Sad news
We wish there was no sad news to report but...
This page is dedicated to all those trusting and loving dogs out there who have made our lives better by being in them.
We miss them now and forever.
Pet Cremation Urns - Visit www.Pet-Urns.com for custom pet memorial products. They have a selection of German Shepherd figurine urns among other items.
The Rainbow Bridge | |
There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other. |
There is only one thing missing. They are not with their special person who loved them on earth. So, each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The nose twitches! The ears are up!! The eyes are staring!! And this one suddenly runs from the group! You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again and again, and you look once more in the eyes of your trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated. |
These are memorial entries for MAGSR Dogs that have gone to wait at the Bridge.
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June 1, 2020
We adopted Tela from your organization on July 22, 2016. Sadly, we had to put her down last Friday, 5/29.
Our vet's best guess was that she was suffering from degenerative myelopathy. I had a genetic test done and she was a carrier of the disease, so it is possible but not totally conclusive. In her last days, Tela totally lost function of her back end.
Our family is heartbroken.
I wanted to reach out to let you know and thank you for pairing us with our perfect dog. Although things started out kind of rocky (she was very aggressive toward any visitors in our home) she ended up being the most perfectly, wonderful dog. I feel like she was meant to be ours. She quickly became an integral part of our family and will be missed terribly.
May 27, 2020
Dear MAGSR Family,
We are sad to inform you that we had to make the really difficult choice to say goodbye to Jax on May 27, 2020. His battle with degenerative myelopathy took a quick turn for the worse, he lost function of his back legs and there was nothing more we could do to help him.
Jax was a fantastic addition to our family for the past 3 1/2 years. He showed us how rewarding rescuing a more senior dog is and emphasized to us how opening your home to a rescue truly changes their lives (and yours). He will be deeply missed by his entire family, including his little sister, Ava.
Reed and Sarah Schuyler
May 26, 2020
It is with heavy hearts that we would like to inform you of Buddy's passing, previously "Duke." He had an inoperable, fast growing tumor on his spine and he deteriorated very quickly. He was diagnosed at Veterinary Neurology and Imaging of the Chesapeake in Annapolis, MD on 5/22/2020 through an MRI with Dr. Archambault. He was humanly euthanized today at Pocomoke Animal Hospital In Pocomoke, MD after he lost use of the rear half of his body. We appreciate the honor MAGSR gave us to be his furever parents and home for the past 3 1/2 years. He was a GREAT dog and we will dearly miss him. We hope we gave him as much love and joy as he brought and gave to us.
Jeff and Robyn Pettit
May 26, 2020
I was on a work trip to Butler, PA in 2018 when Cody called and said MAGSR had a bonded pair to foster. I was like seriously 3 dogs and we have to give them away eventually? Three dogs was re-donk. We got these two girls and Essie HATED Captain. She actually went after him the very first day and I thought to myself ‘this is NOT going to work.’
She had a big lump on her side that we had removed. It was cancer. She ripped herself out of her create and ripped out her stitches. We watched her do it on our camera.
We took her to puppy classes so she would learn to socialize. She bit the puppies and tried to escape the pet store. One of these pictures is her ripping through the blinds in the townhome we rented in between houses. And then last year she learned to love tennis balls. And stole every single one of them from him, even in 90 degree weather. All summer when we lived in the townhome.
We called her Ess the Mess and Essie Pesci.
Her lumps came back. Everywhere.
She loved car rides. And hamburgers. And stealing Captains toys. And barking at the neighbors dogs.
She was the snuggliest dog. She would nudge you when she wanted pets. She slept in the bed the last couple of weeks. And kicked, scratched, and pushed me out of the bed.
And then she stopped being snuggly and playful. She stopped doing all the bad messy things she loved to do.
We thought it would get easier after Kaz- we wanted to adopt seniors and thought this was part of the process. It’s not any easier but we are so grateful for the two years we had with her.
As always, please adopt the senior pups. It’s rewarding and sad all at the same time.
Elizabeth & Cody Fenstermacher
May 12, 2020
Hi. I wanted to report that Wiley, a beautiful GS we adopted from you 11 years ago this month, crossed the rainbow bridge at 3:21pm today. He had cancer and became paralyzed last night. Nothing could be done to remove the tumor and he was in a lot of pain. We loved him everyday we had him and he loved us. Godspeed, Wiley
Love,
Michael Milone
May 11, 2020
We wanted to let you know that our beloved German Shepherd, Kimber, died from hemangiosarcoma. He was surrounded by his family and passed away peacefully at home as the sun set.
He pre-adoption name was Axel.
May MAGSR continue to find homes for German Shepherds.
May 1, 2020
We are writing to inform you about the sad news that our beloved and wonderful German Shepherd rescue, Chesney, whom we adopted from MAGSR in October 2012, died peacefully this morning. Thank you for bringing her into our lives.
Thank you,
Sherry, Rohit, Caroline and Jessica Khanna
April 17, 2020
We are devastated to report the passing of our beloved Spike D. on April 17, 2020. Spike (Nell) joined our family on July 9, 2011. We are heartbroken to lose our wonderful, loving and smart girl.
Life is not the same without you Spike. We miss you every day.
Beth, David and Dylan
March 18, 2020
It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of Shadow on March 18, 2020 at the age of 13 ½ (October 21, 2006 – March 18, 2020). We adopted him September 2010 and we had almost 10 amazing years with him.
The day we visited MAGSR, we walked with two dogs: one was a female, and the other was Shadow. We just seemed drawn to him, and he to us. We were told he was a little high strung, and to be cautious playing and petting him initially. Well, on the drive home, he was licking my ear from the back seat! When we got home, he was warm and affectionate, and rolled over on his back and let us rub his tummy! He knew he had found his forever home, and we knew our family was complete.
Shadow was an amazing and loving companion. He was fearless, and loved chasing deer and squirrels! We would watch in awe as he would reduce a huge deer antler to a small twig! Shadow loved the beach. He would play in the surf, and loved biting at the waves! We trained him in German commands, and people would stop and remark how majestic he looked – he always made us proud.
The past year was extremely difficult for him due to his failing body, even though his mind was clear. However, he never gave up, never complained, or showed signs of pain. He was truly stoic until the end.
We thank MAGSR for bringing Shadow into our lives. Although his loss is incredibly painful, we have beautiful memories of him. Not a day goes by that we don’t see something that reminds us of him, and makes us smile as well as brings tears. Shadow brought joy and unconditional love into our lives, and we will be forever grateful.
Jim and Heidi Johnston
March 17, 2020
We love you, Airborne! We are imagining you running around now up in heaven with four perfect legs and hoarding all of the toys and balls for yourself. We already miss you so much.
March 15, 2020
Hello,
It is with a very heavy heart I am sending this update.
Yesterday, after a very short but strong battle with lymphoma we had to put down our Diesel boy.
Macklee and her brother Nate are very unsure right now.
Diesel and Macklee played together and picked at each other like brother's and sisters do. Macklee seems a bit lost today like we all are. She was very attached to Diesel. Heck she picked him immediately as hers!
The Warner Family,
Kevin, Vanessa, Nate and Macklee.
September, 2008 to March 15, 2020
We had to say goodbye to our little girl, Poppy, Sunday.
In addition to being a world class snuggler, ball chaser extraordinaire, expert swimmer in the waters of the Chesapeake (and the Adirondacks, the pool, the fountain or pretty much anywhere she could get wet), and holder of a fifth degree black belt in martial tail-wagging, she is also responsible for the happiness of hundreds as the world's greatest foster mommy.
Poppy came to us as Gwynn, one of a pair of tiny pups in frail health rescued from a terrible situation in Baltimore. As they regained their health and began to meet potential adopters, it became clear to us the we would never find a family patient enough for her unique personality. Besides, she loved her big brother Nick so. Popcorn became our first foster failure and, because of her avid dislike of other dogs, the end of our fostering career. Or so we thought.
Having to step up in an emergency puppy fostering situation, we thought we'd just have to keep Poppy separated for the short time we'd have the babies and that would be it. Rather than her usual angst from the presence of other dogs, she was fascinated and excited about the strange scents in the house. We decided to let her get a look at who and what was going on and it became immediately apparent that she was convinced that she had just had a litter of puppies and that she had to take care of them right away. So began her career as "Aunt Poppy".
For the next ten plus years, she would welcome every litter of fosters with open jaws; cleaning and preening them, playing gently and teaching them appropriate behavior, overseeing potty training, settling disputes and making sure everyone got their fair share of love and attention. She also recognized the motherly care that medical fosters needed and accepted them as her charges, even when they we well outside the age she would normally tolerate. In that span of time she was responsible for the proper upbringing of well over a hundred puppies (MAGSR & others) and the resulting happiness they have brought to their hundreds of family members.
She was so full of joy, I guess some of it just kind of leaked out.
Poppy we miss you more than words could ever describe. Our hearts are filled with sweet, crazy, hysterical memories of life with you. You will be in our hearts forever, tail wagging, thump-thump-thump against our heart strings.
Thank you for being my best friend and protector. You were selfless in caring for and protecting all your little foster charges. You were daddy’s biggest fan, bursting with excitement whenever he came near, tail wagging wildly, barking and yelping in joy. You kept me company day in and day out, always there to awaken me in the morning, shouting "Seize the Day" as you licked my face and dug at the blankets ‘til they fell off the bed.
We’ll miss you so much Poppy, and will hold you in our hearts always. We are lucky you chose us. Being Poppy's special person has been an honor.
To Poppy! Na Zdorovie. Sláinte!
Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect their families. And love us. And make our lives brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow. (D. Gemeinhart)
January 21, 2020
Mazie was adopted back in January of 2015. She was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor that lead to her being put to sleep on Jan 21 2020. Mazie started her life with us a bit rough, but quickly settled in to her routine. In the end, she wound up being a great dog (most of the time). She lived a great five years with her small Yorkie friend, and was great with every other dog she met. She spent a lot of time chilling out in her senior years, but always enjoyed a good outing to the park to chase a ball. She definitely developed more of a lazy lifestyle in her last year, but as a senior dog, she was certainly entitled. She will be missed.
December 28, 2019
Nero Dubel Burns, who we adopted in February of 2010, passed away at the age of 12 in September. Nero had a tough year as he battled cancer. He brought joy to everyone with whom he crossed paths and was described by everyone as a “gentle giant”. Of the three German Shepherds we had over the years, Nero was the largest, weighing in at 125 pounds. Nero was always protective and a great guard dog. He loved being around his father, Bruce. He never left Bruce’s side – ever. Wherever Bruce was, Nero was right there with him. We loved waking up every morning to the click-clack sound of Nero coming down the hallway, right at 7:00 A.M., ready for his mother Bonnie to take him out. Nero and our grandson Logan also were inseparable. They went for long walks around our lake, chased each other around the house, and were always good for a laugh. He has been missed over the last few months and we will always remember the joy he brought us.
December 28, 2019
We are devastated and heartbroken to let you know our sweet Rachel (adopted 2-14-15) passed unexpectedly in her sleep at home early Saturday, December 28, 2019, after having emergency surgery on Christmas morning for a twisted stomach.
Rachel was a vocal girl with strong herding instincts who shared herself uniquely with every member of our family. She gave us all exactly what we needed. she was so gentle with Mom “Nana” who lived with us when we adopted Rachel and our Grandson, Graeme, who arrived in 2017. Rachel was content with her daily routine: neighborhood watch, daily rides in the Jeep and walks at the local parks with Hubby, sharing Wednesdays and Thursdays with Graeme and his dog Honey, evening walks and weekly wine night with me and our neighbor Darla and their GS/lab, Sammy, special playtime with our youngest grown son, Robby (they had their own language). She was “That Big Dog” to Kelly (our oldest son’s MAGSR Alumna). She also enjoyed trips to the beach, holidays, and family time. She would plop down right in the middle of everyone or in front of the sink and expect us just to step over her which of course we did most of the time. She loved and was loved. She was a blessing to our family and brought us so much joy. We are missing her beyond words.
We will always be grateful to MAGSR’s dedicated volunteers for bringing her into our lives.
August, 2006 to December 25, 2019
Our beloved Sheba passed suddenly on Christmas Day, 2019. She was active with us all day and then about 6pm she was huddled under Mom's desk, her quiet spot. But she didn't want to come out. When she did she ran downstairs and outside, but stopped. She started vomiting and we rushed her to the Anne Arundel Emergency Veterinary Center, but she was in critical condition from bloat. She passed before 9pm.
Sheba was her human mother's "Wingman" helping out in the flower garden (sniffing every plant if she liked it), relaxing and reading (snoring), and judging sewing and quilting projects (sitting on them if she liked them). She also loved posing for photos and would sometimes sit until you took her picture - and usually get photo-bombed by her brother!
She went over the Rainbow Bridge to be with her brother Prince (formerly Blackjack), litter mates born 08/01/06 and both adopted 02/23/08. Both Prince and Sheba were the best dogs a family could have.
Thank you,
Anita Konzak Turley
December 20, 2019
We found out, several months ago, from our vet that Dixie had unfortunately been diagnosed with degenerative myolopathy which has no treatment. It is with a lot of tears and a very heavy heart that we have to let you know she was put to sleep on 12/20/2019 after suffering with GSD ALS. She came to us as a very abused and ill treated pet. We found her to be a very sweet and loving dog that became a huge part of our family. She was still happy and loving but in more pain so we decided to have her last day a good day for her.
December 20, 2019
It has taken some time to write this, as it has been very hard for us to manage life without Gulliver. This message and tribute is to inform MAGSR that our sweet handsome boy, Gulliver, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on December 20, 2019. Ultimately, the disease "DM" caught up with him. He did so well managing for a year, and the last month of his life it progressed to a level that was not easy for him.
We adopted Gully in October of 2009. He had great foster family parents in Monti and Sherri, before he reached his forever home with us. Gully was so much more than we expected. He was loyal, loving, a gentle giant, and loved his pack. He loved to play ball, chase squirrels, and meet up with his friends in the neighborhood. Gully also loved going for car rides. He would always stick his head out the window to see what was going on. Gully is a major loss to our family unit, and he is greatly missed. We are so blessed that we got to experience life with him. He is forever in our hearts. Till we meet again, big fella. We all love and miss you so much.
We love you forever and always Gully!
Love, Mike & Jen
December 10, 2019
Hello My name is Joe Myers. Our Shauna has gone over the rainbow bridge. We adopted her in January of 2016 from MAGSR. She was such a great dog and much of our lives were centered around her. When we adopted her, paperwork was a little conflicting, so she was estimated to be between 4-8 years, she was about 8-11 when she passed. She was apart of our family for almost 4 years. While we are very saddened by the loss of our family member, we are thankful for organizations like MAGSR who gave us this opportunity to share our lives with her. We are obviously grieving, but will be looking to adopt another German Sheppard in the near future, as we are a GSD family.
December 9, 2019
We are very sad to tell you that our dear sweet boy Dega who we rescued in 2011 has passed away. We are heartbroken. We had lost our previous german shepherd of 14 years in 2011, and we made the decision to rescue a dog in her honor.
We met Dega in April of 2011 after my husband saw him on your website. He was stunning, all black with golden eyes. I cannot tell you how many compliments he received over the 8 years we had him.
Dega was ball driven from day one that we met him. My husband would throw him the ball sometimes 30 times a day in every weather condition you can imagine. Dega never got tired of fetching and bringing the ball back. We also realized we couldn’t take him to my son’s baseball games because the urge to run out on the field and chase the baseball was just too great for him.
Another thing Dega was famous for was his howling at the sirens. He would stop whatever he was doing and stand tall and howl. He almost looked like a wolf. Living near a firehouse you can imagine how many times a day this would happen and even in the middle of the night. We were woken many times by his “ singing” but we didn’t mind at all.
Dega loved going to the beach too. Every year we would take him to the Outer Banks. We would walk him for miles on that beach and he loved it. Again, everyone who saw him there would say how beautiful he was. People were just drawn to his beauty and strength.
Dega was our beach dog, snow dog, and a best friend to my husband. He would follow him around the yard whenever they were outside. He did not need a leash to be outside. He would sit and watch my husband wash his car or walk around while he was mowing the grass. They were inseparable.
Dega was a good protector for my children as well. They were older when we got him, 16 and 12 but he bonded with them from the beginning. It was like he was meant for our family. When they say “ who rescued who” that is completely true. Dega came into our lives when we needed him and we will forever be grateful for him. He will be missed more than you will ever know. Thank you MAGSR for this incredible boy who has appeared on your Holiday card and calendar and changed our lives forever.
November 14, 2019
We are saddened to inform you that MAGSR alum, Neena (adopted 2009), has recently passed away at the age of 13.5 yrs. She was absolutely the best dog we could have ever asked or hoped for. We know she was infamous at MAGSR for being "talkative" and needy, but our Neena-the-Needy ended up being the perfect dog for us, teaching us so much about being strong pack leaders. Throughout the 10+yrs we were blessed with her, we went through so many changes--human siblings were born, we moved to 5 acres, got horses, then moved to a 20 acre horse farm. She handled everything with ease. We've attached a few pics of her from throughout the years.
July, 2010 to November 12, 2019
After 6 great years with Maxine, she unfortunately had to be put down. Degenerative Myelopathy had completely incapacitated her back legs and incontinence was setting in. It was a very tough call to make, but we could tell Maxi was not only suffering, but losing her mental capacity as well.
She was the first of three dogs we adopted from MAGSR.
She had a beautiful coat right up until the end!
We miss you Maxi, and know you're back running on all fours in Canine Heaven.
Love,
Allan & Belinda Young
June, 2012 to October 31, 2019
I am sending MAGSR this message to let your organization know of the passing of Tucker. We adopted Tuck on 11/24/2012 as 5 month old pup that had a tough start. He was always full of energy and was always ready to play with us. Tucker had never had any health issues or showed signs of not being 100% until October 30 when he refused to eat dinner and then on Oct 31 did not eat morning food and would not even take treats. We took him to our Vet, Cabin Creek Animal, where he was x-rayed and blood work completed. He was bleeding internally. We then took him to PetsER in Salisbury where the bleeding was confirmed along with cancer that had started spreading. He was extremely weak and unable to continue, so we made the decision to not let him suffer any more. We miss him, he was so much a part of our lives.
It is always so good to hear of the good the MAGSR does, and Tucker was the 4th GSD we had adopted from MAGSR.
Tucker had a AKC Star Medal for training. Thank you to MAGSR for allowing us to care for Tucker for 7 years.
October 15, 2019
I wish I could express how grateful I am for Riddick being in my life. Thank you so much for matching us with Riddick. The joy and love that he has brought to me has been unimaginable. He was the perfect fit for my small family. I am so glad I could rescue him and provide him with a loving and active environment. He was so gentle, yet full of energy. We enjoyed teaching him how to swim and our family vacation adventures with him. I loved how liked to show off his tricks – catching the ball, hiking, having no accidents in the house, winning at tug-a-war. It was fun to watch him go insane trying to put our oversized ball in his mouth. There was no toy that he couldn’t figure out how to take apart and destroy, yet he never chewed on anything in the house. He was so smart. He was such a faithful companion and loved our hiking time.
Although he was almost 10, we had gone for our normal weekly 5 mile hike late September. A month later, he succumbed to cancer. Joe and I took him to his favorite place – Great Falls and spent some time with him before we had to say goodbye forever. It was a perfect Fall day for all of us to reminisce over the last 7 years. It has been three weeks now and I am still bawling my eyes out. I miss him so much.
Again, thank you for introducing Riddick in our lives. Joe knew right away he was the dog for us. I wasn’t so sure, but glad I took the risk.
Rebecca DePrez
September 17, 2019
We are writing to share sad news. Our Camden who we adopted in 2012 was put to sleep tonight. This morning he was happy and chasing treats but late this afternoon he had labored breathing so we took him to emergency vet. The vet believes he had a Hemangiosarcoma; We had x-rays done to confirm what the vet believed. Though we are devastated, I am happy that it was very sudden so he was not in pain long. He brought us tremendous joy and will be missed so much.
October, 2010 to August 18, 2019
I am very sad to inform you that my beloved dog Sammy left my side on August 18, 2019. I adopted him from MAGSR in October of 2010. He had just arrived at the kennel that very day. You named him Samson because he was so incredibly strong. Sammy was the light of my life and he brought me so much joy. He died from hemangiosarcoma. Know that I did everything medically to assist him. Today rather than speak of his illness I prefer to tell you the first of many of his stories. I came to your kennel that day in October 2019 thinking I might find a friend or maybe a dog that needs to be fostered. Anyway I went through every dog you had in the kennel and none seemed to be “the one”. The person showing us the dogs stated there was one more dog that just arrived and did I want to see him. I said no but my niece said yes so the person helping us ran off to get the new dog the last one to see.
Out comes a large beautiful black and red German Shepherd just like my last two dogs. I walked him around the grass area through the trees checking him out. I tested him to see if he would follow my lead and he did. The woman came back and asked me if I wanted to adopt him and I said no but my niece said yes. Then the woman asked if I would like her to put him in the kennel down the hill to see again later. I said no but my niece said yes. So she put him down the hill in the outside kennel for us. As the end of the day approached, the woman came back and asked if we wanted to see Sammy again I said no but my niece said yes and off she went to get the dog. My niece is an animal person and knew me and my past dogs very well. She knew something I didn’t that day but Sammy made the decision on his own. I walked him around again with all the other people watching. They were ready to make a run for him as soon as I gave him back. He would not have lasted the rest of the day at the kennel.
As I was walking him, he abruptly came to a stop and stared hard into my eyes then turned his head and stared into my niece’s eyes. After staring at us for quite a while he pulled me across the grass area toward the kennel so I let him lead me curious about why. He then made a sharp right turn and went into the parking lot. He went car to car up to the top of the lot until he found my car and he jumped up on it. He refused to leave my car-- he wanted to get inside. Finally, I got him back to the grassy area and he would no longer walk or do anything he just kept pulling me toward the fence separating the parking lot and the grass area. He had positioned himself in direct line with my car on the other side of the fence. So, I told the lady if she could get him a bath I would take him home. After his bath we saw him at the bottom of the hill just staring up at us. He was happy and absolutely knew he was going with us. I was given his leash and Sampson became Sammy as he moved to my side where he remained for the rest of his life. I loved him dearly and miss him horribly. I was so lucky he picked me that day. Thank you for such a wonderful dog.
August 15, 2019
We are sad to inform you that we lost our beloved MAGSR dog, Mercedes. She passed away on Monday morning Our hearts are broken but we are thankful for the five wonderful years of fun and love we had with her.
We adopted her from MAGSR over 5 years ago. She was the love of our lives. We will miss her.
Joe and Jodi McCarthy
July 5, 2019
It is with broken heart that I write to you today to advise of the passing of our beloved Ginger. We adopted her by her MAGSR name of Canela on April 3, 2009 when she was about 9 months old. She was a loving part of our family. We named her Ginger because of her coloring and we kept Canela as her middle name. She was always glad to see her family when they would arrive home from work or school. She loved running and playing but when it was time to go to bed a simple “are you ready to go night night” and she would grab a toy and go straight to our room. She was a constant companion and was always at someone’s side. Her passing will leave a great void in all of our hearts.
Ginger, unfortunately was not with us as long as we were hoping, but her health declined sharply over the last month. She lost function in her back legs and her spleen was very swollen. The vet had her on Prednisone, a pain killer and two different antibiotics over the past month. Unfortunately she continued to lose weight and the vet advised that putting her down was probably best.
Thank You MAGSR for bringing us together.
Sincerely,
Russell Lee
July 4, 2019
I am so sad to say that our beautiful Chancellor E. DeFeo passed away yesterday at home. He was taken from us way too soon and unexpectedly. He wasn’t feeling well the past three weeks and after two rounds of bloodwork and multiple xrays and other tests, we had him scheduled for an ultrasound for this coming Monday. But he collapsed at home and died in our arms, we still do not know exactly what was wrong but the veterinarian assumed a tumor of some sort. We are devastated. We adopted him July 2010 from you. Thank you for all that you do and for allowing us the joy of having Chancellor for these past 9 years.