Dawson
GSRNE #514
1/18/2017 – 1/12/2020   

Click for more photos of Dawson
Password: Dawson

Dawson was a quiet boy. He would go about his day either chewing his bone or carrying his squeaky toy long ball.

He was slow to trust, but then bonded very deeply with those in his circle.

He liked to sit with you close by and kept an eye on you, in case you should get up and move into another room. He would pick up his toy and follow to settle in again.

He liked his blanket over a dog bed at night. He would fold the bed to the side and use it as a platform for his bone.

He liked to walk through water, as opposed to swimming in it. And he would have spurts of puppy pleasure runs with his doggy friends.

He liked his daily brushing and never skipped a meal.

Rest in peace, dear Dawson, we’ll see you at the Bridge.

See Dawson’s original bio page: https://gsrne.org/dog-bios/dawson/

Eli
GSRNE #216
2006 – 7/14/2020   

Click for more photos of Eli
Password: Elijah

It is with the saddest of hearts that we inform you, Eli (GSRNE #216) passed away yesterday at the age of 13 1/2. We adopted him from GSRNE when he was 8 months old. He was a spirited, incredibly loving dog who could be quite goofy at times. He loved to chase the rabbits and squirrels in our yard, play fetch, go for walks, eat cookies, and he would snuggle endlessly. He liked peanut butter, chicken and any human crunchy snack that would fall to the floor. He loved to play the “goalie” position for our indoor soccer game in the winter, run the “zoomies” in our upstairs hallway, and roll in the sunshine on the grass on a warm day. He was always good for kisses. He will be sorely missed. We are so grateful to GSRNE for bringing this lovely boy into our lives.

We will never forget the love and joy he gave us. Rest in peace, Eli.

Willi
GSRNE #499
2/14/2009 – 6/2020   

It is with sad and heavy hearts that we had to say goodbye to our very sweet boy, Willi. It took us by surprise and it hit us hard. We had come to nickname him “Brother,” as he and Magnum were often causing mischief together, like good brothers do. Their morning wrestling matches were a ritual that both enjoyed tremendously, although the overturned chairs, dishes, and humans weren’t always thrilled about them.

Although we only had him in our lives for a short period, he brought us and his brother much happiness and joy. He was doing fine, except for his back end suffering from DM, just like his brother. However, what was most likely an aggressive, fast-moving cancer overtook him. Although it was a sudden shock for us, we are comforted in knowing that he did not suffer. He was his lovable and trouble-making self right up to the end. We know he’s somewhere waiting to chase his brother once again and grab his back leg (more or less gently) in his teeth. To watch them both together was always a joy. We miss him terribly, as does Magnum.

Date Adopted: 6/24/2018

Willi came to GSRNE outside of the usual procedure. We first met him and his owner at a Santa Photo event at Petco and noticed Willi’s calm, gentle nature. His owner is in the military and volunteered to help GSRNE while in this area. Eighteen months later, he had to move on and was not able to have Willi go with him, so one of our GSRNE families offered to become a temporary foster home. This is not something we can normally do, but their male GSD, Magnum, was fine with having Willi’s company. It has worked out so well, that the owner asked the foster family if they would like to adopt Willi, who is now 9 years old, because he is still not able to have Willi with him on deployment. He has been visiting Willi every few months and could see that Willi feels very much at home where he is. So, at the Picnic, we signed the Adoption Contract that gave Willi his GSRNE number, 499, and confirmed that he is in his forever home. We are very happy that we were here for Willi, for his owner and for his and Magnum’s forever family!

Dakota
GSRNE #295
2009 – 2/7/2020

With the heaviest of hearts, we said goodbye to Dakota (GSRNE #295) on Friday morning, just shy of ten years after he first came to us as a foster dog in April 2010.

Dakota had been found at 6-9 months old, wandering the streets of Lynn, Massachusetts in the rain, with no chip and no tags, by a woman with a dog of her own, five cats, and a tiny apartment. No one claimed him, and he stayed with her for another 6-9 months. She named him, lightly trained him and very effectively housebroke him, and nurtured his calm but exuberant personality. When Dakota became too large and rambunctious for her living situation, she called GSRNE. We fostered Dakota, and what impressed us about him, in addition to his beauty, was his outgoing nature, his confidence (which, until GSRNE sponsored his neutering, could have veered into overconfidence and dominance), and his acute intelligence. Within days, we knew that we wanted to make him part of our family and were thrilled when our adoption application was approved. What followed was almost ten amazing years in which Dakota became a constant companion (I work from a home office) and seamless part of our lives. Appropriately protective, yes, but also very sociable and collegial with people and other dogs. Dakota loved the dog park and would specifically ask me to walk him there every afternoon. A woman with a Border Collie pup came up to me one day and said, “You know, I was bitten by a German shepherd when I was a little girl, and I’ve been terrified of them all my life. Until I met Dakota.” She became one of his dog-sitters.

Dakota was blessed with good health. He did have a benign mast-cell tumor removed from his neck in 2013. In late 2018, his hind quarters showed signs of weakness; we feared DM but the vet ruled it out and diagnosed a pinched nerve in his lower spine. Acupuncture, mild pain meds and cold laser therapy worked wonders. But about six weeks ago, he began to show signs of decline. His back end was weaker and he had intermittent spells of loss of appetite, then gastro issues and incontinence. Nothing abnormal showed up on his tests, and he always rallied from these spells. But about two weeks ago, we noticed swelling in his abdomen, which turned out to be blood from a hemangiosarcoma which originated in his spleen and spread to his liver. For almost a week, Dakota responded well to the Yunnan Baiyao herbal supplement prescribed by our veterinarian. He had five good days after diagnosis: appetite, energy, play drive, keenness. Then came the downturn, which could not be arrested.

Like all GSDs, Dakota had a large and unique personality. He combined the best qualities of all the German shepherds in my life who have come before. Although we were companions, not police or military, we had a tremendous partnership, always making eye contact and communicating through our expressions, body language, unspoken behaviors and vocalization. He taught me things that reinforce important qualities like loyalty, persistence, love, commitment and playfulness. A dog who had been thrown away as a puppy in many ways rescued me.

Rest in peace, dear friend.

Adopted: June 9, 2010

Click for more photos of Dakota
Password: Dakota