Champ
GSRNE #287
2007 – 1/6/2017
(Adopted in March 2010)
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I tell you that we said goodbye to Champ yesterday. His condition with DM had continued to deteriorate since June. The last few weeks, we knew we were nearing the end as we noticed Champ’s condition changing, and we knew it was time. He is at peace now.
We have been blessed to share Champ’s journey over this last 6+ years of his life, and to be able to give him the life he so deserved after being rescued from the streets of Chelmsford, MA. We have also been blessed to have come to know so many wonderful folks through GSRNE and become part of the stories that give all of us hope for these wonderful dogs that we all love. We know Champ touched so many lives as he did ours throughout his journey.
“We have had a wonderful year with her. She has had lots of fun from enjoying doggie ice cream, going to the beach, camping and climbing on rocks in the river. She also loves to snuggle with our cat. They get along wonderfully. She amazes us every day with her very vocal and quirky personality. She loves walk, rides in the car. Say the word “ride” and she is waiting by the door talking to us. I actually said to my husband this morning, I can not even imagine ever having a dog other than a German Shepherd. Gretchen loves to sit either snuggled up next to us on the couch or actually on our lap. Every morning she watches out the front window as the kids wait for the bus and she does not move from the window until they get on the bus. I could go on and on about Gretchen. She is a beautiful girl and we love her more every day.”
I write with the sad news of Mona’s passing. She had a wonderful life with me, my only complaint was that it was only five years–way too short a time to spend with such a sweet girl. She and I had many medical challenges over her last 15 months, but we also had many joys. It was very sad to let her go.
We just heard from Chloe’s adopters and we’re thrilled to hear that her life has been one big adventure!
“We cannot thank GSRNE enough for bringing Chloe into our lives. She is just the most wonderful dog anyone could ever want. She goes everywhere with us. We recently took her on a very long road trip – 7,000 miles !!! Our main destination was Best Friends Animal Sanctuary where Chloe was a participant in the Strut Your Mutt fund raiser. We explored all over Colorado, Utah, Mexico and Oklahoma while Chloe made friends everywhere. We have attached a photo of Chloe resting at the amphitheater in the sanctuary after the walk. She, as usual, was on her best behavior the entire time.
We happily spread the word to all about GSRNE. We cannot thank all of the volunteers, and especially you for all the hard work that goes into this successful and wonderful organization.
Update on 1/28/2017
Chloe’s mom says “Chloe is doing much better. We are still trying to adjust her diet, and find what she can and cannot tolerate… not an easy thing as one day she is perfect another not so much. However, the Pepcid a day which the doctor suggested seems to help a lot. “
Update on 07/21/2016
Chloe’s parents LOVE HER, and she is loving her new home. As a matter of fact, she is in New Hampshire right now. Her parents thought she could use a little vacation, and sent GSRNE a photo of her on our pontoon boat.
Chloe’s parents introduced her to the boat which she seems to love, and then they will try the life preserver and a boat ride eventually.
Adopted: July 7, 2016
Biography:
Life was good for Chloe for most of her first five years; she lived with four other dogs and was part of a loving family. Then, on the day before Thanksgiving 2015, their home was destroyed by a fire. Her owners could not find any place to rent that would allow five dogs, so Chloe’s owner paid to board them all while continuing to look for housing. Eventually, he had to place three of the dogs and Chloe and Crystal, both about to turn 6 years old, came into GSRNE; another breed rescue took the other dog, so all are safe.
Chloe is in a foster home with a senior male GSD and gets along well with him. They have a morning routine of going to a local dog park about an hour after breakfast, and the other dogs and people are “regulars” there; the other dogs are older than Chloe and mostly her size. When a small dog arrived and tried to run right up to her, we quickly learned that she needs a slow and gradual introduction to a small dog. Once that had been accomplished, Chloe became comfortable with that dog, too. She has a lot of energy and loves chasing her squeaky tennis ball. At first, she would give up the ball on command so it could be thrown again; but after watching another dog play keep-away, Chloe decided that could be a fun game. Her foster Dad is working with her to remind her she’s supposed to drop the ball when she brings it back.
After the exercise outing, Chloe is content to hang out at home while her foster Dad goes to the gym or does errands. She had to stay in a crate when he wasn’t home, while she was healing from her spay surgery; but she’s fine staying out of the crate now that she’s healed. He said she and his dog do get on the couch when he’s not home, but they know they’re not supposed to and stay on the floor or their dog beds when he’s there.
In the evenings, after playtime in the yard, Chloe will lie on the floor close enough to be touching her foster Dad’s foot; she’s very affectionate, wants to please and loves being with her person. While she gets along with another dog in the home, she would be perfectly happy as an only dog. She walks well on leash and recently did 5 miles with her current family, a friend and another dog. Chloe is ready to move on to her forever home and would love it if her adopter does not have to be away from home for long work days.
Champ has adjusted well and fast.He has an outside ball he grabs the second he goes out and drops it at back door when coming in. He follows his dad and sister every where and loves playing bally. I had my first party with him here on July 4th and he was great. There were about 30-35 people. He would go up and get a pat on head then try and get them to play ball succeeding most of the time. He never attempts to leave yard even when gate is open and I’m putting out trash or when someone drives in. Also very smart seldom have to tell him something twice.
Campy’s original write up:
In mid-June, 2014, this handsome male German Shepherd was spotted running back and forth on a city street, as though looking for something familiar. The ACO was notified and went to pick him up, but he ran away and had to be chased for hours. Once he gave up, she could see that he was too thin, scared and sore from running. She called GSRNE and asked if someone could meet him and evaluate his temperament, because she could see that he would be a handsome and impressive boy and would need an experienced GSD person to call his own.
The shelter workers decided to call him Campy, and a vet estimated his age to be around 4 years; except for needing to gain weight, he was in good health. He passed his temperament evaluation, and our training coordinator worked with him over the summer to teach him to focus on her and learn basic good manners and follow commands. He definitely wanted a job to do and was thriving with the interaction he was getting.
We then moved Campy to a foster home, where he has been living with a female Min-Pin/mix and two cats. He has learned to give the cats their space, and one of them has become pretty comfortable with him. His foster Dad tells us that Campy loves tummy rubs and greets him with a slight whine, like he’s been missed while away at work. He loves to go for walks, the longer the better; in the yard, he wants to race around and play and likes to have something to hold in his mouth. When he lies down at night, he lets all the air out through the flaps of skin around his mouth with a big sigh. He can be reactive to some other dogs when out on leash; his foster Dad has been working on this issue and, also, on helping him become comfortable with visitors to the home.
When he is ready to move on to a home of his own, we would love to introduce him to an approved adopter who has GSD experience, the leadership skills and interest in continuing to work with him and make him a part of his/her daily routine. Please let us know if you’d like to meet Campy!
I had been trying to write this message for a while but kept breaking down. We had to put Lexie down. I felt a lump near her thyroid, and a biopsy revealed an aggressive sarcoma. We went to various specialists and more tests revealed that her lungs were already filled with many large masses–too many to count. The available treatments had a marginal chance of success and terrible side effects, and would only extend her life by a couple weeks to a couple months. The specialists all recommended not treating her at this stage. She was only 10 years old and too young to leave us.
Lexie was just inseparable from her mom in particular. As she got sicker, she was even more attached. I slept downstairs with her so that she wouldn’t have to exert herself. I gave her pain meds every 4 hours, and helped her get as comfortable as possible though the night. We replaced her beds with flatter ones so that it would be easier for her to breath. Between being groggy all the time form the pain meds and the coughing, we made the ultimate decision. It was so hard because when she got up, she was still able to walk and be completely engaged in life. But she couldn’t breathe well when she laid down. Our house is so empty. Our hearts are broken. She was so unlike any other GSD we’ve had. Lexie, may you rest in peace. We will never know “the things you might have done. Only the good die young.”
Adopted: August 6, 2016
Update: 08/25/2016
Lexi (aka Lexus) is doing great! People tell us that she acts like she’s lived here for years. She has so much energy for an 8-year-old dog. She charges up and down all the staircases. And follows us around everywhere with a toy or ball in her mouth.
She loves playing with friends of her own kind. The lab and the golden come up to our door to look for her. Lexi comes to us and barks for us to let her out to play with them. The golden plays ball with her, and the lab gets her to chase him. Everyone gets treats after playtime. And when she goes on walks with her people she meets & greets more dogs and people. She is always so happy and so active. In fact, we just played chase around the kitchen. I am exhausted and hot. She’s smiling and thumping her tail …
Her health is great. The lump on her front paw is completely gone. She’s not scratching and she’s not biting that spot on her tail. Everything has cleared up on her chin. I clean her ears once a week even though they stay clean between cleanings. And she’s not dragging her front paw – her nails
We’ve slowly switched her food to Wellness. The kibble is a little larger than Taste of the Wild kibble so she actually chews it — woohoo!! Feeding her actually actually takes a while because we give her a small handful at a time. This way she’ll chew most of most of the mouthfuls, then look up for more, then get another handful, until it’s all gone. After eating her food and meds, it’s time for a nap.
Lexus original write up:
The adjective most people use when talking about this gentle girl is “sweet.” She goes up to most new people calmly, with her tail wagging, and once she has been given a pat or two, she doesn’t push for more attention. Her foster Mom tells us, “She likes to sit real close to me and have me pat her when I’m sitting at the corner of the sofa watching TV. Eventually, she’ll go on her dog bed for the night.”
Lexus has a collection of tennis balls, and they are kept in a basket in the living room until she picks them out, one at a time, and lies down with them all around her. She has other tennis balls that are supposed to stay outside, but Lexus will try to take one into the house with her when play time is over. She knows the command, “drop it,” though, and will do so just before going through the door. Once inside, she runs to pick up one of her inside tennis balls and is quite proud of herself.
After 7 years with her family, Lexus lost her home due to a divorce and foreclosure. She had to stay in the almost-empty house by herself while her owner was contacting acquaintances and shelters to find somewhere for this girl to go. It was fortunate that GSRNE had a foster home available so Lexus would no longer be alone. She was very happy to be going for daily walks and having play sessions in the fenced yard; mostly she was happy to be with her foster Mom, who is able to be home most of the time.
Lexus is fine when meeting another dog, but she doesn’t want to interact much. She has gotten along well with two friendly Labs who visited her foster home. When one of the dogs picked up a toy, Lexus would watch for the toy to be dropped and then pick it up; but there was no aggression.
A quiet home, with someone there for company, would be ideal for Lexus. She doesn’t mind staying in a gated area when necessary, but she’d rather not be alone for a full work day. She likes to stroll, rather than power walk, and 15-30 minutes would be enough to satisfy her. She loves going for rides in the car and is looking for someone who will enjoy her company as much as she will enjoy theirs.
It is with much sadness and tears we tell you about the loss of our Troy. He was put down on Saturday 9/12 after x-rays revealed an enlarged or swollen esophagus and pneumonia. The esophagus problem was found on September 3rd. We were given medications and were due back to the hospital on September 10th at 5.00 p. During the week Troy seemed to improve. Thursday morning he was unable to stand so we rushed him to the hospital and he was there on meds. We visited him twice each day, but Friday night he took a turn for the worse. Dr. Scudder called with the bad news, he was not eating or drinking water. Troy was great for us and a great companion for Leo.
Biography:
Troy was a much loved and happy 7-year-old male when he came to GSRNE in 2012, after his owner was diagnosed with a terminal illness. His owner Gaele, had rescued him from a neglect situation when he was 2 years old, and she was very concerned that he would continue to be loved and cared for when she could no longer do that. She had been active in animal rescue for most of her life and had made a positive difference in the lives of many animals. When she contacted GSRNE this time, we had an approved adopter who had been waiting for a male that matched Troy’s activity level and personality; a retired couple who had the love and time to share with him. It was a perfect match which brought much comfort to Gaele and her family at a very difficult time.
Here is Holly’s and Wylie’s update from their mom- Wylie has continued to show improvement (baby steps) with his fear of my being part of the family. He jumps up on the bed each morning, kisses me, lets me rub his ears and pet him. Of course, he still prefers Todd, but at least I’m not getting such a panicked reaction.
We signed them up for Family Dog 1 and they went to their first obedience class last week. I had Wylie, Todd had Holly. Although we sat side-by-side, with the dogs beside us, they really struggled with the two us in-between them. After a short while, Holly settled in and followed the commands easily (clicker, treats) but Wylie wasn’t interested. I tried to take him outside to calm down, but it didn’t work very well. The last 15 minutes of the class, we swapped pups. Surprisingly, Holly had a hard time with me.
The trainers are very good; positive re-enforcement being key. They’re patient, knowledgeable and are very calming with both dogs.
At home, I am working with Wylie and he’s doing great. He’ll sit and stay for me very, very well. As a matter of fact, I clipped my hair on top of my head (it made a sound) and he sat!!! Funny.
They have their second appointment at the vet tomorrow to finish up their round of shots. We tried to get them all in one visit, but they were too stressed and we didn’t want to make the vet visit a traumatic reoccurrence.
All in all, we’re doing well and I fall in love with them more every day. I hope Ava and Scorpio and doing well — would love to hear of their progress.
Holly and Mushroom’s original write-up:
When our Hotline volunteers check the phone lines every day, they never know what GSRNE will be asked to do next. It’s not unusual to hear that a dog is doing poorly in a shelter or an owner can no longer care for a dog; but hearing that 4 GSDs need to be moved at once is a real challenge.
Holly
We were called by the owner who had Holly, 7 years old (female), Mushroom, 4 years old (male), Scorpio, 8 months old (male) and Baby, 8 months old, (female). The man had surgery coming up, and no shelter would take the dogs because they were not socialized and fearful. The dogs were not altered, and we were concerned that the two females could go into season at any time; thank goodness we found 4 separate foster homes for them.
Mushroom / Wylie
Holly was placed in a new foster home with no current dog, and she had a hard time adjusting. She went through her spay surgery and recovered well; but she kept having “accidents” in the house, was chewing on herself and did not settle in.
Mushroom bonded quickly to his foster Dad but remained leery and uncomfortable around his foster Mom. She tried offering treats, sitting patiently, being the one to feed him and tried putting on the leash to take him for walks; but he was not warming up to her.
Holly and Mushroom/Wylie
Holly
We kept the foster homes informed about how the other dogs were doing, and Mushroom’s foster parents expressed an interest in Holly. We clutched at that straw and moved Holly to their home….and it was the answer to our prayers. Holly stopped chewing on herself, began to relax and was very affectionate with her new foster Mom. She and Mushroom were SO excited and happy to see each other that they’re helping each other with this big change in their lives. They’ve gone from never wearing a collar or being on leash to enjoying going for walks and learning how much more there is to life than the isolation they had before. In fact, they’re doing so well now that their foster home might become their forever home!
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Lux’s passing. He was in severe distress last night when we brought him into emergency, and we had little time to make a very difficult decision. Lux was almost 12 years old, and we could not ask any more from him after all the years of love he had given to us.
He came to us as a foster 8 years ago, as GSRNE rescue dog #257. He worked his way into our hearts and home immediately, and we just could not let him go. Lux was the light of my daughter’s life and she took him everywhere! We were truly blessed to have Lux with us for his time here and will forever miss his good-natured and loving spirit. If you met him, it was impossible not to love him! We are forever thankful to GSRNE for bringing Lux into our lives. We are all the richer for having shared this part of the journey with him.
With love and sadness,
Allan Decker
Lux’s original write-up:
Lux loves being with his family. He loves to go for walks and play ball in the back yard with the other dog in the foster home, Shiloh. It seems Lux’s favorite game sometimes is “keep away” from Shiloh. Lux is a very smart dog, he knows his commands and he listens very well.
Lux is a little imp and a big lug with very expressive eyes. We say he has clown eyebrows. The way he looks at you, you know something is on his mind. Most of the time we know what that is. When you walk with him he will turn and touch his nose to your leg, his way of “checking” on you to make sure you are there. Play ball with him and you have a friend for life.
Lux also loves to go for long walks, and likes his car rides, and at the end of the day he will curl up at your feet and go to sleep. Lux is also a couch potato, when he is in his room where a couch is, I will catch him sound asleep on it.
Lux will bark at new people, but we are working on that, and he is fine when he gets to know you.
Lux is great with people he knows. Give him a treat and he is a happy guy.
Lux needs a nice family home with someone who can work on his greeting with people. He loves kids and does well with the dogs he has met after a proper introduction. He is a big lug that just wants to be around you.
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It is with much sadness and tears we tell you about the loss of our Troy. He was put down on Saturday 9/12 after x-rays revealed an enlarged or swollen esophagus and pneumonia. The esophagus problem was found on September 3rd. We were given medications and were due back to the hospital on September 10th at 5.00 p. During the week Troy seemed to improve. Thursday morning he was unable to stand so we rushed him to the hospital and he was there on meds. We visited him twice each day, but Friday night he took a turn for the worse. Dr. Scudder called with the bad news, he was not eating or drinking water. Troy was great for us and a great companion for Leo.
