Memorials

Miss Garbo

I am extremely sad to report that our baby girl, Garbo, passed from this life on Thursday, March 6th, 2008.  Garbo came into our lives almost 12 years ago from the Waco Puppy Mill Rescue. She was the first dog let out for adoption and I promised her the day I picked her up that she would live like a Queen for the rest of her life, and she did, despite some medical issues.

Garbo was between 18 mo and 2 years old the day I got her and she weighed 32 pounds. She was a pitiful sight and I stayed home with her for over a week while on a re-feeding schedule.  She started bouncing into life pretty quickly after that.  Of course, on day 3 that we had her, she got into bed with me and my husband very late one night and there she slept until just the last few months.  Between us was "her spot" and she didn't want to share it!

At the time we got Miss Garbo, we had an 8 year old gray male Weimaraner, Jonas, who was, perhaps, the world's best dog.  Garbo and Jonas quickly became friends, but Garbo definitely was Queen of the House and was never afraid to let Jonas know it and put him in his place.

Over the years that we had Miss Garbo, she was my constant companion, my baby girl, and she was horribly spoiled (I made those promises in the vet's office and never broke them!).  She learned the rules of the house quickly and rarely did she act out.  Although, one Christmas, a ham was just too inviting sitting on the edge of the counter and she and Jonas dive-bombed it before we could rescue dinner and got about half of it woofed down!  (Luckily it did not make either dog sick).

Several years ago, Miss Garbo was diagnosed with cancer.  We had to spend a lot of time at the doctor's office, have some very large tumors removed and get her nursed through all her various procedures. She always bounced back and never tired of being the baby and of course, my "lap" dog.  How could I refuse her??  In the last couple of years, arthritis was making it difficult for her some days, but through prayer, good medicine and a great vet, she managed to live a long and happy life.  She began to have seizures about 2 months ago and the medication wasn't helping.  The time finally came when I had to make some hard decisions after staying up with her for 2 nights, sleeping on the floor beside her and watching her be in pain.  I think she had a major stroke during the night on the 5th.  I just could not let her suffer and it couldn't be about me.  My brother was kind enough to go with me to the vet where I cried like a baby, so heartbroken over this loss of our loved and valued family member.  She was the epitome of a great dog who grew through love and nurturing.  She stole everyone's heart who knew her and she will be missed.

Thank YOU, WRNT for bringing Miss Garbo into my life, and thank you for rescuing her from that crazy lady down in Waco.  Thank you for letting me make a difference.

Attached is the last photo of Miss Garbo.  My brother thought I was weird wanting it, but compared to that first photo, she looks awesome!  We still have another gray at home, Buddy, who was also a rescue who is now about 4, with his companion, Buster, a 3 year old yellow lab.  They are still missing Miss Garbo and looking for her.  Like my husband and myself, the empty void she left will slowly disappear, but no dog will ever take her place.  I love them all, but Miss Garbo was my very special girl.

Sincerely, Betty Richardson, Quinlan, TX

Bailey

On Memorial Day 2005  our female Weimaraner passed away.  She was just under 6 years old.  It was a sudden thing and they think it was an aneurysm. She will be in our hearts forever.  Her spirit and gentle playful way of being the center of attention will be greatly missed.  We thank Bailey's foster mom Lin for allowing us to be a part of Bailey's life.  Bailey was a very special dog and we adopted her from Weimaraner Rescue in Dallas, Texas.

  
Elvis

The Rainbow Bridge receives the King. Elvis, my shadow of twelve years had to be put to sleep today. Truly the hardest thing I have ever done was to sign that piece of paper. He had terminal cancer of the lungs and the oncologist in Austin could offer no help. He struggled to breathe all night last night and I felt that he was suffering because I was too selfish to let go. Never has there been a better companion or more loyal dog than Elvis. He was truly the King, at least of my heart. I don't know if I can ever do this again. Here is a picture if you would put it on your memorial page I would be grateful. 

Thank you, Roderick Chandler

Troy Cohen

We rescued Troy when we lived in Dallas in April of 1998. We believe he was 4 at the time. He and our female Weimaraner Elke became good buds, well, actually Troy just adored her and followed her everywhere. We lost Elke a little over a year ago and we had never seen a dog grieve like Troy did for his adopted sister. He was a kind and big hearted boy who loved everyone and everything (except cats). This was noted on his adoption papers...so if you read it, believe it! Over the past 9 years Troy provided us with such joy as he was just a goofy as he was proud. His last year and a half were not pleasant for any of us. He had an inoperable tumor 'inside' of his spinal chord. We went thru radiation and provided every therapy we could, he loved the massages and water treadmill the most. But his condition worsened, he became increasingly incontinent, could not maintain a squat position to go to the bathroom and needed help often just to stand long enough to eat without his hind legs giving in. We knew when he would look longingly at the others dogs running in the fields by our house that he would "smile", but look so very sad. We finally made the decision for him and know that he is once again run, run, running with all his friends that have passed on before. We will always be indebted to Suzanne F. for handling the adoption and for picking the perfect and right fit for our family.

- Merry and Mickey Cohen

Memorial For Rhamer

Dear Weim Rescue,

After almost 3 months I have mustered up the strength to write to you. I
know there is no way I will get through this still without tears falling.

All my life I have grown up around some kind of animals. I always thought
they belonged outside and loathed the smell and could never get over having
pet hair all over me. That was until I got on your website. The first
Weimie I spotted was Rhamer. That very day as I contacted you to find out about adoption I printed his photo from the website and immediately posted
it on my bulletin board at work. I told everyone this was my new dog. I had no idea what I was getting into at that time. I had never owned or cared for any animal in my life properly. I was never taught how. I just knew for some reason I needed a change in my life. At the time I had gone through a bad break up and was feeling very lonely and thought maybe, just maybe this might help. Did it ever.

After lengthy conversations with Kathy, Suzanne, Shannon, and even Lin they finally agreed to let me meet him. It was love at first sight on both sides.
Little did I know I was not just getting a dog but a four legged child that was as big as me. Rhamer weighed in at 105 and stood waist high to me.  I am 6 feet tall mind you. He put his paws directly on my shoulders and licked
me right in the face. For some reason it did not bother me this time.  He then politely went over to the couch and sat on the couch beside me.  It was so comical because he only put his butt on the couch and actually crossed his back legs like a little gentleman with his front paws on the ground.

The rest was history. Rhamer approved or disapproved of people in my life, and rightfully so. He kept me from making a lot of mistakes. He also taught me to love unconditionally, to accept people not matter what, and to think about someone other than myself. For the next 6 years Rhamer was first on my list of priorities. He determined where I would live, what kind of cars I would drive and who I would ultimately be spending the rest of my life with. I did not make any decisions without thinking of how it would affect him.

Rhamer spent six years with me being my best friend. Loving me when I thought I could not go on another minute and reminding me why it was important for me to be alive. He spent his time chasing squirrels, barking at the cats, lounging, COUNTER SURFING, (he ate a half of German Chocolate cake once) and basically living the good life. Rhamer got a little brother in the way of Wrangler and a new Daddy in the way of Chris that he loved dearly. Wrangler and Rhamer kept the house going and spent hours tugging on
toys and sharing treats and just basically having a good life.

I moved to the country and Rhamer was soon joined by another brother as well as a four legged sister. He also had some distant relatives, horses, chickens.... He loved them all.

Sadly enough Rhamer was plagued for most of my having him with Seizures. He was constantly on medication and for the most part they were controlled. Chris, Rhamer, Wrangler, myself and the horses all moved to Louisiana at the end of 2006. The move went fine and life was good. We were settling into our new lives and trucking along. Unfortunately, in February of 2007 things turned for the worse. I had been away for 24 hours on a job and had come home to cold rainy weather. Because the doggies were all muddy I kept them in the kitchen on their beds and I went to sleep. Around noon I awoke to Rhamer jumping up on my bed and eventually falling on me in a seizure. This
had happened times before and so I thought nothing of it. I got up held him until it passed and cleaned up. I left for a bit to go feed horses and came back. He was having another. They cleared for a bit and sometime in the evening it started again, only this time it did not stop. Chris and I loaded him into the truck and made it to the nearest emergency vet which was over 30 miles away. The whole time I talked and told Rhamer it would be okay, we would get him all fixed up. Unfortunately I was unable to keep my
promise this time. By the time we made it to the vet's office he was in a constant state of seizure and was not responding to anything. I talked to the vet, talked to Chris and called my best friend back in Texas to ask her what she thought. She helped me make the decision that it was time to let Rhamer go and be at peace, to make that trip to the Rainbow Bridge.

I have to tell you that there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of him. I cry for him on a regular basis and would give ten years of my life for just 5 minutes more of his. This was by far the hardest decision I had ever made and the biggest loss I had experienced. I had to let my best friend of six years go. The only person or thing in my life that was solely committed to me. The hole that I am left with is immense and will most likely never be filled until I am able to cross over with him.

I just want to thank everyone at Weimaraner Rescue for the love that you gave me through Rhamer and the experience that I can never repay you for.  I am unable to locate any of my files with his pictures but please if anyone has the original one that was posted of him on the website I would be grateful if they would place it next to this and add this to the memorial page. There is not enough time in the day or space in this email for me to tell you of the joy and the great loss I experienced from Rhamer.

Sincerely,

- Kenny Barclay, Chris Hebert
  Wrangler, Hanna, Landry, Abby, Cheyenne, Bonnie, Clyde and Secret.

"THE RAINBOW BRIDGE"
As Weimaraner Rescue enters our second decade of rescue, we receive messages every month of beloved pets that have passed on. This page is dedicated to those dear ones that will always live in our hearts.

Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

SOPHIE                         LAZARIO              LARKAN

CHIVAS/DUKE                   B.J.                               PENNY                   GATOR

   
BELLE              CHASE RAUSCHE          MACY                 DIESEL                       HOPE         

YORK                MAX               HOLLY              DYLAN                    GINNY
     

In Memory of Jake Moore 

Today we made a special donation to WRNT, in memory of Jake, our sweet angel Weim. We miss him terribly; and our youngest adopted angel, Grover, misses him, too. It is our sincerest hope that this donation brings happiness to Weimies and Weim owners as they discover the joy of rescuing these gentle, loving spirits.

Our story really begins back in 1997, shortly after we were married. We couldn’t wait to move into our first house – with a yard – so we could bring home our first Weim baby, Jake. He was a cute, little bundle of energy and love; and, even with all our research on dogs, we admit we were not totally prepared for life with a Weimaraner! But it was love at first sight, and before long, we couldn’t imagine life without our sweet boy.

We’ll fast forward to the spring of 2003, when we met Amy Lehman, a long time Weimaraner owner and volunteer with the WRNT. We had so much in common (for one thing, Jake and her Weim, Merlin, became fast friends), and our connection blossomed into a special friendship and a volunteer working relationship that continues to this day.

In July 2005, Amy introduced us to a happy, 1-yr old, blue Weim that she was fostering for WRNT (named Toby at the time). We fell in love with him right away. After some serious discussion, we submitted our application for adoption and were elated when we got the news that this precious baby would be ours. We re-named him Grover (like the blue Muppet, it was perfectly suited for his goofy personality) and just like that, we became the proud parents of another wonderful Weim.

Grover brought Jake much-needed companionship, and brought us another level of joy that comes from having 2 babies instead of one. By this time, nearly 8 years old, Jake had become our sweet, “old man”. At a slim, but huge, 110 lbs, he was our gentle giant, and his new, playful baby brother definitely put a spring back in his step! When we moved from Houston to Tampa, FL, in Jan 2006 (due to a mobilization by the Navy Reserves), Jake, being a “Navy dog” all his life, knew how to easily adjust from one environment to another, and helped us acclimate Grover to our new living arrangements.

With the addition of Grover, our lives were significantly and marvelously changed. Jake and Grover became inseparable – like peas and carrots. Whatever Jake did, wherever Jake went, Grover was sure to follow! It was fun to watch the old man take the new kid under his wing, showing him the essential skills of living in our house – like how to roll on his back in the yard to get some sun or a belly rub, how to pick the most comfortable spot on the couch, how to sit for treats from grandma, and how to lean back into mom and dad’s arms for some cuddling.

Not long after our move, in May 2006, our lives were changed once again – but this time it would be tragedy, not joy, that would befall us. Although we had followed the usual precautions, at the age of 8 ½, Jake contracted the devastating condition known as bloat; and despite 4 days of extraordinarily heroic efforts from skilled emergency vets and staff, Jake’s body just couldn’t recover from his injuries. We made the most difficult decision a pet parent can make, and tearfully chose to end his suffering.

To help us grieve and to spread the word about the dangers of bloat, we wrote our story at http://www.lauraandmattmoore.blogspot.com/. We invite The Grey Ghost Gazette readers to stop by our blog and leave comments. We’d also advise every Weim parent to talk to their veterinarians about bloat and be informed on the latest information regarding the prevention, recognition, and treatment of this horrible condition. Most adoptive Weim parents probably know something about bloat, but we discovered that Weimaraners are the 3rd most likely breed to contract bloat. For an updated, informative article on this subject, read “Bloat - The Mother of All Emergencies” (find a link from our blog) and talk to your veterinarian about the possibility of preventative stomach tacking at the time of spaying or neutering.

It goes without saying, but we have a special place in our hearts for the Weimaraner Rescue of North Texas and each day, we thank God for Grover. He’s been such a blessing to us in this incredibly difficult time. His constant gentle presence during our grief has softened the blow – we can’t imagine how we would have coped without him.

-  Laura and Matt Moore