It is with a very heavy heart that we must report the loss of our Snoopy.

We adopted Snoopy on March 1, 2003. He would’ve been 16 this Halloween. His MAGSR tag is #774. We loaded up in the car and drove north of Baltimore to see him and he was going to be perfect for us. He was a few months old then, and would go on to live a long life. When he was young, we had a few issues with him that almost ended up with us returning him.

After speaking with MAGSR volunteers at the time, we decided that we would take him to see Wesley for training. This was the best decision ever. After a few lessons from Wesley, Snoopy was a totally different dog. Wesley showed us that he was just trying to be dominant over the smallest person in the family and we could correct that problem. From that day on, my youngest daughter Melanie was the dog trainer. While we were at the training sessions, some of Wesley’s staff said they knew him, and said he was actually born right there in that building. They even showed us the stall where he was born and told us he was actually born on Halloween night.

He went on to rule over the 4 other dogs (dachshund) that we got after him. They would get in his face and bark at him, but he just ignored them. He loved to bark and chase squirrels. When we moved a few years ago, all of the dogs had a much larger area to patrol for squirrels, snakes, rabbits, etc.

A couple years ago we noticed he was moving slower, and his eyesight was starting to go and he was getting dog Dementia. He had arthritis, but not the usual hip issues shepherds have. The vet put him on medicine and he went on like normal. About a year ago, he really started slowing down and then his hearing started to go also. We consulted with the vet numerous times and were monitoring things closely. This past month, he was taking a turn for the worse and on Wednesday October 3rd, we made the decision to end his pain that was starting to show more and affecting his ability to stand and walk.

He will be missed by all of his pack of dogs and humans; we will forever love and miss you Snoopy.

Everett Hovencamp

Little Miss Luna was put to rest this evening with her wonderful adopters. They rushed her to the vet yesterday after what seemed like strokes. They determined she may have swelling in the brain. I received and email from her adopter this evening

It is sad and unfortunate that due to the prognosis, we have decided to lay Luna to rest.

After further speaking w/ both neurologists as well as the ER doctor that cared for her, it seemed like the best alternative for her. The ER vet came upstairs to the Neurologist's office to remove her IV and was in tears about the situation. Seeing such a sweet young girl go through what we experienced last night was tough on everybody. Luna touched not only our hearts, but all hearts for who she met. Our house speaks of Luna. Her toys scattered around the house. Her bed besides our couch for our evening TV / Nap time. The lost sounds of her prancing around the house. I know this may be odd or weird for a lot of people, but this was her home, even for the short time she was with us. She was instantly a part of the family. The cats had even warmed up to her and had all 5 of us sleeping in the same room.

So I hope this goes without saying, this decision was not done lightly. Also please know that her last moments were with me. Laying together at the doctors office. The nurses (vet techs) saw our bond. The doctors cried for us.

While we are not discouraged about adopting another German Shepherd, we are going to take the time and let this sad situation heal in our hearts and in our minds. As we discussed, we are not looking for any preferential treatment when the comes to adopt another. You guys have your mission to help those animals in need, and I refuse to take away from that. So I hope this message finds you well and know that our sweet little girl is not longer hurting, confused, or going through life disorientated. She's in heaven w/ God. Before she left this earth, I asked her to look up our previous dogs and prayed for our past dogs to look after this little girl.

I know this is emotional - but 1) wanted to let you know the truth as well as 2) show how much she meant to us in our short time together. I can only hope that we gave her as much joy as she did us.

Have a great evening, and when the time comes, we'll be in contact regarding the rescue of another German Shepherd.

Thanks,
Robert Adkins

My beloved Prince crossed the Rainbow Bridge on September 9. I had the amazing fortune of adopting him (then "Oliver") from MAGSR ten years ago, almost to the day when he passed away.  I am deeply grateful to them from bringing him into our lives in 2008.  Prince was 11 years old and suffering from a variety of ailments, some of which were painful. He was suffering more than he was living, so we made the decision to use a very humane and gentle in-home euthanasia service.   My wife and I hugged my bestest buddy in his favorite spot at home as he drew his last breaths.  

I will never forget my Big Puppy, the decade I had with him, nor any of his loves in life. He loved me fiercely and protectively, he loved my wife, my son and just about anyone who would give him a tummy rubby, a squeaky toy or a stick. He loved to give sloppy kisses, especially when he knew that something was wrong. He gave me and my wife big kisses as we wept over him on his last day. He could not stand for us to be sad.  Prince the Wonder Dog loved to sleep next to me, go running, exploring, chasing deer, walking through the West Virginia woods, digging up rocks and go swimming in the Cacapon River. Early in the morning was never too early for him, and when he would wake me up at 4:00 am with his big, brown eyes and a "CAN WE GO OUTSIDE NOW??" look, I could never say no. My children really don't remember a time when he was not part of our lives.

You, Big Puppy, are no longer on watch as our instinctive guardian. You are now our guardian angel. It’s your time to rest, sweet boy. We love you beyond words and cannot adequately thank you for the immeasurable love you shown upon those who loved you.  We miss you so much.

Sad to say we had to put Sammie down today. She found love and trust again. She never left my side in the house. She was unable to walk anymore so we made the decision to help her over the rainbow bridge. We love(d) her very much. It was a wonderful 3 years with her.

She loved McDonald’s and Rita’s vanilla custard. So that was her final meal

She had a slight foot drag when we adopted her. The foster said she had it when he got her. We had her genetic testing done and her bloodline showed a high potential for degenerative myopathy. With that being said, she lost function in that original leg in about 6 months. Then the other within the year. We used a doggie wheelchair as long as we could but the condition was so progressive it was hard to watch her be in pain. We did a few consults and were directed by each to provide palliative as long as she could tolerate, but inevitably we had too.

She was without question a beautiful dog, I’m not sure if you remember but I fought hard to just meet her, fell instantly in love as she accepted us mutually as fast. She had a really broken past before us, including the “not to be around young kids” status. All that was proven to be wrong as she was most likely in the beginning stages and she was protecting her pain. She was absolutely a wonderful companion, it hurts to only have a had her for a short while, but I’m glad it was my family that was able to provide and care for her to the end. 

We still love her.

Jason R Turner

I am very sad to report that we had to say good bye to Angie, our wonderful MAGSR dog, on July 5. We adopted Angie in May of 2006. Our hearts are broken and we will always miss her.

Thank you for bringing her into MAGSR and into our hearts.

Anne Witty and Les Doerfler

Athena was adopted March 2011. These last 7 years weren't long enough. She was the most wonderful girl. I miss her so much already. 

Thank you for all you do for lost and lonely shepherds. 

Sincerely yours,

Michelle Zimmerman 

It is with deep regret to inform you of Chip's passing.Chip came to MAGSR after his family had to give him up. The elderly husband passed and the wife could not provide for him by herself. He was then locked away in a room by himself in the their home. The caretaker would come by, open the door to throw food in and quickly shut the door. Once the wife went into a nursing home, Chip was surrendered to the shelter. When I was asked to see him at the shelter, I found him lying in his own feces and urine, overweight and clearly saddened by the life altering events which had occurred. He was extremely arthritic and greatly in need of some tlc. When I walked him out to my truck to get in, I was amazed when he made the decision to jump up onto the backseat of my F150! I immediately knew he was ready to move on with life.
Soon after coming to our house, the first order of business was to reduce his weight so that he could walk without so much difficulty. Soon thereafter, we had a couple struggles with pack hierarchy. But we were not giving up as we knew this is where he needed to be. Now that he was on good nutrition, joint supplements and NSAIDs he began to emulate Laci's ball drive. He loved to play ball. He was obviously struggling with limited mobility and a some rear limb incoordination. But he loved playing ball anyway and he loved being part of the pack. We saw it as a rebirth of sorts. He either discovered something that he had never experienced before or he rediscovered something that he experienced earlier in life. Either way, he was living a fulfilling life in his new "home". He was feisty and was clearly highest in the canine pack. We nicknamed him "The General". He was large and in charge. He loved lying in the yard when we were outside, especially on days that were not terribly hot. He also love lying on the deck on cool nights.

In the Fall of 2017 he began showing signs of DM. In the matter of a couple weeks, he went from being able to walk on his own to being completely down on his back end. He rebounded once and was able to walk again. As excited as we were for his ability to walk again, that only lasted a couple days and he was back down. If you know anything about DM, it has a tendency to progress, sometimes regress but ultimately progresses again. Chip became incredibly frustrated. Because we had been through DM with dogs in the past, we outfitted him with the Help Em Harness. We also tried Biko Bands which assist the rear legs with pulling them forward during walks. But the window of opportunity for using Biko Bands was somewhat limited. We then bought him a brand new cart from Bestfriend Mobility. He wasn't crazy about the cart no matter how much we tried to get him used to it. He's just one of those dogs who does not love a cart. Through everything, he tolerated all the harnesses, bands and cart. But the harness provided the most assistance in daily life for him. His frustration passed and being down became his norm. We quickly incorporated his lack of mobility into our lives and we made sure that he had as much, if not more time with us and mental stimulation as our mobile dogs. Just within the past week or two, he started showing signs of front leg incoordination. He would sometimes stumble when walking him outside to go potty. We knew that this was not a good sign. Reason being that DM starts with the back legs and as the disease progresses, it will affect the front legs, esophagus and ultimately the brain stem and other organs. He was now showing signs of being neurologically challenged in the front. He then developed a cough which ultimately turned into aspiration pneumonia because his esophagus was not functioning as it should. When his breathing started to become labored, we knew we were at then end and to let him go on was not humane nor much in the way of quality of life.

He peacefully passed in our arms surrounded by those who loved him. Caring for a dog with DM requires a lot of physicality and patience. But that extra time spent in caring for a needy dog creates a deeper bond. Chippy, like all dogs, was very special and we love him dearly.

Monty & Sheri

We wanted to let you all know that yesterday, we made the tough decision to let Kaz go. We adopted him in May of 2017 and we were lucky enough to be a part of his life for 7 wonderful months. He was the kindest, sweetest dog who was simply happy just being with us. Even in his last days, he still had such a wonderful spirit, and despite his limitations, did everything he could to keep up with his brother (our 3 year old shepherd). 

It was the hardest decision we had to make, but we are incredibly lucky that he chose us to spoil him in his final years. Thanks again to MAGSR for bringing Kaz into our lives.

Cody and Elizabeth Fenstermacher

Penny passed away on October 23, 2017. This is very difficult to write, so please bear with me.

I loved Penny with all my heart. She settled in immediately, and got along wonderfully with my 2 cats. She had regular vet visits, was caught up with all vaccinations. Had daily heart worm preventative. She stayed in her crate when I was at work for the first 2 months (total: 6-8 hrs/day when I was out.) By June she was out in the house 100% of the time, though she usually slept in her crate at nite  (located in my bedroom, w/ crate door open)— it was comfortable because there was a luxurious pillow bed in there. I had a trainer come to the house, and he was very helpful (though she was really well behaved, especially around people.)

Penny got at least 2 long walks each day, rain, snow, or shine. She loved rides in the car, and I could take her for visits at friends’ or my grown children’s’ homes. We’d occasionally drive over to places like Lake Montebello so she could have a change of scenery on her walks. Penny wore bandanas/collars for every holiday & season. I teach music lessons in my home, and she loved greeting my students & walking them to the door afterwards. She also loved to hang in my fenced backyard, with or without me.

The only issues thru-out were occasional bouts of severe diarrhea, which started a month after I got her. My vet placed her on prescription dog food (ID Science Diet). My previous shepherd (also from MAGSR) who I had for 10 years, was on the same food. Penny would be fine for a month or two— then suddenly have an “attack” of diarrhea in the house. It would come on very suddenly---she didn't have time to ask to go out. I usually took her to the vet ASAP; he’d give a shot to stop it, then she’d be on medication for 10 days. They attributed it to having a sensitive GI system. I never gave her people food—just an occasional dog biscuit.

Oct 21st 2017 she became very very sick and had to go to the emergency ER she deteriorated very quickly. While I couldn't think of getting another dog--now it's been well over a year--- I still miss the companionship.

Not that long after adopting Sadie (changed to Suki) she came down with oral melanoma. Despite the best in oncology care & the latest immune therapy, she died on October 6 of 2017. I was broken hearted. 

The first photo is shortly after she arrived.  She had a slight limp so her orthopod fitted her with a shoulder brace & prescribed limited exercise for a few weeks. She loved the park so she is being strolled through it. The next photo is very shortly before she died. 

Mora Harrison 

It's with a very heavy heart that I am writing this email to you all today. Our beloved family member, Icarus, left us on Monday, August 28th. He was our first MAGSR pup adopted back in January 2006 (when his name was Zorro) and was a beautiful, sable colored boy who had the most amazing temperament. He immediately took to our female GSD mix Scout and they became the best of buddies. Icarus was a huge part of our lives for close to 12 years and saw us through so many life events including marriage, babies, and growing boys - and we couldn't have asked for a more amazing companion on this journey. He was gentle, sweet and loved both people and dogs alike. He wasn't the brightest, but he made up for it with his amazing personality and truly stunning good looks! When we brought our most recent pup home from MAGSR in 2013 (JR now Nikko), Icarus warmly welcomed him into the house and bestowed tons of attention and licks on the younger dog. They were great playmates and Nikko helped to keep the aging Icarus young at heart. We miss our Icarus dearly and the house seems different without our big loveable guy around.  Thank you MAGSR for allowing this wonderful dog into our home and our hearts. He will not be forgotten.

Hi there. We adopted Kyla from you all back in 2001. She crossed over yesterday evening. She had a beautiful life. When we got her, all we knew was she had been left in an outdoor pen in all her own mess. I believe she may have been one or two years old when we got her but her age was not for sure. Kyla had the sweetest disposition and not a mean bone in her body (except for the UPS man/truck when she was younger). She was our family dog but she was mine or better yet, I was hers lol.  Where ever I was, she was. She also loved her dad when he came home from work. She used to bring him toys shaking them in her mouth to him. My friend's dog had to teach Kyla how to play with toys when we first got her because she had no clue. As for our girls, she used to wait for them to come home from school at the door.

Kyla really blossomed about a year after we had her. She had always been skittish and definitely afraid of any other man (other than her dad). I brought home a kitten. His name is Shadow.  She took this kitten and treated it like it was her own puppy. Even up until she passed, they had a special bond. We have two other cats as well. Well, last night, Shadow came onto our bed, went over to my husband's side, stood there for a minute looking at the floor where she would lay. He jumped down, sniffed around and jumped back up on the bed. I fully believe he knows. As for the other two cats...they seem oblivious.

Before we were leaving yesterday evening to take her to the vets, I went out onto our deck (which is enclosed in plastic except for ventilation holes on the sides). On the deck was a butterfly (same coloring as Kyla). I released the butterfly off the deck. This morning, the same butterfly was in the yard. I don't think that sign can get any more clear. She is going to be missed terribly. But she had a wonderful life. We may adopt again one day, but not anytime soon. She was a special girl. Thank you for allowing us the pleasure to have her in our lives.

The first two pics are when we first got her. The next pic is in later years. Then the butterfly pics are from last night and this morning.

Michele Reese

My husband and I adopted Riggins on April 29 2007.

He instantly fit right into our family. He had so much personality. He won 2nd place in obedience training, went on to tracking training. Riggins was the most polite well manner companion until he felt my husband or I might be in danger. Then he was right there. I could share so many wonderful stories about Riggins, but I will keep it short.  The most important reason I am sharing this is to thank you for connecting us to a forever friend. Thank you giving us the ability to spend 10 amazing years with the best companion ever. 

We lost our buddy Riggins on May 25 2017 due to health issues from DM.

MAGSR we thank you for what you do.