Jackson

At the age of 10 years old, Jackson was relinquished to our rescue by his family after having a child.  He was diagnosed off the bat with a bad ear infection, urinary tract infection and giardia.  But we knew there was something else wrong with him.  After many vet visits and tests it was determined that along with bad arthritis and hip dysplasia he suffered from Cushings Disease which caused him to constantly be hungry, drink and pee excessively, be lethargic and experience major muscle wasting.  He had just started on medication for the cushings when...

On December 20, 2010 Jackson bloated in the middle of the night.  We rushed him to the emergency vet but it was too late, his stomach had already twisted and surgery was out of the question.  He was humanely euthanized at 4:00 a.m. that morning.

He was a very sweet boy who was real easy to be around.  Never caused any trouble (unless food was involved), was gentle and kind to everyone he met.

Jackson at the Pumpkin Sling  Jackson in his younger days 

Rudi

We first met Rudi (and his sister Sophie) a couple months after our beloved Weim Frieda died. We weren’t ready for another dog, but my husband’s coworker told him about a newspaper ad “Weimaraner Free to a Good Home.” It was shortly after 9/11 and I thought….. what are we waiting for? Turns out there were TWO Weimaraners, both 4.5 y/o. We weren’t the first to apply, but it was love at first sight for all of us.

Rudi always looked to Sophie to give the OK. He was unsure of new surroundings and events, but laid-back and so willing to please. He was truly a good boy. When he was 9, he tore his ACL and I used a brace instead of surgery to heal him. No long walks, limited movement in the house, leash-only potty breaks, me fumbling with the brace and strapping and subsequently with physical therapy. Rudi never once complained. We became even more closely bonded. All Rudi wanted to do was please me. And he succeeded.

We called him Thumper and “the ever-wagging Rudi” because from the first thing in the morning to the last at night, his tail never stopped. He was so happy to be with us. Such a sweet, quiet boy. Perhaps a tad lazy. He had the cutest habit of watching everyone’s actions while lying on his cushion, moving only his eyes as if moving his head would be too much trouble! LOL He let Sophie do most of his bidding, but once he was sure there was good food being handed out, he was real quick to move off his comfy cushion! Rudi had a deep cavity in his chest where I’d bury my nose and kiss him as he sat on the sofa before curling up to sleep for the night. Rudi even smelled sweet!

He turned 13 on 1/30/10 and was in great shape and great health, we thought. In March he developed a cough and an X-ray showed a growth in his lung, confirmed by an internist and oncologist to be advanced lung cancer. But he still had a lot of lung power left, and I thought we would have several months together. Late in April while walking from room to room, he fell and couldn’t rise. We had a vet come to the house. Even as he was being supported to be examined, Rudi was SO happy to be standing again, his tail wagged in glee. Unfortunately, his thigh bone was broken. The cancer probably had started there and traveled to the lung. We never knew - Rudi never showed any signs of weakness or pain. The leg could not be repaired; we made the heart-wrenching decision to put him to sleep… in the sun on a sofa he loved, with sister Sophie nearby, and engulfed in the love we had given him for 9.years. He was a good boy right to the end. Our ever-wagging Rudi. I whispered not to be afraid, he wasn’t alone and Frieda would greet him at the Rainbow Bridge. I know some day Rudi will be there to meet Sophie and they will be together again. Forever.

Here’s Rudi snuggled on Sophie rump shortly after they came to live with us. Inseparable. The other photo was taken a month before he died, after the oncologist’s diagnosis. Poor Rudi was so agitated his ears and eyes were beet red. My 13.25 y/o baby.

We miss you so much, Rudi, and will always love you.

Mommy, Daddy, and Sophie

Hurrikane

Hurrikane was so, so sweet, amazing and immediately loved by all she came in contact with.  Even though her first 10 or 11 years were less than good, when I brought her into my home she just wanted to please and be loved.  That's exactly what she did.  At 11 years old and deaf, she learned how to sit and shake before she got her treats.  She was the best friend that I, and my other dog Zoe, could ask for.  She loved to snuggle and became a part of the family immediately.  When she was being spayed they found a small malignant tumor that was removed.  She was fine until 9 months later when I found another tumor and this time she had a mastectomy which turned out to be malignant as well.  She was doing fine for the next three months until she developed a cough, at which time chest x-rays showed advanced lung cancer.   I was devastated and immediately burst into tears.  When Hurrikane saw me crying she got a look on her face as if I was upset with her when actually I was upset for her.  I knew I had to be strong for her sake.  She was slowly giving up dog food and had me cooking for her.  She was so spoiled.  She put up a good fight - still got that tail wagging the second she woke up, when she saw her leash, when she knew we were going for a car ride or a short, slow walk.  She still loved to snuggle.  Unfortunately, less than 2 weeks later it became to difficult for her to lie on her side or to breathe and she stopped eating.  The day I took her for her last ride Zoe must have known, because the 3 of us always went everywhere together, because she didn't want to come with us.  Hurrikane and I stopped at the fence before we got into the car and she and Zoe rubbed noses and kissed between the fence as if to say good-bye.  When I spread her comforter on the floor at the vet's office, the same one I had gotten for her just 14 months before that, she didn't want to lie down on it.  She looked at me with such tired eyes, I hugged her, told her she was so good and that it was going to be okay.  She sat down on her comforter and less than a minute later she slowly collapsed into my arms and at that point I knew my friend, my beloved Hurrikane that just wanted please and be loved, was gone.  I sobbed and sobbed and would have done anything to bring her back.  If only we would have had more time together - but I guess it's never long enough.  Someone once told me the goal of a foster dog is to give them the best home for their remainder of their time here.  Hurrikane, I miss you and love you and would do anything to bring you back.  Hope you are up there with my other Weims having a good time in good health.  Love Mommy and Zoe 

Our Sweet Miranda

It is hard to believe that more than six months have gone by since we lost you.  It was Saturday night, September 6, 2009.  Was it a stroke, a blood clot, a seizure?  Don't know exactly what it was but we had to do the right thing.  We were devastated.  We are still in mourning over her loss.  We still cannot make up our minds about what to do next.  She was so precious, so lovable, so loyal.

She still lives on in our memories, memories filled with good thoughts about how sweet she was and how she could get into things if left alone for too long a period of time.  We adopted Miranda when our son moved to New York and found out he was unable to keep her.  That was ten years ago.  We were indeed blessed to have her for those ten years.

Sadly missed - Bill & Helen

Riley (formerly Shelby) Says Goodbye

This strange looking weim is in fact a purebred weimaraner with hound markings.  She was taken in from a family who could no longer care for her.  She had a history of seizures and was overweight.  As you can see Sue and her family got her back on track and down to a nice healthy size.  However, just a few years after they brought her into their home, it was time to say goodbye.  I would like to share with you the email I received from Riley's forever family. 

1/6/10 - "I just wanted to let you know that Riley passed away last night.  We battled her epilepsy for two years – traditional western medicine with pheno barb and potassium bromide, eastern medicine with acupuncture and herbs, and special diets.  Gradually the frequency of the seizures increased to biweekly and would continue for a couple of days.  I knew her time was running out, but the good days in-between seizures still outnumbered the bad ones. 

Her last seizure, Monday night, was awful and I couldn’t put her through it anymore.  Usually after having a few seizures she would pace and pace and pace, rest, then pace some more.  Monday’s seizure was different – she was so agitated she was almost frantic.  I held her leash while she ran in blind circles around me.  I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if she’d been alone. 

Tuesday night I brought her to the vet.  We sat together on the blanketed floor of a side room while we waited for our turn.  Riley curled up against me and fell asleep while I held her and told her how much I loved her.  When the vet came in with the medicine she barely woke up.  I believe Riley knew it was time and was ready, but I miss my friend so much. 

Thank you for giving Riley, and so many other weims, a second chance.  I loved her dearly and it was a privilege to have shared her life, even if it was only for a few years.  I hope that someday there will be another rescue weimaraner sharing my home."

Sue