet and found he had a tumor on his heart, they told us
he only had a few days left. I knew on Thursday it was
time. He would not eat his food in the morning nor did
he want his daily blueberry. At least for lunch he had
some steak for his last meal, but he was not interested
in lettuce anymore either.

I contacted Buddy's previous owner and let him know
that Buddy would soon be gone. We talked about
Buddy for a few minutes and how he will be missed. (I
did not mention all the bad things Buddy did.) We
talked about his cute under bite and especially his
long tail. When Buddy's owner's wife went to get
Buddy as a puppy, the Amish farmer said she could not
take him that day because they were giving him a
cocker tail the next day. She said no way I want him the
way he is! This woman died from cancer and Buddy
stayed with her till the end. We all hope to see Buddy
again someday, but for now I think he is happily by his
first human mom's side once again."

Cory went to the rainbow bridge in December of 2009.
He will be missed by the volunteers that walked and
cared for him.

Buddy came into my life almost two years ago, I
remember the day very clearly. It was the coldest day
of the fall to that point, and I received a call from Beth
Lobato that we had an older dog that needed a foster
home. I drove out to the couple who was keeping
him temporarily and remember sitting in their
driveway in the cold, waiting for them to come home.
When they got there, they showed me Buddy. He was
so easygoing, with several other dogs running
around him, he just wanted some attention. I knew
we were going to be a good match.

Nobody knows what his life was like before he was
found, but we do know that he was found abandoned
along a back road....with tumors throughout his body.
The veterinarians said he might not live very long,
but he lived two years. We would go for our walks,
lounge on the couch....and eat our treats together (he
ate baby carrots...I ate junk food ;) ) and he
brightened my life. As I write this, tears come to my
eyes thinking back to when I realized how truly
thankful I was for him, and for that reason, I could not
let him suffer any longer. It was the day after
Thanksgiving when he went on to the Rainbow
Bridge. He had been such a trooper, always ready to
play and be prodded by the vet, but I could tell he
was in pain on Thanksgiving. He hadn't been eating
and it took a bit to get him to move around. He was
having trouble urinating and I didn't want him to be in
pain any longer. I realized it was time.

I remember walking out of the veterinarian's office
afterward into the night, the coldest night of the fall
this year, and I thought of how thankful I was for the
two years Buddy and I spent together.