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#109 Dargo
#119 Abby
Abby
Abby
GSRNE #119
1999? – 6/12/2013
The Abster
We are very sad to announce the passing of Abby to the rainbow bridge. Our dwarf German Shepherd Dog, Abby, aka “The Abster” is so much fun! She is a small dog with a very BIG personality. After several weeks of heartache following the loss of our first dwarf GSD and best friend, Brandon, at the age of 7, we came across the GSRNE website and saw Abby’s picture. Another dwarf! We had been hoping for 7 years to meet another dwarf and there she was. Abby has settled into our home and hearts very quickly. When we first brought her home, she immediately inspected every room, opening doors as she went! She is a bundle of energy, does everything with great enthusiasm and has quite a zest for life. The Abster chases every furry thing she sees. She is very sociable and loves to play with squeaky toys, stuffed animals, and tennis balls. Our pretty girl loves attention and is admired often. She greets visitors at the door, brings them a toy, offers a paw, and always rolls over for a belly rub. She has a tremendous appetite and is a skilled food thief! She adores riding in the car and will jump into anyone’s open car! She travels with us everywhere. Her favorite place to visit is the beach where she chases seagulls and swims, eagerly hopping waves. The Abster is always alert and very nosy. She inspects everything and patrols from each window in the house. She is a bossy and pushy girl (our little “bulldozer”), not in the least bit shy, and fearless. She is a talker, forever communicating, loudly. The name Abby means “gives joy”, and she is true to her name.
Although we can never replace our “Little Angel”, thanks to Janice and the volunteers of GSRNE, we have the joy of another dwarf GSD in our lives. Special thanks to Marianne and Karen, Abby’s foster moms, and Sue, her Buddy, for taking such good care of our little girl until GSRNE united us.
- Abby before
#091 Haley
Haley has a basket of toys in the living room. Every night I go and put her toys away in the basket and every morning Haley takes them out and puts them around her bed. She then just gives me a look to say this is where I want them. She also has a big huge crock pot in the yard filled with tennis balls. She manages to empty that crock pot in about five minutes and you just have to be careful where you walk, because there are tennis balls all over the yard.
When our daughter tells our two year old granddaughter we are going to grandpa’s house, she gets all excited and starts saying “Haley” and upon arriving Haley gets the first kiss. The other day the doorbell rang and when I answered it, there were the two little ones from next door, wanting to know if Haley would come out to play.
We will be eternally grateful to the GSRNE group for giving us the opportunity to adopt this exceptional dog. She came fully obedience trained and housebroken. All we had to do was to love her and that’s been the easiest thing to do because who could not love her. Thanks to all who had a hand in rescuing her, because we have been blessed in adopting this wonderful girl.
#117 Maverick
Maverick (with “sister” Cocoa in the foreground)
Maverick was a lonely boy for awhile; he sat awaiting his Forever Home for a year and a half while in the care of GSRNE foster homes. He is a special needs kind of guy that has some serious allergies and required some special care. Poor Mav waited and waited and not one person went to see him — until I saw his face on the web page.
I knew it was love at first sight and there was just something about this boy that drew him to me. The more I looked, the more I knew it was meant to be. So I pursued Maverick and investigated the care Mav would require. I asked lots of questions and thought about other dogs also on the web page but kept coming back to Maverick. Janice and I spent lots of time chatting in emails and on the phone and she patiently answered my questions. It really didn’t matter to me that he needed a bath a week and should go on shot therapy for his allergies — I could tell he was very special.
After meeting Maverick at his foster home, my husband Mark and I knew it was right and apparently Cocoa (our current doggie, also a Shepherd) did too because the meeting between Cocoa and Mav went well. This was going to work! I had great hopes and I just knew it was right.
It has been about 5 months now and Cocoa, a 7 year old female, and 6 year old Maverick are getting along very well. They love to play soccer in the yard with Deb and both get to go to the Cape to visit with their grandparents. Soon Mav will have his first swim in the ocean. Maverick is my Joy Boy and I don’t remember what it was like before he came into our lives. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on his picture that he was meant to be with us. He is sweet and good-natured and loves to play. He snuggles and gives kisses and lets his sister share his toys. What more can a mommy ask for? We love this guy!!
Thank you to all the rescue people that kept him under such great care until we found each other.
#111 Fina
I bet you’re tired of reading that old story (below) about how silly I looked learning to walk on a leash. Trust me, five years later (has it really been that long?), I’ve figured out how to do it. I’d still rather run free, but that’s what got me in trouble way back when I was barely out of my puppyhood. The dog-catcher (okay, Animal Control Officer) caught me running the streets of a small eastern Mass. city one too many times and put me in the safe hands of GSRNE. I was in a great foster home for more than six months. I loved my foster family. I learned a lot about how to be a good dog from them.
In July 2001, when I was about two years old (as far as anyone can tell), I was adopted by my Mom and Dad. We lived in Arlington, Mass. for about 3 1/2 years. It was very nice but, even though I’m small for a shepherd, the yard was a little bit confining. Okay, it was too small for me. I used to “launch” myself off the back porch into the middle of the backyard and run in circles like a quarter horse rounding up cattle.
This summer I’ll be seven years old. Now that I have my own email account, I’ll try to do a better job of keeping you up to date on my adventures. (Hey, on the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog!)
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We are happy to report that Fina is beginning to adjust to living with us and to feel secure in our household. After being uprooted a variety of times in her life, it is no wonder that Fina was wary of reinvesting her trust in us. As more time goes by, that’s the most significant factor that we sense in her as well as in ourselves – that we now can trust each other.
We had some dominance problems in the beginning. Our previous dog, who I had for 15 years, was an extremely submissive dog and though we realize that all dogs have different personalities, we were worried about this new 18-month old dog that we had adopted. GSRNE was very helpful during this time and set up an individual obedience lesson with Lisa Rockland. We learned an awful lot in that hour. Most important though was Lisa’s assessment that Fina was indeed a good dog; we would just have to work with her.
We have been working with her and we have come a long way. When we got her, Fina had rarely been on a lead before. Her reaction was to spin around and face me and try to squirm out of her collar. When we were able to move beyond that, it was really she who was taking me for the walk. My neighbors got some really good laughs out of seeing Fina drag me around the block! Lisa’s “follow me” approach to walking on the leash was a lifesaver. It has made a huge difference in our walks. Fina still wants to pull and lead the way, but responds (for a short while at least) to my “about faces” as we walk along. Of course, “walk” is really a misnomer – her nose is to the ground the whole time.
Fina loves to “greet” every passerby from her window perch on the stairs and could spend hours cutting “crop circles” into the back yard chasing birds and squirrels. She really is a sweet, gentle little love-bug. She likes nothing better than curling up on the sofa with her head in our laps — and there’s nothing we like much better either!
#112 Ivory
#094 Maggie
#107 Zoe
She goes out walking with me for an hour every morning, getting a chance to interact with other dogs at the dog park, and walks with Chris every afternoon. She continually evolves and is a much less timid dog. We love her and are so glad we have her.
Zoe has certainly found her niche in ours lives-a pretty big one, it is.
#120 Minka
When my husband and I first contacted Janice Ritter, we told her we were interested in fostering and that we had a one year old male GSD at home and thought a companion would be nice. Janice immediately said she had a female dog in mind. We signed our paperwork September 9, 2001 and welcomed our new member of our family.
Although it was not love at first sight, Minka turned
They say Minka is in her Golden Years, but she still can move! She still tries to chase the deer in back of our house and goes on adventures looking for wildlife. These days Minka likes to take it easy and be pampered, maybe that comes with age! She still looks beautiful and has no medical problems. I thank Janice for bringing the perfect dog into our lives, and for all the volunteers that work so hard for this wonderful breed.
Minka is a great dog; she has adapted very well to her new life and family. Minka starts her day at the beach, then back to the house where she can play freely with her brother Blaze, our male shepherd, who is the same age. Minka plays with all the children in the neighborhood, she has participated in walks for the MSPCA and enjoys following the deer tracks in our back yard. We are so happy Janice told us about her and got her out of the shelter. I can’t believe someone did not want her. Too bad for them!
Sincerely,
Eric & Sandra Shoemaker
#000 Sport
I wanted to send you a story about Sport. I believe you originally had him in Wayland before he was sent to the Blue Dog Shelter in Brockton. His picture is still on your website. I adopted Sport Christmas week of 2003. He was such a great companion not only to me but to my other dog Mittens. Sadly he was diagnosed with lymphoma in November 2004. He went through 4 months of chemo at NEVOG in Waltham under the care of a wonderful vet, Dr. Kim Cronin. Just when he was finished with chemo treatments in April he become weak and was diagnosed with hermangiosarcoma, a cancer of the pericardium of the heart.
I don’t want this to be a sad tale about Sport but rather a tale of how he was loved to the end. I had the joy of making him part of my family and in that short time I had him he was awesome. I am including a picture of Sport and his sister Mittens on the deck in happier times. Keep up the good work.
