In Memory of Lexi 08-10

Lexi initially entered GRRIN in March of 2008 when she was 6 years old. Her calm demeanor and gentle soul immediately made an impact on Stacy and Bryan. It became obvious to everyone that she would make a great addition to their family. She quickly fell in step with their routine as they soon welcomed their third daughter. Lexi watched over the girls like a “stepmom”.

In early summer of 2009, Lexi started limping, and her vet gave her some shots and pills to help alleviate the pain and reduce inflammation. They thought that she might have strained a ligament because she bounced back to her normal self in 1-2 days. In September of 2009, Lexi started limping again, and within 3 days she couldn’t walk.

Due to an extreme financial hardship resulting from the recent cancer treatment of their other dog, Stacy and Bryan reached out to GRRIN for assistance. We coordinated an examination with X-rays at the vet, and a subsequent consultation with the Midwest Vet Specialty Hospital. Lexi’s diagnosis revealed that she had spinal issues that were unlikely to improve with surgery. The decision was made to release her from her discomfort and help her cross the Rainbow Bridge. Stacy and Bryan were by her side to let her know that she was loved.

Lexi’s ashes are spread in a grassy pasture where Golden Retrievers regularly run and play, an appropriate resting place for a sweet girl with a sunny disposition. She’ll always be remembered fondly by everyone who was lucky enough to know her.

In Loving Memory of Rivers 08-50

We met her at a park in Lincoln and instantly fell in love. She had beautiful blonde hair and was definitely turning heads in the crowd. When we finally reached the family that she was with, we introduced ourselves and asked for a little of her time, and she walked away with us for a little one on one. It was love at first sight for us and we could only hope it was for her also!

We spent about an hour or so with her that day and that was the beginning of a wonderful relationship. The beginning of our new family. We could not take her home that day, so we had to wait and make sure that her foster parents (the Kujath’s) liked us and when we got that call, we jumped in the truck and drove the 2 ½ hours to her foster home to bring her home.

Her name was Chloe, but we decided to name her Rivers which was a name we decided on from the lovely couple that did our home visit, the Tinders. Their dog’s name was Rivers and was a delight to have in our home. Our Rivers lived up to this name.

She was a perfect sweetheart from day one. She loved her walks and would let me know if I missed one. One of her favorite things to do was to make snow angels! No matter how deep the snow, she was out rolling in the snow and making her angels. Even when there was no snow she would try to do this in the grass and it would be worn down in patches where she had made them. She even made dog lovers out of family members of ours who didn’t care for dogs before they met her. They said she was just different from most dogs and we totally agree! She had a very sweet and soft demeanor about her and knew when to leave people alone and when to lean in for more.

In March of 2009, we started noticing some problems with her and thought they were just a simple UTI. We had her treated for a few months and things were not responding, so x-rays and ultrasounds were done. To our devastation, they found a cancerous tumor. We talked to Dr Dimari and he decided to remove the tumor. The surgery went great except our goofy little girl decided to be one of those rare ones and be allergic to the normal material they use for sutures, so, they had to go back in and take out all of the previous ones and use a special material and she healed just GREAT!

The next year was wonderful and we had no problems. We went to many GRRIN events, the dog park was a regular stop on our routine and she went with me just about everywhere I could take her! My family got used to seeing Rivers with me all the time, we were pretty much a team.

In May of this year, almost a year to the date of the previous diagnosis, Rivers stopped eating and having regular bowel movements. I took her to see Dr Dimari and after ruling out minor things, he did x-rays and ultrasounds and found that the cancer was back but in a different place and not encapsulated like it was before.

There was no way to tell how much time we would have but we made it the best we could for her. All the extra treats she never had before she now had. She decided one day to reach up in the front seat of the car and treat herself to my ice cream cone! She even made an appearance at “Bandana Days” just 2 days before we lost her and she was happy and playing with the other dogs.

On Monday June 7th, she seemed fine, but that evening she started having irregular breathing. We spoke to Dr Dimari a few times that night and by the time we knew it was time, we agreed to meet at Harvey Oaks and we brought our baby girl in and Dr Dimari said she was very close. She took just a few final breaths and crossed over “the Rainbow Bridge.”

About 2 weeks before Rivers passed away, she started growing these little “tufts” of hair on her shoulder blades and when the wind caught them, they looked like angel wings. My husband was the first to notice them and pointed them out to me and said, “ Look, I think she is growing her wings!” I have no doubt in my mind that Rivers will be there waiting for us when we pass away!

We love you baby girl!

In Memory of Duke 02-38

“Loved and missed by Laurie, John, and kids.”

In Memory of CJ 07-21

We got CJ in Aug, 1995. He was 4 mos old. He was part of a litter brought to my children’s summer camp to be given away. My daughter wanted CJ’s sister, but she was already gone. That was ok, because CJ was my favorite of the litter. CJ was smart. Sometimes too smart for his own good. It didn’t take long for CJ & I to develop our own way of communicating. My family teased me that CJ didn’t really understand, but I knew and eventually the rest of the family agreed that CJ did understand.
CJ became a part of our family like a brand new baby. He became spoiled like a baby, too. The kids would feed him food (mostly vegetables) from the table. Dad would fry up fat trimmed from steaks. And, mom gave him plates to lick. CJ loved to play w/ his balls or rope toys. He also loved to have his head and his belly rubbed. If he didn’t feel like he was getting enough attention he would let you know. CJ loved the snow. He loved to eat it and play in it, especially while it was coming down.
CJ hurt his back when he was about 8 or 9 years old. This resulted in a weakness in his back right leg. This didn’t stop him, though. He would run and jump and try to climb trees. He was determined to catch one of the many squirrels and birds he saw.
In April, 2007 we had to give CJ away due to medical problems w/ my husband. That was very difficult. It was like giving away a child. Fortunately, we were able to give him to GRRIN. We were assured that he was in good hands. And, we knew he was. CJ was 12 when he was surrendered. Unfortunately, most seniors aren’t very adoptable. CJ was an only dog at home, and he thought it was his job at his foster home to guard the bucket of toys. He soon found out that was not the case. CJ had 2 foster moms. The first one had to move out of state and couldn’t take CJ w/ her. So, he got a new mom. CJ got along w/ her dog, but didn’t like strange dogs. This meant he wasn’t able to go to a lot of the GRRIN events. CJ lived w/ his 2nd mom until he died.
On Oct 27, 2007, at the young age of 14, CJ became weak and unable to move. CJ’s foster mom and the vet decided it was CJ’s time to go. CJ’s dad passed away in Sept, and now he has his ol’ buddy up there to keep him company. Some people question whether dogs go to Heaven or not. I believe they do, because a dog loves and forgives unconditionally. I know some day I’ll get to see my CJ bud again!

I would like to thank GRRIN and especially the families who took CJ in and cared for him. I am so grateful that he had somebody to love him up until the end.

In Memory of Bubba 07-25

My Angel Bubba 07-25

My first foster failure left for the bridge on Dec 18th at 10:30 am. It was a short bout with cancer. My wonderful goofy boy was not himself for about a week or so before he stopped eating all together.
When I took him in we thought it was just a type of intestinal infection and tried treating with antiboditics.
But he wasn’t getting any better so we did an ultra sound and found he had cancer in his liver.
I found out on Wednesday and the decision was made to release him from his pain on Friday.
Bubba made me smile every single day. I was amazed at his vocabulary and all the things he knew how to do. Bubba was Buddy when he arrived at my home but never answered to that name so I just called him
Bubba and he seemed to take to that name, so Bubba he became. This wonderful boy was a big fat mess at 108 lbs but when I saw his sugar face it was love at first sight when I picked him up to just be an emergency foster his fate was sealed and he became a permanent member of the golden gang.

Bubba, when he first came to my house as a fat boy!

Well the boy lost 30 lbs and was on Thyroid meds and he acted like a pup playing with my 3 year old wild child golden Luna. Bubba would carry my groceries for me or anything else that I had in my hand that he thought I need help with. He could sit up, speak, sit in a bar stool chair, crawl, play dead, roll over and was the best snuggler.
I miss him more that I can say .He loved our walks and never seem to want to run off. He was picked up as a stray 3 times and the last time the people that owned him had a disconnected phone and the house was vacant. Their loss my gain! People say that it was me who gave him a second chance at happiness but it was he who made my life brighter. When Bubba left he took a piece of my heart and the light that always seemed to shine when I get home is a little dimmer now. I was lucky to have enjoyed my wonderful boy for 2 ½ years. An eternity for a dog but just a flash for me. He was truly loved and will be missed by Carol,
Cozmo, Michael, Luna, and Clarence the cat. Clarence thinks hes a golden so we aren’t telling him any different.

This was sent by another friend who lost her dog right before I lost my Sweet Bubba.

Toby Keith, Cryin for Me (Wayman’s Song)

Sorry you missed me
Ill get back with you as soon as I can
Thank you and god bless

Got the news on Friday mornin
But a tear I couldnt find
You showed me how Im supposed to live
And now you showed me how to die
I was lost till Sunday mornin
I woke up to face my fear
While I’m writing you this goodbye song
I found a tear

Im gonna miss that smile
Im gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
Id do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you wana be
Im not crying because I feel so sorry for you
Im crying for me

I got up and dialed your number
And your voice came on the line
That old familiar message
I heard a thousand times it just said
Sorry that I missed you
Leave a message and god bless
I know you think Im crazy
But I had to hear your voice again

Im gonna miss that smile
Im gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
Id do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you wana be
Im not crying because I feel so sorry for you
Im crying for me

So play your upside-down, left handed
Backwards base guitar
And Ill see you on the other side
Superstar

Im gonna miss that smile
Im gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
Id do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
Cause thats right where you wana be
Im not crying because I feel so sorry for you
Im crying for me

Im still crying
Im crying for me
Im still crying

In Memory of Raleigh 08-31 Foster

Raleigh came to our home in 2008 as a foster dog. He was 12 years old and lived with us for 14 months. He was so easy-going and entertaining. He had many of the typical Golden characteristics, but Raleigh’s particular mix made him unique.

Raleigh loved playing with his toys with remarkable zeal. He especially liked his tennis ball. As the months passed, he became more Golden and less Retriever. Fetch became catch. He played just as hard, but it was easier on his joints.

He won First Prize, Senior Dog, at a 2008 Halloween Costume Party at Kenl-Inn. What a load of wonderful prizes!

At a dog show in Lincoln, he decided to lie down on the platform — and stay there! Usually agreeable, he wouldn’t budge! The crowd had a good laugh. Typical Raleigh.

He was a friend to anyone who would pet him. He’d lie down once the petting was underway. I laughed at his odd mix of playtime and naptime enthusiasms.

Raleigh’s zest for life was top-notch! He was a happy, sweet dog with a lovable and friendly spirit. Raleigh suffered acutely from arthritis, and he slipped and stumbled. He licked hot spots, his vision was poor, he slobbered, he snored loudly and his body slowed him down. He didn’t mind! You would not know his age by his attitude and his effort!

Unlike any other morning, he awoke and his hind legs betrayed his desires. Our gracious veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Hiebner, came to our home to help Raleigh make his trip on the Rainbow Bridge. It was August 2009, and he was 2 months shy of 14 years old.

Judy R., a fellow GRRIN volunteer, shared these words with me:
Raleigh was the epitome of a Golden, playful, gentle, trusting…We can all take a lesson. He didn’t let age keep him from enjoying life!

Susie, Patricia and the cats, Rocky and Charlie

In Memory of Rex 99-01

Dear GRRIN,

We wanted to inform you of the passing of Rex (99-01) on October 23, 2009. I got Rex in the spring of 1999 and he became a very dear member of our family for the past 11 years. Having just recently graduated from college at the time, I had purchased a home in my old neighborhood, living near to my parents place. I had never had a pet of my own, but had always wanted a one, so I decided to pursue an adoption from GRRIN. Katie Burks and another volunteer helped me to match me up with Rex.

Me and the friends who were my roommates at the time welcomed Rex into our home becoming one of the guys. Rex always loved attention, but was very well-behaved, never getting on the furniture or making much of a mess in the house. If he had a flaw, it was that he did shed quite a bit, which was a major complaint of the previous owners who surrendered him to GRRIN. For me, it was just a small price to pay for the great friendship and love that he shared with us for 11 years. Rex did have a thing for thunderstorms, especially at night. Still, I did manage to figure out that if he hung out on the bathroom floor with the lights on, it would help calm him enough that he would relax. Unfortunately this fear did equate into a fear of flash cameras. I usually had to trick Rex into getting his picture taken, since he would run from the sound of turning a digital camera on. With the advent of camera cell phones I was able to get more pictures of him, but for the majority of his life, pictures of Rex were a rare, but much treasured treat and keepsake.

During that time, my dad would come over often to tend the large garden we had in my back yard in his retirement. From my dad’s frequent visits, Rex and he became best friends, essentially becoming Rex’s “Grandpa”. Like most grandpas, dad would dote on Rex by spoiling him with people food treats even if I didn’t necessarily condone it. Oddly, his favorite people food treat was apples that my dad would cut up and share with him on the back porch or put in his food bowl. My dad also loved grooming Rex and brushing his teeth, probably to the point of overdoing it, but Rex would just proudly sit get pampered by Grandpa. My dad also loved taking Rex on a lot of extra walks through the neighborhood helping him to stay happy, fit and content. Rex being the smart boy he was, would often be let loose a block away from the house. You would always find him waiting patiently on the steps.

In 2003, I met my wife Debra and she became a part the family, eventually becoming a doting mother to Rex. She would spend gobs of time laying or sitting on the floor playing and loving on Rex. There were times when I wondered if we were dating just so she could love on Rex. Debra did enjoy a feeling of safety from having Rex in the house. Rex was a very vigorous barker whenever someone approached the house doors.

2005 proved to be a transitional year for our family and Rex. Debra and I were married that year. Rex proved to be a very cordial host when we had family visiting. Later that year, we lost my dad and I received a promotion at work that resulted in my moving from Lincoln to North Platte. All during this time, Rex proved to be a loyal and invaluable companion for Debra since I had to commute between Lincoln and North Platte all week for the first 4 months of 2006. Finally in the spring of 2006, we were able to move permanently to North Platte. During this time, he took everything in stride. Rex grew old in our North Platte home; getting to run around in the huge fields at North Platte High School on walks and trips out to Lake Maloney to see the beach. Oddly enough, on these trips, he never had any desire to get wet swimming in the lake.

Rex definitely slowed in his last year, but even as a 14yr old, he was still quite spry, running up and down the stairs, even though he would, sometimes, slide uncontrollably on our wood floors. During this time, he had a few extra trips to the vet, but had always managed to bounce back to his happy self. Still during the last few weeks we noticed that he was having more and more problems going up and down the stairs. Because of this, we began to limit his activities to the main floor of our home. Finally we noticed that he would spend inordinate amounts of time attempting to pee without really producing urine. It got to the point that he would strain his old hind legs enough that it was starting to affect his ability to walk. At this point, we had the vet check him out again and found out that he had a large growth in his bladder. From this, we and our vet decided that it was time for Rex to rest. Our vet handled the work with professionalism and compassion. Rex went very peacefully. Debra and I take comfort in know that Rex is now reunited with Grandpa and is probably enjoying some apples and some quality time in the garden with him.

Thanks again to GRRIN for providing us with the opportunity to have Rex in our family. It is so immeasurable the joy you helped us and Rex achieve. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Noel & Debra Salac
North Platte, NE

p.s. Sorry, this seems a little long, but there was a lot to say about the 11 years we had with Rex.

In Memory of Jesse and Ginger

“Just a Dog” by Lisa J. Guill 1/7/10
Some will say it was just a dog, it was just a family pet
Others might even wonder why, for the grief they just don’t get
I feel sorry for those that don’t understand the love of a best friend,
One that is trusting, devoted, and kind, one that depends on you til the end

As a child it was Mitzi on the farm, then Casey when first on my own,
But Dad found a special one, I named Zach, to be with me living alone.
After Zach’s death, I rescued Jesse and Ginger, and they rescued me
Little did I know how special those two beautiful Goldens would be

Jesse had been abandoned, left to starve, to die out in the cold
And the only person Ginger had known gave her up after she was 6 years old.
They were unsure at first, not knowing what their new life would bring
But slowly they learned to trust and quickly Jesse became the King,

Ginger was the little princess, with lots of energy and spunk
and if you did not cover the trash cans she loved to play in the junk.
They grew together, quickly became best friends and claimed their space
Before too long it was Ginger that asserted herself as the ruler of the place
She decided when it was time for a treat, when it was time to go out
then Jesse would watch her, take her lead, and follow her about

The walks in the neighborhood side by side was a part of their daily routine
They strutted and pranced with elegance and grace hoping to be seen
Those passing by would smile and take a another glance
at the two special Goldens that got a second chance

Ginger broke her leg, and bone cancer was the probable reason
so she lost her life unexpectedly in the prime of her fall season
Before she left, she wagged her tail and gave me a kiss on the cheek
as if to say it’s ok, and thank you for giving me all the love I did seek

Jesse missed her terribly and was quiet but stayed proud
then not too long after Ginger’s death another dark cloud
Jesse was getting weak and they found a tumor on his heart
I have to wonder if his missing Ginger played a sad, lonely part.

Jesse had several good weeks and even took some short walks
but eventually he got so weak that we resorted to good talks
I think he wanted to find Ginger but yet also wanted to stay
so in the end we let him go and prayed he would find his way

So to those that say their just a dog or just a family pet
don’t judge something you obviously don’t understand and never will get
You will never know the love from a dog that is devoted til the very end ,
one that will give you more back than you ever gave to them.

In Memory of George

~George, Bill, Nicole and Chloe~

~Bill and George~

My name is Bill, and George was my buddy for the past 2 years.

Regretfully and very heartbroken, I’m send this letter to everyone in the GRRIN organization to inform them that George is no longer with us. His demons finally got the best of him.

I remember seeing George on the GRRIN web site about 4 or 5 years ago and thought what a great Golden he would be for me, but I traveled too much for work to get a pet. Then a few years later the traveling stopped and I was ready for a Golden. About the same time, GRRIN sent an urgent email asking for help with an old senior – George.

I picked up George from Dan and Cheryl (foster parents) on a Thursday evening in September, and he came home to his new forever home. It took about 3 or 4 weeks for George to get settled in to the routine, but once he figured it out, he was perfect.

I went everywhere with George: my parents, my friends, down to the range, even out shopping. He loved to go for rides. If it wasn’t too cold or too hot, George was going with me. We even went on vacation to Bella Vista, Arkansas and went for a couple of boat rides. It was the greatest trip for him – 6 hours in the front seat. He loved every minute of the vacation. He played with a couple of other GRRIN buddies, Toby and Razzi down there.

Dinner (food!!) was always a big moment for George, he would jump, bark, ran around. It was so funny to watch him eat; food was like a new adventure every time. His enthusiasm for food never faded.

Last June, I meet Nicole (now my wife) at work. We dated and got engaged in a short time frame, but she had a chocolate Lab (Chloe) and two cats (Miles and Zipper). As Nicole and I were planning our future together, I was concerned about George and living with another dog and cats. When I got George from GRRIN, they said he would “eat cats”, so this concerned me.

Nicole and I did several meet and greets with Chloe and the two cats. Chloe and George were a perfect match. They were girlfriend and boyfriend, they played, they rolled around, they slept right by each other. As for the cats, it took a few times, but George warmed up to the two and they lived happily together.

George couldn’t have wanted anything else, everyday grandpa would come over and visit with George, Chloe, and the cats. It was a great life for the “old man” of the house.

His last two years were absolutely wonderful.

But….
From time to time, his seizures would act up and then would go away. As time went on his seizures ended up getting worse and worse. He would go after his behind, and as a result he would catch his tail. On several occasions he’d tore his tail up pretty good. As a result of this haunting he was experiencing, he had bitten my wife Nicole, Grandpa Jim, and myself.

At nights, he really had a difficult time. George was almost unable to relax and sleep through the whole night. He would growl and go after his back side in the dark. He wouldn’t get to sleep; he was up at 1a.m. and 4a.m. We tried meds for pain, to relax him, and other things, but there was something going on in his head and we will never know what. I would even lay with him on the floor at nights hoping he could feel safe, but not even me there to protect him could ease what was going on.

It would break our hearts to see him like this, because there was nothing we could do to calm him down. We were in question about having children coming over during the wedding. We didn’t know when he would have a bad moment or if the cats were safe.

On, April 15th, we took George in to go to the Rainbow Bridge.

~Chloe and George~

In Memory of Jacob 04-10

Jacob came to us as a 5-year-old foster dog in the summer of 2004, and we adopted him a week later. As my husband said, once Jacob met me he had no intention of being adopted by anyone else. We are forever grateful that he chose us. Jacob moved with us to Colorado Springs in April of 2006. He loved treats, being petted, and romping around the Rockies. He was at my side like velcro from the day he walked into our home. Sadly, Jacob crossed over the bridge on June 10 at the age of 10.5 years old. Our hearts are broken over his absence. We thank GRRIN and everyone involved with bringing him into our lives.

The Hartmanns