Sad News

I wish everyone could have known Sasha. If you aren’t a dog person, she would have turned you into one. She was love. Pure love. If you walked by our house, you may have thought otherwise. That bark! It was fierce. She was anything but. The minute complete strangers entered our house, she ran to get her tennis ball and wanted to play. Wait, not just one tennis ball. Two tennis balls. Always. With either her paw or snout, she would pass the ball to you, wait for you to pass it back, and do it all over again. She had fancy footwork, that girl. Her paws moved so quickly and in such a coordinated fashion, she could have easily been the world’s first four-legged soccer player. She loved her walks, tummy rubbies and burrowing into you with her signature body twist. We swear she had a hole in her tongue. We’re not sure how she ever got a true drink of water. She was so thoughtful, apparently, she was making sure our kitchen floor didn’t go thirsty. A couple of years ago, we thought all Sasha-isms were coming to an end, as she got a rare cancerous tumor underneath her eye socket. We certainly were not going to put her through any painful treatment to prolong her life, but doctors at Iowa State University (amazing angels) were confident surgery to remove her chondrosarcoma could be successful, and she could live a normal life. She did. We all enjoyed two and ½ more years. She knew when you were sad and was quick to provide comfort. She provided SO much joy. So many laughs. So many sneezes and stuffed noses. So many teeth marks on the couch. So many kitchen rugs and mopping sessions. So many lunges to retrieve tennis balls from under the bed…just after we hopped into it, of course. So many excited “tippy taps” and jumps when asked if she wanted to go for a walk. These final days she and I had some wonderful conversations. When I looked into her beautiful brown eye and told her how much I loved her, I know she understood. That eye communicated so much. Her follow-up kisses were double confirmation. While our hearts are shattered in a trillion pieces, we are fortunate to have had the privilege of loving her. More importantly, it was an even greater privilege to accept the unwavering love she showered upon us. My husband, Mark, was Sasha’s person. They were together 24/7. She worked from home with him…providing her constant “feedback” during team Zoom calls. They took walks every single morning. While others gave up on her, Mark didn’t and in 2018 was an immediate foster “fail.” If you didn’t know Sasha, you do now. At least enough to know she was beyond special and worth all the tears and literal heartache. We love you Sasha, aka “Big Girl,” “Snuggle Bug,” and “Sasha Bear.” Your professional soccer career has just begun.

I have so many words, and at the same time, I don’t know what to say.

In 2014, we rescued Dottie. She was perfect, but suffered from crippling separation anxiety. We managed, with a combination of medication, doggy day care, and an escape-proof cage we later named Alcatraz. We love her so much but felt terrible for her that her anxiety was so troubling.

In January of 2016, we three bought and moved into our house. That summer, we had a near home invasion. In the middle of the night, several people broke into my car, our garage, and ultimately Kyle came face to face with them, prompting us to call 911 who arrived with multiple German shepherds to run through the neighborhood and track the getaway scents. After this experience, we were rocked. Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t relax, couldn’t even leave our parked cars when we arrived home at the end of a day for fear that we were still a target.

At Kyle’s suggestion, we contacted MAGSR. They asked “boy or girl?” And “what else are you looking for?”

My answer was easy: the biggest, baddest, but bestest doggy. And along came Tiger, at 10 months and already 90 pounds.

Almost immediately, Dottie’s separation anxiety was truly cured (and she never again needed to be crated when we left), we were safe, comfortable and sleeping again, and our family of four was complete. The impact of those big four sheppy paws is something that cannot be described. Tiger was not just any dog. If you knew Tiger, you know how exceptional he was. We were the happiest family all of these years because of our two furry children: and yes, I tell people I have two children.

In June we hiked ten miles. Just last week we were taking long, cold winter walks and he was as healthy and as “puppy” as can be. Last Tuesday, Tiger all of a sudden lost his appetite (so unlike him because food=love just like his mama) and we went to the vet for lab work. On Thursday, we found out he was anemic. On Monday, an ultrasound revealed widely metastatic hemangiosarcoma. Last night, we played gently with about 30 tennis balls. Overnight, his breathing suddenly became labored. And today, we tragically laid one of our babies to rest.

Tiger, you gave us the most incredible years of our lives. We were the luckiest and we always knew it. We played, we ran, we walked, we hiked, we swam, we ate, we snuggled, we protected the neighborhood, and most of all we loved. So desperately. Our hearts are shattered.

Tiger. Tider wider. Tigey. Mr Tiger. Mr no ears. You were the most beautiful, silliest, goofiest, strongest, bravest, most loyal being even up until your last moment. You were, and will always be, loved so incredibly much by all who knew you. As Dr. Smagala said today in your last moments, you are the most incredible German Shepherd she’s ever met. And that says it all.

Our lives will never be the same.
May your memory be for a blessing, baby doggy.

Tiger 10.14.15-12.26.24

With heavy hearts I am writing today to inform you that Ranger (adopted 7/4/2020) has crossed the rainbow bridge. He had been battling with Degenerative Myelopathy for over a year now and we knew it was time. He has blessed us with four years of immense love, endless ball throwing and lots of counter surfing because he just couldn't help himself. He will be missed so very much. 

We said goodbye to our beloved Truman yesterday.  He was 13.5 and I feel so fortunate that he lived such a long life.  I was his person and he was my world.  Truman was our second foster fail.  He and Kota (we lost her exactly 5 months ago today) were a pack.  Candi called me up in April 10.5 years ago and said there was a dog returned and he couldn't be kenneled.  I immediately went to pick him up.  I was positive I'd let him go and he'd get adopted but at that point Truman had already had two homes and now he was back in the system.  I knew if he was passed on he could end up back in that system again and there was something in his souls and those eys so we welcomed Truman to his forever home. Truman became the sweetest boy and spent time volunteering at assisted living homes, he was excellent with kids and a true dedicated companion.  He LOVED the ocean and would have a temper tantrum when it was time to leave the beach.  But he loved me and I loved him.  There wasn't a day that he wasn't part of my soul. See I don't have human children and he was my child.  The connection we had will never be replaced and I'll cherish forever being his Mom. I wanted Truman with us one last Christmas but yesterday our angel Kota Mae called on Truman, she needed him for Christmas more. His passing was an end to an era for me.  My hearts a bit more broken losing both of my babies so quickly and so close but this pain was worth every moment and I wouldn't have traded it for anything.  May you rest easy my sweet boy.  I'll love you forever and always.

Sweet Simone adopted in Oct 2013. In Jan '24 was diagnosed with Splenic Hermangiosarcoma, we chose splenectomy and chemo and hoped to spend as much time as possible. We had a fun 11 months where we spoiled our girl and made sure she lived her best life. On Monday she crossed the bridge and now runs and has all the cookies she wants. Hug all your pups.

My beloved Aziza (formerly known as Libby, a MAGSR alum) crossed the rainbow bridge on December 7, 2024. I miss Aziza dearly She was not just my darling doggie but my soulmate. Aziza was sweet, smart, playful, and so loving—a perfect soul. Rest in eternal peace, my precious furbaby. Momma loves you forever. 

Milhouse (aka Tannon) passed away at his home on the morning of December 5th. He was adopted from MAGSR on December 17, 2015. He was a stray, found in Pennsylvania, and estimated to be 1-3 years old at the time. Milhouse’s favorite activities were frisbee and swimming. He loved summer weekends where he would jump off the dock, and swim after his frisbee. He saw two baby humans added to his family; whom he diligently protected. Milhouse was an important member of the family. He will be missed.

Bowden was a really impressive guy. Confident, intelligent, and charismatic, he had a fun personality and really enjoyed his people. Bowden's family absolutely adored him and did everything they could to ensure he met with success. They put time and energy into extensive training, daily interactions, and endless opportunities to learn about the world around him. As a result, Bowden understood the importance of a pack and the power of unconditional love. Although his family committed to Bowden when they adopted him, sometimes circumstances change and the best decision is to say goodbye. This choice is never easy; it is one of the most difficult decisions families make. However, when this decision was made, we promised that we would care for Bowden as his family had for the many years he lived with them.  Having lived in a home, Bowden understood many of the ins and outs of living in a household. Knowing many commands, Bowden liked to work and keep his mind busy. Although he clearly understood rules and expectations, Bowden, like many dogs, liked to push the envelope sometimes to ensure that the handler will follow through. As an alpha male, he excelled when given clear rules, boundaries, and expectations for both work and play. Well versed with games such as tug and fetch, Bowden really enjoyed his playtime. A little less focused on play than he was in his younger years, Bowden was always happy to hang with his people once play time is finished. Senior dogs are special, they come with endless loyalty, the knowledge of expectations in the home, and the ability to take it slow some days. Bowden was no exception to this; he was a true gem.  --- Bowden was not your typical shepherd -- heck, who knows if he even had any shepherd in him. He was a pull many moons ago in 2015 and he was hell on wheels. At barely a year old, he gave everyone a run for their money; we never thought he would find a home of his own. The dog-god shined down on us and he found a home for 9 years. Sadly through no fault of his own, he came back to MAGSR because once a MAGSR, always a MAGSR. And boy did he become a distinguished gentleman in his old age, but you could still see that hell-on-wheels spinning in there. He became a favorite, was very beloved, and enjoyed getting as much attention as he could. Fly high, Bowden. I am sure you are giving everyone a run for their money up there and eating as many carrots (those were his favorite) as you want. He will always have a home in all of our hearts as MAGSR's Honorary Shepherd. Knowing how you were in cold weather, we hope the rainbow bridge is cozy and warm as you definitely deserve it -- your goofy smile always made our hearts warm.  MAGSR is so happy and feels so blessed that we got to love this handsome boy all over again throughout his golden years.

After roughly 13.5 healthy years of tennis balls and cuddles, our sweet Sunny Bear (fka Astra) suddenly and quickly crossed the rainbow bridge last night.   Aneurysm/stroke/seizure.  Not really sure, but she was surrounded by mom and dad and her two terrier sisters.   Dave and Lacy

It is with profound sadness that I must inform you of the passing of our beloved Tessa (MAGSR name Koda) on Nov 23rd 2024 due to a hemangiosarcoma that caused sudden bleeding into her abdomen.  Bill and I are heart broken.  Still, we are so grateful for the years of joy and happiness Tessa brought to our family.  We adopted Tessa in February 2016 when she was just 15 months old.  She lived to be 10 years and was a wonderful loving, loyal member of the family.  We will miss her so very much but we are comforted by the many wonderful memories of her. Sincerely, Marion

Enclosed is a donation to the Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue that is being made in memory of Bolt Burke. Bolt was a handsome German Shepherd that was owned by Wayne (Mitch) and Gail Burke. He was adopted from your organization approximately 4 3/4 years ago and lived a wonderful life with the Burkes in York, PA. During the past few years, he developed seizures and recently experienced a severe decline in his overall health. He was under the care of a neurologist, but the trigger for his seizures was never found. It is with great sadness that we share the news that he crossed the Rainbow Bridge on November 19th. He was such a sweet and gentle soul, and his family is in deep mourning over his passing. Since Bolt just celebrated his 8th birthday, please use this donation for your "Sammy's Place" fund to support senior dogs.  Jane Garvey & Mike Millson along with Winston and Mama Betty, Pat, Bee and Echo Murphy 

Adopted March 2023. I lost my sweet, beautiful, loving 50% GSD Freddie. He was initially my foster but I fell in love immediately and adopted him.

It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Laci. It's taken some time in our grief to put thoughts into words so that we can write something as an honorable testament to her life. Several years ago, as a representative of MAGSR, I went to a local shelter to evaluate a 6 year old female who was painted as a reactive, perhaps dog-aggressive dog who literally had one day to live before she was scheduled to be euthanized. Evidently, she was fighting with the other dog in her previous home. The staff thought the world of her but they were having a great deal of difficulty finding the right placement for her. Upon meeting her, I was greeted by an exuberant, friendly, energetic and very drivey dog. It was immediately clear that she was bred from a strong working line. As I started giving her commands in German and used a ball as a reward for obeying those commands, she lit up like a Christmas tree as if to say "You know those words? I do, too! What do you want me to do next?". It didn't take long and we were connected. It literally happened that quickly. When I told the staff that MAGSR could take her and that she was leaving the shelter with me, the ladies at the shelter were all in tears with relief. They knew she not only had been saved from euthanasia, but more importantly, she found someone who understands her needs who would help her thrive. So up the road we went with her proudly sitting in the backseat of my truck wondering where we were headed to. True to her will, she was always up for the next challenge. To this day, that entire day lives so vividly in my memory. Fast forward, she was not only in our home as our next foster, she had already nestled her way into our hearts and it didn't take long for us to decide to adopt her. Dogs with drive bring their own set of challenges but in return, provide rewards in so many ways. One of the things that she loved was tracking and she was a natural at it. She taught us a lot about scent detection and it was beautiful to watch her track. You could see her mind working when she was on a mission to find the scent article she was looking for. It was not a job for her. It was fun for her and for us humans to watch. Had she not already been 7 years old or so, she would have made an excellent search and rescue dog, this I am absolutely certain of. But our paths were not meant to cross until it was too late to start that journey together. So we fulfilled her need to work in the way we did. In addition to tracking, she had incredible ball drive and loved to chase and retrieve. She also loved swimming, was an excellent dock diver and loved floating on her raft in the pool or hanging out on the boat. As with just about everything Laci did, as long as it was with us, she loved to ride in the car, eat her meals or meet new people. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be "intense". She did everything with intensity whether it was running full speed for her ball, tracking that scent like the Terminator until she found it or licking our face to show how much she loved us. Laci had such a wonderful, stable minded beautiful spirit. Everyday with her was a gift and there is an enormous void now that she is gone. Memories of her are attached to everything from the most mundane such as her love of ice cubes to the things she loved most in this world which was to enjoy life and celebrate each day. But she left us with an enduring legacy and given our grief, it has taken some time to put this into perspective. When we adopted Maya (who came along after we had Laci for a few years), who was from a hoarding/abuse case, she was so traumatized and unsocialized, she had no idea how to play ball or how to live life in a home. But she quickly found kinship and comfort in Laci and those two became best of buddies. Laci and Maya could frequently be seen snuggling together on a dog bed. Laci taught Maya how to be a dog around us humans. Laci also taught Maya how to play and have fun. Now, after learning from Laci, Maya has developed strong ball drive as well and most recently, we added Zara who has also learned to play ball. In hindsight, we adopted Laci about 8 years ago. But had no idea at the time that her presence might positively affect the lives of those who arrived after her for what hopefully will be another 8 years from now, if not longer. Laci taught us a lot in those years that we had and we shared a lot of beautiful memories together. She taught Maya and Zara how to carry on without her even after she was gone. Unfortunately, we humans are struggling to do the same. But we celebrate Laci's life and beautiful soul each day we play ball in the yard together with Maya and Zara. We owe that to her and that is what she would have wanted. Monty and Sheri  

We adopted Shep on 12/22/13 just before Christmas, the first and only dog my wife and I have adopted together.  From day 1 we changed his name to Ozil and over time he developed a nickname that was eventually shortened to just "D".  In the early part of his life, Ozil and I would go on adventures - long walks through the woods behind my neighborhood, across frozen streams, over railroad tracks and all around my relatively small neighborhood.  Ozil was always mindful of me and so I often walked him with no leash.  He would chase deer, or cats, or foxes, anything he saw.  Because we walked in the early morning it would often lead to me quietly tracking him down in the dark and scolding him.  Ozil and I went to obedience school in his first year and developed a tight bond.  Despite the training, Ozil still did what he wanted and would wait until we left the house to go into rooms he was otherwise not allowed. At one point we taught him how to open doors with his paws.  That only emboldened him further an resulted in a lot of scratched up door.  We eventually had to unteach him that.  He was mostly an unserious goofball. We've lived in the same house since his adoption and Ozil was the unofficial king of the neighborhood.  He was loud and very confident, but also sweet and quite the looker.  In his early days, he got a compliment from a stranger almost every time we walked (in the daylight).  The cats knew him well and took off hiding when they saw him coming down the street.  He spent his time indoors sitting at the front door barking at anything that passed by.   He had a good life, getting 2 walks a day, eating good food, good treats, and often jumping in the car with us to go anywhere it was reasonable.  A couple years ago he was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy and slowly began losing his mobility.  But it didn't stop us from walking completely, just shorter and slower.  Earlier this year, he started having troubles and took a turn in August and did not recover.  Nothing was confirmed, but the vet believed he had pervasive cancer throughout his bowels that took him down just days before his 12th birthday.  He is missed and will be for a while.  

Bosco and his adopted sister Aspen (now 13yo) were taken in as a bonded pair of senior pups by their amazing mom. She welcomed them into her family and planned on ensuring that they lived out their lives in the comfort, peace, and security of her home. Aspen and Bosco were their mom's heart; she loved them beyond words. Knowing she would want them to have a place to grieve, rest, and find comfort and MAGSR's commitment to keeping family together, they were welcomed again back to a MAGSR foster home. Soon after, Bosco joined his mom and crossed the rainbow bridge to watch over Aspen as another angel. Despite both pups seeing so much loss and facing so many challenges in life, Bosco was one of the sweetest, friendliest, and loving dogs. He was very special and just an easy going guy who goes with the flow. He loves the fresh air and a cozy place to hang. He was cherished by everyone, and still is.