# Remembering our past dogs.



## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

I think a lot of my Collie/Shepherd mix. I miss him like crazy all the time.
I'd like to share some pictures of him, he was crazy but such a lover. 
Here is my Murdoc. 

Hai! 








You iz chokin me








I eat grass 








I really hate you guys sometimes...








I will never look at the camera! Seriously, he wouldn't do it LOL









Do any of you have dogs that you miss everyday? Please feel free to post pics of your lost loved ones.


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## LukesMom (Jun 12, 2009)

Here is my sweet angel,







I miss him every day.


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## lmkersnick (Jul 10, 2007)

We just lost Mitzi to cancer (lymphoma) this past May. She watches over us still.


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## AngelJ (Aug 24, 2009)

Here is my Gus. I still miss him all the time. He was an amazing dog and a big mommas boy. I got Gus when he was about five years old. I already had Bailey and the people I got her from gave me Gus as well. (he was bailey's dad!) I smile just thinking about him. Anyhow, here he is, one color and one black and white photo....

11-11-05


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## DakotaSpirit (Jan 3, 2008)

Mine would definitely be Charlie. He was diagnosed with a serious immunde deficiency problem and we had to put him down at the way too young age of 10 1/2 months. I still miss him terribly. RIP bud!


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## sunfluer (May 12, 2009)

<span style='font-size: 11pt'>My sweet buddy boy, Snickers. I love him and miss him everyday.</span>


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## Lynn_P (Mar 17, 2004)

Here's my first shepherd.. Augie Doggie.. rescue.. 3 years old when I adopted him.. he brought me so much joy and taught me the real meaning of "unconditional love"... Miss him LOTS.










Augie.. with Jackson...


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## TG (Dec 31, 2004)

Great idea, Denali and everyone's s pictures are terrific!

Not a day goes by that I don't miss Oscar. He's been gone nearly five months now and I only washed his dish yesterday. I just couldn't bring myself to do it sooner because it still bore the slobber marks of his last meal. I know it sounds strange, but I had a hard time parting with them. Anyways...here he is relaxing in the snow last January.


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## Kurys Mom (Oct 11, 2008)

There are 3.....The first two are Skeeter and Chloe, born 7/25/1995. We lost Chloe on 11/23/2007 to Hemangio Sarcoma. It was the day after my DH lost his father to cancer. His Dad died in his arms. Within 24 hours, his beloved Chloe died in his arms. 

We lost Skeeter the following Spring in April. Cannot spell what he had, he lost control of his back legs, which progressed quite rapidly to where he was hurting himself.

These two have quite the story. They were born to a German Shorthaired Pointer that we found left to die in the Forest. She delivered the next day, 9 Pups! She also had a friend, a Golden Lab. We rescued him also. No one ever looked for them, so we found wonderful homes for all of them and kept Chloe. Skeeter we held back as he needed one of his eyes removed do to infection and then we found a home for him.

A year and a half later, went to shut the paper left laying on the table, and there was an ad to save a lost/found dog, his last day...it was Skeeter. We went to see if it was really him and it was. He remembered us! Skeeter was found 2 hours from where we lived, running at large, frozen ears, half his tail had been cut off. I've never rehomed a dog since! Long story, but he recovered physically and mentally. They both lived long, healthy lives and were loved beyond words. Chloe, well she was almost human.

The third, my beloved boy Küry...He was an angel sent here for a purpose and everyday I miss him. My heart has never been so broken and to this day if I say his name, the tears just flow. He was the love of my life. Küry was born, June 9th, 2008 and left this world on March 17th 2009 at barely 10 months. Küry had severe HD with degenerative changes only seen in dogs that are very old. He could not be saved.

Skeeter









Chloe









Chloe









Küryakyn









Küry


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

This is my Maggie Dog. She was such an awesome smart dog...she passed away before Christmas unexpectedly...we think it might have been a clot, she was only 7 yo. 

She was a grunter and talker...I swear that dog could basically talk to you. She was sweet and we were completely lost when she passed...the only time I've really seen my DH cry....we still miss her but we know she's watching over us, every once in a while Anna will come out with a "Maggie-ism" as we call them. 

Keep running free love.... 2-2-01 to 12-16-08


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Aww great pictures all around.








Even though it's painful it's nice sometimes to remember all the good times.


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## Daisy1986 (Jul 9, 2008)

This is Thandie (means "love" in Zulu). Our first JRT girl. We had to put her down, in 2006, this is when she was still healthy. How I like to remember her. Age 4 right before first signs of trouble. 










This is what the disease (a tremor syndrome) and cushings did to her. Age 7










We got her from a breeder when she was only 6 wks old. 
She was a wonderful example of the breed. She was my husband and I's heart. She is the reason I help dogs to this day, her and my childhood dog, Daisy. 
Both wonderful dogs. It was and honor to be their owners.


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## ddcha (Jul 2, 2008)

Kaiser was our first shepherd and what a dog he was!!! We had to spell around him he was so smart. When my DH went to the gulf war, Kaiser was my protector. I would make my DH tapes of Kaiser talking to him and send them to him. His war buddies nicknamed him "puppy" cause they said that he looked more forward to getting a box from Kaiser than me. He was gone for 6 months and worried that K would not remember him but when he stepped out of the car that day that he returned home K went crazy..jumping and licking all over my DH. I still cry when I think about it.
One of the worst days of our lives was when Kaiser was 8 years old..he bloated and did not make it thru surgery. We are still not over his loss. He was one special Buddy.









Kaiser








Kaiser at Christmas


And then there was Knesha, our first female shepherd. Boy, was she a handful. We called her Tigger cause she jumped everywhere she went.She was hyper,hyper,hyper!!! She lived a long life (13 years) but the last year she could not use her hind quarters because of spondylositis so we had to carry her in a sling wherever she went. She still had the light in her eyes and the spunk until a month before she passed during the night. She was our Baby Girl...









Knesha's favorite baby pic


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

This is our very first dog ever, *Sadie* We sadly had to put her to sleep last Oct. due to bad seizures & possible brain cancer. She was 9 yrs.

"We miss her dearly"


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Wow, such adorable doggies and wonderful touching stories! So sorry for the loss of all your friends.

I'm going to have to find a pic of my Shadow, she was a border collie and such a wonderful dog. I had children late in life so she was my little girl for 12 years and an amazing dog







I still miss her every day!

Jen, your black GSD looks like a mirror image of my Lulu!








Your dogs are gorgeous, sorry about Sadie


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Starting at the top and going clockwise:

Remi - Tessa's son. The goofball, the loverboy, Uncle Remi to all puppies, baby chicks and ducks. Conformationally ugly but had the most beautiful soul. Left us at 10 yrs due to spinal problems and pain.

Riggs - my best bud. The go anywhere, do anything, tolerate everyone dog. The famous GSD Christmas Tree boy! Left us at 11 years due to rectal cancer.

Tessa - the reason I switched to raw. The perfect puppy from the moment I brought her home. My first introduction to the breed ring, my first Owner-handled points! We lost her at about 10 due to immune system problems and previous heavy steroid use.

Speed - my first Cocker. The PERFECT Cocker - happy, friendly, outgoing, loved everyone. We lost him at only 1 year of age due to a strange virus I brought home from the shelter I was fostering for.

Neke - my first GSD, the mother of Riggs and the reason why I love GSDs so. She was smarter than me, forgiving of my terrible training techniques, a tough but fair Alpha Bitch to the Pack.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

And Sadie ...

Her picture on the rescue website:










After a couple months at our place:










We only had her about a year but she had a great last year of her life. She was cranky, bitchy, sometimes downright nasty and the first dog I've ever owned that bit me on purpose but she could also be sweet (in her own way) and showed us that sometimes just a warm place to lay your head and a full tummy is enough.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Wow, what a gorgeous pic Lauri! They all look so sweet and poor little Sadie, she got very lucky to find you! So sorry for all the losses, you never get used to it...


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

<span style='font-size: 20pt'>Lily - you are missed!</span>


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## Strana1 (Feb 9, 2008)

I lost Titan January 2008 and miss him terribly. He was a mix of both good and bad GSD traits, loyal, intelligent, protective, beautiful, but also had weak nerves, poor hips and idiosyncrasies only a mother could love. He survived severe HD with 2 total hip replacements and a 5 pound tumor on his spleen that ruptured, but lost a battle with DM at 11 ½ . Watching him lose his ability to move was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. I miss him every day; he stole my heart as no dog ever has. 

Here he is at about 9 weeks








My favorite photo of him running free








With his mother, Shilo I took her with Titan as the breeder was not going to breed her again 








Stealing my daughter's polar bear








He hated when my daughter was in the tub and refused to leave until she was out of the water








My handsome boy


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## London's Mom (Aug 19, 2009)

Everyday I think of how fortunate my life has been to have shared som many years with two wonderful dogs, Lugar and Minerva.

I found Minerva in a park when she was 1 year old. She passed away 1/2/09 at 14 years of age. I miss her so terribly still.

Lugar was a rescue. We adopted him when he was 5 months old. What a cutie he was, and a big guy (100#s). He passed away one month ater Minerva did at 12 years of age. He just did not want to live without her. He truly broke my heart.

God I pray that I will someday hook up with them again.
Here is a picture of an Hawaiian Siesta when we all moved to Hawaii for 2 years.

























London's Mom


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## bigmike (Apr 11, 2008)

heres my rolley i loved her so much she was my light my smile my heart i lost her to cancer last year daddy loves you and misss you every day


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## herno1 (Sep 10, 2008)

GREAT IDEA!!! GREAT PICS EVERYONE!!!


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## KeiraPup (Jun 16, 2006)

This is my beautiful Midge. She was an abuse victim we adopted her from at shelter where she had been for more than six years. We lost her to DM five years later but she'll forever be my heart dog.

She was my first Shepherd and gave me my love and appreciation for the breed.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Alright, Tahiry, you forced me to break out the scanner LOL I can't find a lot of my photos, I think they are in the garage somewhere but found these.

This is me and Wolf and Shadow (the border collie pup), Shadow was only a pup in this pic, I had her 14 years and I had Wolf about 8 years. The other doggie in the pic was a rescue that we rehomed. Shadow and Wolf were such a HUGE part of my life and I still miss them every day!




























I need to find more pics of Shadow, I know I have a whole album somewhere in my garage LOL


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## Woodreb (Oct 27, 2008)

My first dog, Max, was a GSDx. He was a great boy and lived until almost 15. He used to go just about everywhere with me.









Kelly, my first German Shepherd. She had great ball drive, but also loved to cuddle - with my Mom and Max. I miss all of them.









Rica - my sweet girl and DH's hiking buddy, another one who could drive you nuts when she wanted to play ball, but I miss her and think about her often.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

There were other boys I miss but this guy left a big hole in my heart. Sugar Bear, why was our time together so short?

Bored one hot summer day









Wet and giving me the eyebrow. He hated to be wet.









Dad, please a bite of that sammy, please please please


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## RG518 (Sep 25, 2007)

This is my Joshua...every day something makes me think of him. Oh my buddy how I miss you.....


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: StarryNiteWow, such adorable doggies and wonderful touching stories! So sorry for the loss of all your friends.
> 
> I'm going to have to find a pic of my Shadow, she was a border collie and such a wonderful dog. I had children late in life so she was my little girl for 12 years and an amazing dog
> 
> ...



Yes, our Shadow & your Lulu do look alike.







Sad face & all. We rescued him from a pound 3 hrs away from us 2 yrs. this Dec. . He is a great boy, our 1st rescue, & just love him to pieces. I have always wanted a all bk & him came across the urgent board after he was also emailed to me by another person & my heart said...... save this boy ! Glad we did.

Thanks for the comments.










Good thread & Run Free to all our so loved pets that have left a big hole in all our hearts by leaving us too early.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Wow, that is so great that you rescued him! He is beautiful! I miss my "Shadow" so much but Lulu is the first dog I have found that I have become so bonded with as I was with Shadow







Oh, Lulu def. has the sad face down to a T LOL so did my Shadow! They must both know (have known) I am a pushover for it!


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

O..................it's gets sadder



















But THEN, with ears up, he looks like he means ALL business !


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Same dog, our poor Shadow !







This was taken about a couple days after we saved him.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

LOL Jen, he is so gorgeous! And yeah, that is a pretty sad look LOL This is the best I can do


















And of course, EARS UP


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I've enjoyed seeing everyone's pictures. This is a hard one for me. It's only been 6 weeks since Chama passed and I still miss her so much that I'm crying just writing this. My list has become quite long and I loved each of these dogs beyond words. 

Here is Massie, the dog who started it all. She was an incredible dog and set the bar very high for every dog who came after. People used to tell me, "She's not a dog, she's a person." And a truly inspirational dog-person she was. 

She climbed a lot of mountains with me. 










And she raised Cleo (this was taken after Massie's total hip replacement)










Here she is with her pack: Chama and Petie. Petie was my exes sheltie and he died of lymphoma at age 6.5. He was a sweet little guy and he and Chama were inseparable. Chama lost Massie and Petie within a year of one another. Her personality never was the same after that.


















And then there was Basu. My ex and I adopted Basu at age 4.5. He had been neglected and abused and was very fearful and eventually fear aggressive. I learned so much from this dog. He turned out to be amazing with dogs and cats but never really trusted people, except those he knew very well. 

He and Chama were best buds.










He was a very good looking dog. We used to call him Mr. GQ.



























And then there was Kai. Kai was something else. He was like a whirling dervish, always moving. He was incredibly athletic and intelligent but he was very, very fearful. He was only with me for 5 months but we came a long way together. When he died it was like a really bright light was extinguished. 



















And what can I say about Chama? She was the most intelligent dog I've ever had. My friends used to call her the rocket scientist. She was way more independent than a gsd but had a great sense of humor and tons of energy and athleticism. I always thought I should have gotten her a job. She was with me for 14 years and I loved her so much. 

On her dock at my cottage. This was probably after 5 hours of exercise. Chama was a dog of action! 










Doing the bucking bronco with Kai. She was 12 here. 










And exploring with Rafi. 










On a hike at my cottage this summer. It's hard to look at recent pictures of her.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Ruth my eyes are pouring with water as I look at your post. SO hard to lose them I tell ya. I feel your pain & VERY sorry for your recent loss.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Ruth, was same with Shadow, people used to tell me she is more like a person than a dog, and she was...

Your pics.... stunning, how beautiful they all are! I know how hard it is to lose someone you love so so deeply, I have lost both of my parents whom I was extremely close to, that is an understatement, they were my world. It seems that there is NO way to ever get used to loss in this world except to have a very firm belief in where they are now... I believe in my heart of hearts that they are in a great place and it is we that are left here to suffer their loss and they wouldn't want that. Every loss in my life crunches my heart down a little more and sometimes I think I am like the Grinch, that I need to let my heart grow beyond my own pain as it once was. Sorry, rambling, just... So sorry for your losses...


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: StarryNiteI have lost both of my parents whom I was extremely close to,










SO SORRY


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Thanks Jen







for the hug







I can't make sense of this world and the pain just drives me nuts, as much pain as I have had I can't imagine the pain of having your child be sick... it goes on and on, the pain. It breaks us. Maybe part of the test of this life is to find the joy beyond the personal loss... We all die, there has to be some sort of connection and truth beyond our small view of "life"

"they" say we have to live the pain and understand in a confining way as we can only do in this life... but you know what I see? with all these posts, I see love before pain in every single post. Right before mom died, when she was so close to... "home"... she told me "honey, remember, all that matters is love, that is ALL that matters, remember that..." 

All I see in this thread is love, above pain


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I lost my heart dog Ginger (Golden Retriever) to cancer last October and I miss her constantly... She was my baby and the BEST dog I've EVER met. She was born to be a therapy dog (we volunteered with 3 therapy dog organizations) and loved people, other dogs, cats, and small animals even... She even loved the vet and would wag her tail when she was getting a shot. She was very smart and we were so in tune/I had worked with her so much that she almost seemed to understand English because of how she listened and responded when I spoke to her. We did everything together, I took her any place I could and we also did a lot of dog activities like obedience, agility, flyball, freestyle, carting, water work, animal-assisted therapy, etc... Everyone she met loved her and I met most of the friends I have now through her in some way (usually because they came up to say hello when I was walking her, or met us at some event we were at and stopped to pet her...)
Ginger was a stray, I found her when she was about a year and a half old. She passed away at 12 years old.

young Ginger-




















Agility-










Carting-










Vacation to the Adirondacks-











Vacation to the Smokies-









with a friend-


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## Strana1 (Feb 9, 2008)

Such great dogs! Maybe this can become a stickie so our old friends are always around.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

This is my Miss Lizzie at 3 months old. She was a perfect girl in every way. When it came to OB...she simply 'got it' from day one. She LOVED her frisbee. We played frisbee daily, and she always washed it off in a water dish, bucket or pool before she would bring it back to me. I found out that the 'clicking' in her hips was severe HD and that she also had severe arthritis when she was 9 yo so that was the end of her extreme play time. She went downhill quickly after that and by the time she was 10 she could take only about 3 steps before she would stumble, fall and could not get herself back up. I miss her terribly but believe she brought my current two to me because they needed me.









Extreme focus








The way I will always remember Miss Lizzie


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Great pictures








I agree with Lisa. Tons of love in this thread. It's very touching.


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## GSDLVR76 (Aug 6, 2007)

Here are two of my heart dog, Kenai (she was a lab/golden). She was the light of my life. 

When I was 14 I found an ad on a super market board and begged my mom for 2 hours to go look at her. My mother finally said ok, and the minute I got out of the car and saw her it was love at first sight. Her big floppy ears and giants paws just melted my heart. She was a handful when she young, she was a chewer, a door darter and hated strange men but she was my baby.

When I left to go to basic, I didn't shed one tear when I had to say goodbye to my parents but when I sat down on the steps to tell her goodbye, hello waterfall. I told my mom that when I was able to come and take her I would and I did in 1997. 

She was with me until 16 Nov 2002, she was 12. Her liver failed very rapidly I was there with the beautiful creature when she took her last breath. I miss her every day.


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## brt (Sep 16, 2008)

My girl BB has been gone over eight years but still not a day goes by that I don't think of her.

She taught me many things, including the true meaning of a heart dog.

It's often challenging to be smarter than the dog you're training.

I will always need a GSD in my life, and so much more.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Dena - she would have been 5 years old today.









Her first day home










The most adorable puppy ever










She was sweet and beautiful, she loved everyone and was obsessed with tennis balls. She lived to swim and play on the beach and she adored her little brother Keefer from the first moment she met him. We both still miss her every single day. Her joy in life brought joy to our lives.


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## Kurys Mom (Oct 11, 2008)




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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

Oh Dena























A pic of Meeka and I







Just a month or so before she passed at age 12. My husband had her from an 8 wk old pup; my husband, Meeka and I were our own little happy family back then. Still miss her so much.


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## agilegsds (Dec 31, 2003)

My beautiful dear Shelby. She was from my county animal control. A woman brought her in saying she had "found" her, but when staff started asking her questions, she ran out, jumped into a waiting car and took off, abandoning Shelby at the front counter. This was in my early days of rescue and when AC called me about her, I committed to her sight unseen. Of course, it was love at first site when I went there to pick her up. 

Shelby was the sweetest dog ever, never had a bad thought in her life. She did have terrible hips and we did a total hip replacement which resulted in several complications including a broken leg. She got through it though, in her happy good-natured way. But then in a cruel twist of fate, we lost her to a very aggressive liver cancer 1.5 years later in July 2006. Ten days after diagnosis, we had no choice but to let her go. Even a trip to oncology at the University of Wisconsin left us without treatment options. If there had been any options, we would have done whatever it took, anything, to save her. We believe Shelby was around 7 years old when she left us.

I had posted in the Health forum when this all happened, but I never did a tribute in Loving Memory, because it was too difficult. It still is.

One of her first pics










Shelby on left with Starine and Astro









Shelby was the best Aunt to our rescue litter. Here she is with Rio.



















Before her hip replacement



















Recovering from her hip surgery










Playing ball after surgery











Easter with my Dad and Aunt, Shelby's on the left. Just months before we lost her.









My favorite picture of her a few months before that dreadful diagnosis










One of the last pics I took of her at UW. We said our final goodbyes one week later.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I love this thread but it is so hard to read all of these stories, especially with such a recent loss.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

So sorry about Shelby... and all the doggies in this thread! I am pretty sure they are all in a better place than we are right now. I have lost my entire family besides my sister as well as more than a few beloved pets and I know we will all be together again in that next place.


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## Effie325 (Aug 19, 2009)

So sad.

I love Ginger the Golden. I've seen her pics somewhere before. Maybe on the AOL Golden board? I can't remember where. What a sweetheart.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowI love this thread but it is so hard to read all of these stories, especially with such a recent loss.


Ditto to that Ruth...............


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## Smy3pitas (Jan 26, 2006)

Wow. . .This is Shadow. He passed away on May 26,2008 at 8 years old due to Lupus. Everyone. . . I mean everyone loved Shadow. My husband new I always wanted a GSD, but we had 3 small kids at the time and never had the money or time. One year for my BD, all I wanted was an "adult" music c.d. to listen to in our car as opposed to the Barney cd's or little kid songs. Well, DH went out and came home hours later, got the kids and called me down to my early BD present. . . Walking down the stairs I thought, something smells like puppy. . . sure enough it was my 8 wks old 18pd (Big) GSD~Shadow. Wow, was he a character. People who were petrified of dogs, left our house loving him. He was so calm, and layed back. The day he left us, (even though the emergency vet said, oh he'll be fine, he has pnumonia, give him 24hours,) he died on his pillow. I believe, looking back he knew he was leaving. . . for days he stayed downstairs, and his last. . . he came up, dont know how, and did everything he normally did, lick faces, paw on beds, askd for a treat(did not eat it). Wow, we all miss him so so much!


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Such a heart warming thread. It's amazing the impact these balls of fluff leave in our lives. 
Even if they chewed up all of our shoes or ruined the curtains and carpets. Scared all the neighbors and even family members. I look back at that now and laugh and think how silly I was to be bothered by it. It's all material and they're really what matters. 
I hope they forgive all my mistakes and that I meet them again someday.


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