Sad News

Hello,

It is with deep sorrow and the worst hurt in my heart, that I reach out to you to inform you that our sweet Frankie (formerly known as Gypsy- adopted in March 2018), lost her battle to Lymphoma today. She was diagnosed with Lymphoma in May 2021– we had called MAGSR back in May to inform the rescue but never received a phone call or email communication back.

My husband, Michael Shaffer, and I took every possible Avenue that we could to help our sweet Frankie. We worked closely with Dr. Stacie Binstock, canine oncologist, at Lancaster Veterinary Services. Frankie underwent chemotherapy starting in May, but only had a short remission. We attempted two other chemotherapy drugs, but neither of them proved successful for remission. The Lymphoma grew resistant to the treatments we attempted.

I cannot begin to express how much my heart hurts, but I am proud to say that heaven welcomed one of the best four-legged angels it could ask for. Our sweet Frankie lost her battle to cancer today. Even though she was with us for three short years, she has changed us for a lifetime. We will continue to love her and cherish our time and memories of her for the rest of our lives. We are so blessed that we were chosen to be her human parents— she came to us when we least expected it, and it was divine intervention, in my mind, that we were brought together. We didn’t want to let go today, but she knew that she was not alone and that we were with her in every moment. While this quarantine has not been ideal for anyone, it was a blessing for us that we got to spend these last two years at home with Frankie, loving and cuddling her when she needed us most! We will always love her, forever and always! Until we meet again, sweet Frankie Bean!

If you could please notify the other family’s of Frankie’s litter mates that she passed from Lymphoma, and that they, too, should be aware and cognizant of their pups’s health, we would be most appreciative!

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We hope to adopt from MAGSR again in the future. While we’re obviously not ready now, if there is any information you can provide regarding how previous adopters can should start this process again, please share with us.

Thank you!
Kindly,
Brittany and Michael Shaffer

Dear MAGSR I wanted to write and let you know of Kobe’s passing on December 23, 2021 due to a brain tumor.    When we adopted Kobe from MAGSR, his name was Kent, but we renamed him on our first day home seven years ago.  Kobe lit up our lives and completed our family.  He was the picture of health and full of energy up until about a week and a half before his death when he started showing symptoms of vestibular disease.  Both his vet, and then the neurology specialist we took Kobe to see, treated him with antibiotics for a middle ear infection, but Kobe’s decline was so rapid and so extreme that we took him to emergency critical care.  An MRI revealed the aggressive brain tumor which took him from us later that night. Kobe was the mayor of our neighborhood.  My family and I enjoyed long walks with Kobe, and he easily trekked 3-4 miles each day, between the walks my husband, my two boys and I took with him separately.  Young children would come running to him as we passed their houses, yelling, “Kobe, it’s Kobe!”  They would hug him and kiss him, and he was the gentlest giant with everyone who touched him.  Kobe loved to play with other dogs too, and other dog owners would drop by so their furry friends could play inside our fence with him. We are heartbroken to have lost Kobe, and I will be forever grateful to the kind and loving people at MAGSR who introduced Kobe to our family in November, 2014.  I have attached a picture from last winter of our beautiful boy. Thank you, MAGSR, for the wonderful and very important work you do. The Harper Family

I wanted to let you know that my dog Keena (aka Topaz) adopted 11/11/06 passed away today.  She was a great dog and I want to thank your organization for allowing her to become part of my family.

Dear MAGSR,

We wanted to let you know that our beloved Bailey (MAGSR tag 5277) died after eating some dark false mussels.  We did not know that these mussels are highly toxic to dogs, causing acute liver failure.  We recently brought a boat into our yard, which had tiny mussels stuck to the bottom, and apparently Bailey crawled under the boat and scraped off and ate a large section of mussels.  We pieced together what happened only once he got sick and we found the tiny shells in his poop.  He spent two days in intensive care at Catonsville ER, and the vets did everything they could to save him, but the damage to his liver was too severe.  He was only 6 years old, still full of joy and ball-chasing energy, and we are completely crushed by his death.

We hope that you will help to raise awareness of the danger that these mussels pose to dogs.  (Ask potential adopters about boats?)  We never would have brought a boat into our yard if we had known.  The boat is now gone, and thankfully our other MAGSR dog (Sweet Pea - adopted in 2013?) did not eat any mussels.  She is grieving for her partner but is otherwise in great shape.

Here’s a link to a Maryland DNR health alert about the mussels: https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Documents/Dog-Health-Alert.pdf

It’s unclear exactly what in the mussels is so toxic to dogs.  The ER vet asked to have a necropsy done on Bailey, with the hope of shedding some light on the problem, so we donated his body to DNR and the veterinary pathology group at Johns Hopkins. 

Best wishes,
Bailey’s mom and dad

We are sad to report of the passing of our shepherd, Jack Shannon, on November 4, 2021.   We adopted Jack back in November of 2013 and while he survived emergency surgery for bloat he was unable to overcome the combined effects of arthritis and degenerative myelopathy.   He was a big boy with a big heart and an even bigger personality.  We lived by the motto that “a good dog is a tired dog” and we spent a good portion of our day trying to wear him out.  Whether it was playing ball, playing in the snow, sledding, early morning walks, weed fun or hose fun he was always down for a good time.   More than anything though he loved his people and he will be sorely missed by all of us.   The Witek’s

Lexi crossed the rainbow bridge on Wednesday. I'm heartbroken because she was my best friend, but I wanted to write a note in her honor and just let you know of her passing. Lexi was my instant soul mate, and after a bit of a rough start with the dog we already had at the time, she settled in with her brother and they truly loved each other. While she wasn't fond of many other dogs, she had so many human best friends, and I loved walking her down the street because people always stopped in awe of how beautiful and wolf-like she was. She was also silly and very smart (much smarter than her brother). I would laugh when she wanted a toy that he had, so she pretended to be interested in another one just to trick him into dropping what he had to go for it, while she got the original. I'm enclosing some of my favorite photos of her and her brother Titan (both gone within 6 months of each other from cancer). I’m a photographer and she even got to model in a few photo shoots (she always snuck in). I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with Lexi in her senior years. I can't imagine my house without a dog in it and may be interested in fostering soon, something I've done in the past. Warmly, Nikki

Our Tanner came into our lives in November 2017.
He died of bloat while we were away which makes it that much harder to process.
We weren’t with him.
 
He was the most loyal, obedient dog we have ever loved.
He melted our hearts everyday he was with us! “Dogs are not our whole life but they make our lives whole!"

Hollie passed away unexpectedly early this morning from a probable ruptured hemangiosarcoma. She was such a wonderful dog and companion since the day we welcomed her into our family. Thank you to Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue and Nicole Cox for bringing her into our hearts six years ago. She'll be there forever.

I am sad to be writing this email to you today.  Camden fell ill this week and passed away on Sunday morning.  I wanted to thank Ed for introducing Camden to me on an early Sunday morning.  He started out as a foster and then became our pup with the help of Candi.  Camden loved Candi when at the kennel.  Once Camden recovered from Heartworm treatments he settled into our family.  I honestly do not know what we did to deserve such a wonderful dog.  Camden was patient with foster dogs (most of them) and with the craziness in our household.  The past two years have been challenging with losing parents and grandparents.  I feel that he helped our family survive through this difficult and challenging time.  Losing a dog is very hard but the time with them will always be cherished.  I will miss our early morning walks, him going to work with mommy in the office, spending time walking the yard, and waiting for the kids to finish swim team practice. I attached a photo of Camden at the beach and this is how I will remember him. Watching the ghost crabs and the sunrise at the beach.  Reminding me that tomorrow is going to be a great day and to take advantage of the time we have with family and fur companions.

We wanted to let you know that today, our angel puppy grew his wings. Bear (aka, little Bear, Baby Bear, Pacifier, Frosty Paws, Wiggles, Fluff Butt) was special from the beginning. He had a magic about him that brought everyone human or fluffy joy and comfort. Over the past 10 years in our home, Bear welcomed countless foster dogs, he provided comfort and joy to 6 foster children, he joined us in celebrations, he stayed close when we struggled, and he brought endless smiles to family, friends, and people in the community. His wiggles, patience, and presence are already beyond missed in our home. Bear, we know that Kenya, Maggie, Izzy Bee, and Hyde are looking after you on the bridge. Know that you took a piece of our hearts with you.  You are loved. Fly high baby boy, until we meet again.
-Kate, Will, Ally, Nugget, & Hiccup

Five days ago my otherwise healthy K9 partner Kylie developed a limp and was diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer in her front leg that had spread to her lungs and abdomen.

Kylie died suddenly yesterday afternoon at Tridelphia Animal Hospital in Dayton, MD

Within a week I lost my best friend. My family and I are devastated. Kylie was the 7th Ryan and that is exactly how this feels…… like a member of our family is gone forever.

When Kylie joined our family; life suddenly got better for all of us.

As a team, Kylie and I went on some of the most epic adventures. Her incredible intelligence and world class sniffer helped speak for those who could no longer speak for themselves. No matter where we went……local, state, and federal law enforcement all knew of Kylie and her abilities. She got more gifts from strangers than my kids get at Christmas. She was so loved.

During Kylie’s short life….. she forever changed our shared world for the better.

My girl is gone and everything is not okay, but hopefully one day soon it will be again. Gene Ryan (Here's a story about Kylie's career -Ed)

On October 31, 2010, my wife and I were adopted by Ty when he was about 3. He passed this week.  He has truly been my best friend these past 11 years and he was very much loved, and he loved us very much.  He was a caretaker and protector for our 7 year old daughter from the moment she came home, the 3 cats who departed before him, and his favorite cat, who is moping around just a little this week, missing him like all of us are. I just wanted to let you all know since I’m sure someone is still there who might remember this remarkable dog.  Because of Ty, we continue to support your work through donations and Amazon. I hope one day we don’t need you all anymore.

Russia came to me as a very sick senior pup. He was underweight, had massive raw areas on his skin due to allergies, had a very bad case of heartworms, and was scared of every movement I made. However, within just a few days he showed me that he was, at heart, a young puppy who wanted to trust even when scared, was always ready with kisses, would go miles no matter what the vets said, and really wanted to be an integral part of someone's life. He sang along with the firetrucks and ambulances (not police cars for a reason only he understood), hid his treats under the shed, told all the neighborhood dogs what was going on, and would tuck himself into any available space if it meant he could snuggle just a little closer. He absolutely loved to get brushed and would circle his body to be sure I got every spot just right. He was always in motion if anyone else was moving around, checking out the latest happenings to be sure he didn't miss a moment of life. He never slowed down, not even on his last days. He might have been very sick, but that wouldn't stop him. In the end, we said goodbye after a last brushing (he made sure I got all the good spots), with his head in my lap tucked up nice and close for one last snuggle.

We recently lost Snowy who was a huge part of our family and pack. Now there is this immense void that Snowball once occupied. Words don't seem fitting enough to convey the depth of loss we feel. So we thought it was only fitting pay homage to her life and legacy. This is the life of Snowy. Back in the spring of 2010, we were alerted of the need to rescue a dog, a white German Shepherd. Some people who saw this dog even wondered if it could possibly be a coyote. The dog had been hanging around a horse stable. When we first arrived on the scene, it was obvious to us that it was a white female German Shepherd. But because she was dirty and thin, we could see why some people might think she was a coyote when they caught a quick glimpse of her. She wasn't scared of making herself seen and the riders at the stable frequently saw her. But she was smart. She knew not to get close to the horses and riders or put herself in a position of being captured. Many locals in the area were feeding her which helped to keep her there. They would drive by in all hours of the day or night and drop off cheeseburgers and the like. It was apparent that she was very young and in need of rescuing. You could see her ribs. But how did she get there? How long was she out there? Was she dumped? Did she escape from somewhere? We always wondered this. But more importantly, we needed to devise a game plan to capture her and bring her to safety. Monty and Sheri and a few other very special people (you know who you are) started working on right away. As we frequented the area to begin conditioning her to our presence, we would put food out for her nearby to us. We tried befriending her by trying to hand feed her. While she was food motivated, she would come ever-so close but not close enough to allow us to touch her. She would even walk behind Sheri within a few inches in an attempt to get the food that Sheri had in her hand. Seeing that physically capturing her this way wouldn't work, we moved to the next phase. We set up a humane trap. We are experienced in tracking and trapping and have captured dogs with humane traps in the past. However, this girl was having none of it. She would walk to the entrance to the trap and not enter. This went on for a while. Knowing this wasn't going to work anytime soon, we had to change our strategy. We set up a kennel run in the field. We tied the door open and began putting food in there for her to eat when she got the nerve to enter. Since the the kennel run was much larger than the standard humane trap, she felt more at ease with entering. Once she routinely entered the kennel run, it was only a matter of time before we were able to shut the door with her inside. After she was captured and authorities were notified, we were given the go ahead to transport her a local veterinary hospital so that her health care could begin. We had been working on her capture for weeks at this point. Once the dirt and grime was washed off of her, we could begin to see her beautiful white coat. This diamond in the rough became known as  "Snowy".  While in the hospital, all of us involved in her capture would routinely visit with her to help condition her to being around humans. She was very feral. She put up with us but she never once acted aggressive in any manner. You could say she was very passive. She missed out on socialization with humans early in her life and therefore, had no reason to trust us.  The next step was to transfer her into a foster home. So we decided to bring her to our house as our next foster. We knew this would be a long process as she was an extreme flight risk. She was not bonded to us and had no reason to be. Every precaution was taken to prevent her escape while we were bonding. As she began bonding to us, we were able to let down our guard little by little, but not too quickly. Because we already had other Shepherds of our own, this helped Snowy transition into living in a home. She was awesome with other dogs and she learned to trust humans though them. She never acted aggressive with our dogs. True to her nature, she was very passive with them, too.  After fostering her for about a year and not finding the right adoptive home, we made the decision to adopt her ourselves. We knew her better than anyone, became very attached to her and she became very attached to us. She liked Monty... but she loved Sheri. Her world revolved around Sheri. Snowy was attached to our dogs as well. But now, this once practically feral dog had blossomed into a beautiful, majestic family member who adored her humans, particularly Sheri. Snowy wasn't too crazy about visitors though. She wasn't aggressive with them but she was most comfortable keeping her distance from them. As the years went by, that too changed and she would inquisitively wander up to a visitor to say hi. Fast forward, though the years we brought many new fosters into our home. Some stayed, some did not and were adopted into loving homes of their own. But when we brought a new foster home, Snowy was our first test dog. She never let us down and was always willing to allow a new packmate into the fold. She was bombproof in this manner. After arriving to our house as a new foster, she never spent a night alone. There was an occasional stay at the vet's office for something health related which was out of our control. But we never ever willingly left her alone. Her days and nights of living near the stable in the woods, chasing off the occasional fox which was trying to steal food that was intended for her, were long gone. Snowy was home. Through the years, Snowy learned to like all sorts of things. Some are very normal like fetch, swimming in the pool, roughhousing with her humans, going on walks. But she also had some comical behaviors (all scent driven) such as rolling on fresh sheets on the bed, nuzzling into Sheri's long hair, getting a new toy and rolling on it. She loved peanut butter, ice cream, milk, sliced cheese, chicken... and again, her human mom. When Monty would come home from being at work, she was happy to see him. But when Sheri came home from work, Snowy's expression of joy jubilation was on a whole other level. You could practically see her beaming and smiling with love. Snowy didn't travel well and never learned to like the vehicle. As a result, she didn't travel far from her home. But she had a home where she felt safe, loved and never had to worry about anything ever again. She was safe from harm, starvation and learned what it was like to have a family of her own. On the day she left this world, she was wrapped in our arms and our love. Yes, she was very lucky that some people cared enough to help her when she needed it most. But we like to think of ourselves as the lucky ones to have had the opportunity to capture her, show her love and receive that love in return. Snowball, you taught us a lot and we helped you learn many things in return. But we lived a great life together. We couldn't have asked for a better addition to our family and our home is not the same without you. We love you. Until we meet again...
Monty and Sheri

It saddens my heart to inform you of the loss f our beloved Fritz (f/k/a Ranger) on Monday, September 13.  From the first day he came into our lies in Sept. 2010, he formed a bond with me only a dog owner can understand.  He remained that way until the end.  Through all of these years, there are too many memories to list.  Since my retirement a couple of years ago, our bond has gotten even closer spending almost every part of the day together along with our other MAGSR dog Heidi.  Starting everyday off with breakfast outside on he patio.  Coffee and your dogs, what better way to start your day.  Your loss will be felt for a long time but I know I’ll see you across he Bridge.  Until then, good bye my friend.   Jay S. Thomas