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Duke

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Hunter "Monkey" Sagliani: 2001-2011

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Mozzie - 2011

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Kix - 2011

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Hoss - 2011

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Sage - 2011

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Max- 2001-2011

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Ezmi- July 16th, 2010

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Blue Angel- July 12th, 2010

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Riley Herman- 2010

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Von Inx Lady Hannas-"Taylor" 2010 Memorium

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Jesse James- 2010

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Shadow- formerly Blue Shadow- 2010

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Kaisha- 2009 In Remembrance

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Lady, 1997-Dec 24, 2009

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Aspen-November 24th, 2009

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Sage Brush Briggs- 2009

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Clay-2009

God bless you Karma!

Shortly after his 14th birthday, Clay passed away peacefully. He left behind a wonderful loving family.

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Alfred- 2009

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Carl 2008- 2009

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Duke 2007 - 2009

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Abby - 2009

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Ramsey - 2009

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Eva - 2009

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Sterling 1998 - 2008

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Zeke - 2008

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Jesse - Aug 2002 to Nov 2008

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Winston - 2008

It all started when MHWCR called me and asked if I would be interested in fostering this sweet guy named “Winston” to keep him from being euthanized at the shelter two days later. Winston had a family before for pretty much his whole life, but they couldn’t afford to care for his medical condition and gave him to the shelter. So I talked it over with my husband and children and we all agreed to foster Winston until he was found a more permanent foster home. When I first saw him I thought I was going to have to go get a saddle to ride him home! Winston was 106lbs. Most of his weight was due to his hypothyroidism, but that didn’t discourage me from wanting to bring this guy home so our family could help him get better. So, I went to the vet right away that day to get his medication as I didn’t want to wait for him to start his treatment. Then, I went to a pet store to buy him special “hypoallergenic” food, and of course chewy toys, treats, leash, and so on!!! While he was in the car I had a blanket for him to lay on. I initially thought he was going to chew it into pieces, but turns out, he just wanted the blanket to suckle on. Our family soon learned after having him in our home, this is what made Winston feel secure. So every blanket we brought out he would go after and try to take from us. Winston came into our home that day, and it felt like he had already been a part of our family and we already knew he was the one we wanted to adopt. He was so well behaved and had such an easy going temperament. He got along well with our Vizsla Kayden and they became friends. We gave him a “doggie bath” so he could smell better. His color was a beautiful dark blue, and it showed when we took him outside. Everywhere we took Winston, we got compliments on how beautiful he was. Although we only had Winston for 5 days, he touched our family very much and we feel he was brought to us, so that we could provide him with the love & happiness he needed before his passing. Winston had a condition that was inevitably going to put him through a life of misery. So, he was put to rest on Tuesday, September 16, 2008. We miss him, but know that he is no longer in any kind of pain or suffering. To some the date of 9/11 will be a day of sadness, but for us that is a day of joy, as that is the day “Winston” came into our lives. Thank You Weimaraner Rescue for giving us that gift!

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Snickers - 1995 to 2008

Snickers came to us in a very unconventional way for a rescue. He was very much loved by his previous owners but he outgrew their very small home. They contacted the Weimaraner rescue director to put him up for adoption. I happened to run in to the director at lunch the very next day and she proceeded to tell me about this wonderfully trained and very handsome dog named Snickers. He seemed too good to be true and a perfect match for our 1 year old Weim, Aspen. We went to meet him that very night and that very night he came home to be a part of our family for the next 11 years.

He was so smart, so handsome, such a lover. He loved swimming, hiking and most of all just being our companion. He loved every day he was with us and we did the same in return. He was diagnosed with bone cancer in January of 2008 and we lost him to the disease 5 weeks later. Those 5 weeks we had with him were such a blessing. You don’t realize what you have in a dog until you are delivered the devastating news that they will only be around a bit longer. We cherished our days with him. We fed him whatever he wanted. We petted him even longer than usual. We loved him deeper than imaginable.

Snickers can never be replaced. He was a one of kind. You could see his soul through his eyes. I know now that when the day comes for us to pass, he will be waiting there with his Kong ready to run. He was definitely not too good to be true…he was our dog Snickers.

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Finley - Feb. 23, 1997 - Jan. 12, 2008

An old boyfriend and I picked Finley from two litters of Weim puppies in May 1997. He was the smallest puppy, but he was the one because he had a white "special spot" on his chest. After I broke up with the boyfriend, the one thing I fought for was Finley. I only had to pay the boyfriend for his half of the cost of Finley so he could get his own puppy. I would have paid ten times that amount to keep Fins.

Finley was a constant companion, and he was with me through the best of times and the worst of times. When I was upset, he would comfort me by laying his head on my lap and looking up with me with pure adoration. He was by my side, comforting me, when I was on bed rest for 3 months with a difficult pregnancy. When I was happy about something, he would run around the house celebrating with exuberance as only a Weim can do, knocking over end tables and running into chairs. When I brought my infant son home from the hospital in 2004, he greeted him as a member of the pack, with love and excitement, not an ounce of jealousy.

Finley was a true Weimaraner through and through. He was a champion counter surfer, he loved sleeping on the leather couch, and he inhaled his food so quickly that I was often confused about whether or not I had actually fed him. He knew how to play hide and seek, and he loved to show me his treasures, like a live possum or a half-eaten rabbit he’d caught in the back yard.

I married my husband in 2002 and became an instant mom to two children (then 8 and 10) who had lost their biological mother. Initially, I thought that Finley would have a hard time adjusting. True to his nature, not only did he embrace the entire new family, the children adored and loved him. They fought over whose turn it was to have Finley sleep in their bed. They gave Finley "spa days" where he would be lavished with attention in the bathtub. They dressed him up in bikinis and assorted outfits. Finley always looked slightly humiliated, but I knew he really adored the attention. My husband often complained about Finley’s behavior; I explained, "He’s a Weimaraner." I’m sure there were times when he wondered why I had fought for Finley, but in the end, my husband cried and cried when Finley died.

I watched as Finley suffered a stroke on November 20, 2007. He was in the hospital for over a week, unable to bark or walk. He still had the will to live so I brought him home and nursed him, taking him to physical therapy and waking up at night to put on his harness and taking him out to the back yard. He couldn’t bark, he couldn’t clean himself, and he couldn’t walk. Over time, Finley was able to walk in circles (like a car at Daytona 500) and bark when he was extremely excited, but he lost his Weimaraner spark. I would have been honored to keep Finley in whatever condition he was in, but he stopped eating and wouldn’t get off of the couch. Blood work showed that he was in renal failure, and his blood pressure and liver enzymes had increased again, despite medication.

The day I helped Finley over the Rainbow Bridge, he ate a favorite meal (rice and hamburger with pancakes for a snack), went for a walk in the spot where I am going to sprinkle his ashes and was constantly hugged and pet by all of the members of the family. I was by his side when he crossed to the other side. True to his nature, he didn’t complain or whimper. I am fortunate that he was mine; I hope I was deserving of him.

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Cojo - ? - December 26, 2007

Cojo was surrendered to an animal shelter. The animal shelter had Cojo up for adoption, but because she was surrendered at 51 pounds, her immune system could not help her fight the bugs at the shelter. The shelter asked rescue to help Cojo. A wonderful volunteer family picked Cojo up a few days before Christmas. Her health deteriorated quickly and her pnemonia was so severe, her only hope would be to have a portion of her lung removed. We thought a lot about what was right for Cojo, so the rescue committee decided to let Cojo go over the Rainbow Bridge. Her foster home was with her when she passed. While it was very hard for them, it was the best thing for Cojo. Because of the foster home, Cojo got to spend a couple of days in a loving home and she did not have to die in the shelter.

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Blue - July 8, 2002 - November 6, 2007

Blue was surrendered by his owners when he was two years old. A two year old blue male is usually an easy to place Weim, and Blue was no exception. Blue's new people are repeat Weim adopters. They have seen it all in the Weim world. One of their Weims passed from bloat, another of their Weims had pretty severe separation anxiety. Blue's family was ready for anything he could throw at them. Their female Weim slowly warmed up to Blue and they became friends. Blue was diagnosed with Canine Lymphoma. Unfortunately, this is a disease that is very hard to beat. His people did all they could for him, but ultimately had to let him go over the bridge instead of having him suffer. The female Weim took the loss hard as well. Next spring, this family will look for another Weim friend to bring into the family.

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Max Larkin February 1, 1999 - September 21, 2007

Max would be very proud to be here in the Mile High Weimaraner Rescue Rainbow Bridge page, as he had many friends in Rescue and these friends certainly saved his life. I first met Max 2 years ago, after he had been through a rough patch. He knew that we were meant for one another long before I did, as the first time I came to visit, he jumped into my car and settled in the back seat before I even had a chance to climb out. As he was a pretty big fellow, and I have some disabilities, I resisted his charms for as long as possible; but in the end I was putty in his paws. What sealed my fate was his extreme skill at tail wagging - body wagging, really. I was looking at him somewhat skeptically during my second visit, but as soon as our eyes met, he started wagging so hard that I thought he might take off like a helicopter. Thus began our love affair; and I would adopt him all over again in a New York minute.

Maxie had a lot of heart, and a lot of physical courage. Over the years, he had severely injured both hocks struggling to escape cages due to unremitting separation fears; when the hocks were imaged, no one understood how he could even stand. But Max had never seen his radiology reports, so he stood, walked, trotted and ran just fine, thank you. And also leapt, rolled and splashed quite well, too. He excelled in Weimie spirit, was an extremely gentle and grateful spirit, and tried so very, very hard to be good. He eventually even managed to overcome his separation fears, which was a great victory for him.

It is with a heavy heart that I report that Maxie died at 8 1/2 years old, just a few weeks ago. He had a very rapid, very deadly form of cancer; however, it was still quite possible for him to die a good death filled to the brim with love and companionship. Unfortunately, I was too eager to believe some veterinary specialists when they claimed that he might still be helped; and Max, although continuing to feel wonderful right up until admission to the hospital 8 days after diagnosis, died a very hard death in the hospital on day 9. God bless you, my dear friend.

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George - 2000 - 2007

I had the rare instance to be with my dog when he was born and when he died. George was born to a litter of 11 dogs in my backyard in South Carolina. As the pups were weaned, George would wake us in the morning howling for food. After all of his brothers and sisters were gone, George, the runt of the litter, was still around. He had this unbelievable zest for life, was curious, and hence his name George. Wherever we went, people loved George. He was so sweet, and funny. His personality shone through like a sunshine breaking through on a stormy day. Always happy! George knew when to console me with his head on my lap, and when to leave me alone. He loved hunting, chasing deer, ducks and fox. Near the end, he would come out of the bushes with a three or four foot bull snake in his mouth, and bring it to me. George, always the dutiful dog.

He could out run every dog, but he would sometimes let them win, or let them get the ball as we played fetch. George loved bread, and to gulp down bowls of water. He loved to swim, and he loved to walk me. He noticed planes in the sky and bugs and worms on the ground, and fish in a pond. He was with me during some of my brightest times and my gloomiest ones too! Those of you, who know me, know that I believe in Angels. George was as close to being an Angel on earth as I’ve ever seen. The night he died he entertained me with his antics of sleeping on his back, tip toeing around the house and pointing bunny rabbits.

After his kidney’s failed, he rallied to come home and for 10 days, I got to share a last time with George. He did not make me take him anywhere to leave us. He died on his bed, in my house, in a sweet and peaceful manner. He taught me a lot. His greatest lesson was that of unconditional love. Dogs know how to do that. He left just as he came, quiet and peaceful, in my presence. But oh, oh did he live!

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Jaime - 1997 - July, 2007

Jaime was given up to rescue after her owners were evicted from their home. Jaime was 10 years old, a very sweet girl, but was in very bad shape. Her owners had not provided Jaime with the proper veterinary care for several years, and among other ailments and infections, Jaime had a very large, malignant tumor on the back of her neck. Despite being in obvious pain, Jaime would move just to be near a human and receive attention. Jaime spent her time in a hospice home, as it was determined that her medical condition was not treatable. Jaime needed kindness and humanity, and that’s what rescue provided.

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Opie - 1997 - August 28, 2007

Opie was a Weim that came into rescue at just under 10 years of age. Opie came to us with numerous tumors, kidney problems, liver problems, urinary leaking, and arthritis. Despite all of these problems, his foster family did not want to send him over the bridge. He had a lot of love left to give and still had life in him that he wanted to experience. His wonderful foster family kept and cared for him during his four months in rescue. Despite Opie's failing health, he enjoyed short walks every day. He was very easygoing and a sweet, loving good boy. He'll join the foster home's other Weims over the bridge - Otto, Gretchen and Jake will welcome Opie into their pack.
Opie incurred over $1500 in vet bills during his hospice care. Justifying expenses like Opie's is a difficult one. Had Opie been one of our personal dogs, paying that kind of money to keep him comfortable and knowing what he was facing wouldn't even be a consideration. Because of Opie's foster parents belief in him and what life he had left to give, they have paid for many of those bills. We would very much like to reimburse them for the care they provided. If you have been wanting to donate to rescue to help the dogs currently in need, don't forget about the dogs who needed rescues help, not in finding a new home, but giving them that last final act of kindness we can provide.

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Rex - ? - August 2007

Rex was a very sweet boy who was left on a road in Wyoming next to a gas station. A very nice person picked up Rex and took him to her home and contacted rescue to help find Rex's home (because who would dump such a sweet boy on the side of the road???) or a new home if his original home couldn't be located. Rex was not microchipped and had only a slip-chain around his neck. Rex was the perfect gentleman and quickly won over the household as well as the resident female Lab. This nice family took Rex to their vet where they looked him over, guessed his age to be around 5 years old, and did a basic exam. Unfortunately, Rex appeared to be in end-stage cancer of some kind. His belly was filled with fluid and it was just a matter of time. Within three weeks of being found at the gas station, Rex crossed the rainbow bridge. We can not thank this wonderful family (a non-Weim familty at that) for caring for Rex during his final days. While we'll never know Rex's real name, or his age, or the life he had before being found at the gas station, we know that he had a great last three weeks in a home who treated him as if he were their own.
If you have been wanting to donate to rescue to help the dogs currently in need, don't forget about the dogs who needed rescues help, not in finding a new home, but giving them that last final act of kindness we can provide.

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Cinnamon - 2003 - June 1, 2007

Cinnamon was a 4 year old, gray female weim. Cinnamon was used as a breeding Weim and recently dumped at a vet's office because she failed to produce a litter. A rescue group took in Cinnamon and was treating her for heartworm and getting her spayed. Cinnamon would have arrived in Colorado on June 13th, and had a foster home lined up. Cinnamon lived outside her entire life, and during her treatment was learning house-training and crate-training, and basic obedience. Cinnamon had a rough life and died in a kennel run with people trying to help her to have a better life.

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Bohdi - 1997 - May 28, 2007

Bohdi was a 10 year old gray female weim. She had been living in the garage for the last 5 months, and her owners felt it would be best for Bodhi to find a loving home instead of continuing to live in the garage. Bodhi had growled and shown her teeth to the family's toddler, and to prevent a potential incident, Bodhi was moved to the garage. Bodhi enjoyed fetch, walks, car rides and being with her people. She'd always been on the mellow side for a weim, and was easy-going and laid back. Bohdi went in for a medical check and it was determined that she had an inoperable tumor, so her family sent her over the Rainbow Bridge.

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Aiden - 2002 - February 19, 2007

Aiden came into rescue as a 1.5 year old male from a local shelter. He spent a few weeks in a foster home with cats, kids, and other dogs. He was placed in a home with a young couple. Aiden lived with the young couple for over a year. His new family had a child and contacted us to take Aiden back onto rescue. Rescue was very busy at this time, so Aiden was placed in boarding and then moved through a few foster homes. After a couple of months in foster care, a family from Arizona showed interest in adopting him. We typically do not adopt out of state, but this family sounded like a good fit and we had someone driving to Arizona that could give him a ride. It was love at first sight for the first couple of weeks, and then the love affair ended. Aiden was showing signs of stress and the family had a hard time with him. After two months of trying to work with Aiden, they requested that we take him back. Aiden was taken in by Rebecca Kapp who runs Arizona Weimaraner Rescue. She held onto Aiden until Michelle flew to Arizona to get him in January 2006. At this point, Aiden was between 4 and 5 years old. Without knowing if Aiden was placeable, a joint foster program was put in place. Aiden spent time with Michelle and her family, but most of the time was spent with Cindy and Andrew's family. Aiden turned out to be very stressed. He was on edge and very barky. He was always on patrol. We introduced some calmative drugs and saw a change in behavior. We then consulted with an animal communicator and what she shared with us was gut-wrenching. Aiden had shared with her that he almost wished he was dead. He was very confused and couldn't understand why no one wanted him. Living in foster care was even harder for him. We removed him from an available dog and just decided to work with him. Because he had conveyed to the communicator that the drugs were making him feel even more unbalanced, we took him off them. We then started a dog class to help Aiden deal with his irrational fears. He knew he was being irrational, but couldn't control himself. Class was beneficial, but we still couldn't put him at ease. Aiden spent the fall and winter on weekend hunting trips to the mountains and the plains. During one such hunting trip, Aiden went through some barbed-wire. He was stapled up and given some anti-biotics. While on the anti-biotics, he cut back on eating. Cindy and Andrew hoped that once off the anti-biotics, he'd start eating again. Over the weekend, he stopped eating at all and was listless. On Monday when he went to the vet, some bloodwork was taken and it showed that Aiden was in kidney failure. There was nothing that we could do but let him go without any more pain. Aiden touched many of us in rescue and will forever leave a whole in our hearts. Here is his picture with foster dad Andrew and foster brother Jake in the background.

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Lucy - October 2005 - December 26, 2006

When Lucy came into rescue, she was literally given a second chance at life because of a kind veterinarian. Lucy was purchased out of the newspaper, along with a sister littermate. Both Lucy and the other weim lived a life confined to the backyard with little human contact. Lucy started having seizures, and her people were unwilling to pay for medication or have further tests done to determine the cause of the seizures. Instead, they brought her to the vet to be put to sleep. The vet saw something in Lucy and called weim rescue. We took Lucy in, and placed her in a foster home. The foster home adored her, kept Lucy on her medication, and taught her the joys of living indoors. The foster home taught her sit, stay, come and her name. Lucy was a wild counter-surfer and very food motivated. Lucy was extremely loyal to her foster family, followed them every where and loved to be with them. Lucy was doing very well, not experiencing any seizures, and finally part of a family. Sadly, she was terrified of being left outside and she couldn’t catch on to the concept of house-training. We had to move her to another foster home with more time to help Lucy with the house-training issue. While at the second foster home, Lucy began to experience cluster seizures. Her foster home was very dedicated to Lucy, and stayed up several nights comforting her, loving her, and caring for her. Lucy failed to recover to her normal self following a particularly rough bout with the cluster seizures. Lucy was no longer coherent, and her seizures were unmanageable even with medication. So, Lucy was moved to a third foster home for hospice care. . It was determined that Lucy suffered severe brain damage, and would not recover. Lucy lived out her last days in a very loving home. For a few weeks she was stabilized on medication and a special diet, but she never regained her wonderful personality. Lucy’s hospice home let her go over the bridge following more cluster seizures. Thank you to Lucy’s foster families, the donors who sent money to pay for Lucy’s extensive medical bills, and the vet who gave her a second chance. Her second chance was short - and she made the most of it.

Lucy’s life was short, but she had many who loved her and cared for her in her time in rescue. We often search for a reason that these weims touch our lives, and Lucy’s legacy is very important: never buy a puppy on impulse. Do your homework before you buy - check out the parents of the puppy, and know what health issues are common in the breed. Or better yet, adopt a dog who desperately needs a home.

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Dusty - 2000 - November 17, 2006

I just came across your rainbow bridge page, Shelby touched our hearts. We had 3 Weims, 2 were rescues. Our latest guy, Dusty who was 5, came to our home in January of this year from an abusive home. Never had I been with a Weim that had been abused and beaten. The poor guy was afraid of everything, he was terrified to walk in the grass and when he did he would run then cower at the door thinking he was going going to get beat. We spent a lot of time with this boy and he was making real progress. Over the summer he loved to play in the grass, running around with the other 2 only to run up to the kids and roll around on his back. Today, we lost him to kidney failure. I was searching for answers when I came across the of Shelby on your Rainbow Bridge page. It started the tears again, we really miss our Dusty and only wish he would have been able to spend more time with us so we could show him more love and happiness. I can only hope he found what love really means in the short time he had with us. He died in our arms today. Attached is a pic of happier times, Dusty was the blue.

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Jake - 1995 - July 12, 2006

Jake came into rescue in May of 2006. His male owner passed away in an accident last summer and his female owner is battling terminal cancer. With her treatment, she could no longer care for Jake and his German Shorthaired Pointer buddy. Jake was taken in by a wonderful foster home. His foster home had a female rescue Weim (2 years old) and a female Lhapsa Apso (and four human boys). Jake loved to swim and was quite literally a "fish" and loved to fetch. Jake also LOVED to play with squeaky toys and liked his daily walks and long naps and lots of hugs and kisses. Jake came to rescue with a very bad nasal drainage problem that he had had for a couple of years. During his stay in foster, he lost a lot of weight, had some severe swelling in his rear leg, and the nasal drainage worsened. After a lot of sole searching and a vet consult, it was determined that to ease any suffering Jake was going through that it would be best to send him over the Rainbow Bridge. We hope that he found his owner who passed last year.

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Gretchen - 1994 - May 26, 2006

Gretchen came into rescue in 2004. Her owners were moved to an assisted living facility and could not keep Gretchen and her Weim 'brother', Frederick. They were both taken to Boulder Valley Humane Society. At 10 years of age, the shelter would not put them up for adoption and called us. Gretchen was moved into foster care and placed very quickly into a home on the Western slopes.
In the fall of 2005, Gretchen's owner was struggling with caring for an aging dog, so Gretchen came back to her foster home. After many months, an adoptive home took Gretchen in. She lived with a wonderful family. After turning 12 years old, Gretchen was still seemingly in good shape. Then, in May, she lost a lot of weight and upon a chest x-ray, a massive tumor was found in her abdominal cavity. To save her from any suffering, she was sent over the rainbow bridge. The picture below is with Gretchen (the blue) and her new sister, Maddie.

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Misty - May 28, 2001 - Dec. 2005

Misty was a four and a half year old female Weim. She was rehomed early in life, nine months. Her new home couldn't handle her and they surrendered her to our rescue. We placed Misty very quickly, but she was returned within a night because she growled at her new people when they tried to get her off their couch. Misty had a very alpha personality. We brought Misty into foster care, had her evaluated, and she was a typical young female Weim with attitude. We found her the best home - with a couple who was very involved with the club. They later adopted another hard luck case from us. The summer of 2005, Misty had a biting incident. Her owners worked very hard with her, but there was something in Misty that was a little different. Just before Christmas, she attacked a family member's pug. Her owners knew that no matter how much work they could do with her, she would always be too unpredictable. They let her go over the Rainbow Bridge just before Christmas.

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Otto - 1995 - October 8, 2005

You could call it love at first site. The moment I laid eyes on Otto posted on the MHWC website I knew he was ours. My husband on the other hand called me crazy and asked "Why on earth would we want to adopt a nine year old dog?" He sure changed his tune when he met Otto in person. The big beautiful old guy greeted us warmly with kisses and wagging tail.

Otto spent his first 9 years in a household that became victim of a divorce. Otto was not a part of either his mother’s or father’s future. Fortunately for us, they relinquished him to Weimaraner Rescue.

We were shocked to hear that Otto was nearly euthanized a few weeks prior to coming to live with us. He was placed in the home of a foster mother who labeled him as "unadoptable." Poor Otto was sent to the kennel to await euthanization.

Fortunately Michelle Daum the Rescue Coordinator felt something was not quite right. She phoned the kennel the morning of Otto’s schedulded euthanization and asked them not to proceed. She wanted to give Otto another chance at life.

He immediately blended into our family of 4 boys and 1 year old Lhasa Apso. He was so funny, well behaved, great mannered and obedient. With the boys in constant motion and daily chaos ours is not a quiet or relaxing household. But Otto loved it and he enjoyed being in the center of it all. He enjoyed our morning and evening walks and running off leash out at Chatfield. He became the protective "older brother" for Maggie our Lhasa Apso. She really taunted him she slept on his pillow, and took things from him. Otto never so much as snarled at her. He just let her get away with anything, again a perfect gentleman.

Though I desperately wanted Otto’s story to have a happy ending, I write this with a heavy heart. We had to put Otto to "sleep" this morning. Our brave boy had too many medical challenges. Beginning with an operation to remove ugly mast cell tumors. After that operation things just started going downhill. To our surprise, not even healed from his operation, we found several other tumors had surfaced. Worst of all Otto suffered a severe skin rash that caused his hair to fall out. It turned his skin bright red causing itching night and day. Steroids, antihistamines, medicated shampoos and conditioners and even prayers didn’t help this poor guy. Otto underwent skin scrapings, skin biopsies, several aspirations, x -rays, and bi-weekly visits to the vet. The amazing thing is that Otto would wag his tail throughout all of these painful procedures, never even a whimper -what a brave boy! I wonder if Otto waited until he found his forever home to get sick. He must have known that we would do everything in our power to help along his final journey. Otto leaves behind a loving family and four very sad little boys. Though we only had Otto for a short time, we were blessed to have him. We will forever remember what a brave and strong old guy he was and we can only lead by his example.

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Zeus - August 2005 - 6 years old

Zeus's owner fell on hard times, but she found Zeus (and his Weim sister, Mica) a great home, or so she thought. After having the dogs for a month, the new owners dropped both dogs in the night drop box at the Denver Dumb Friends League. Zeus and Mica were adopted together and poor Zeus was returned three days later. Zeus was going to be a tough placement as he couldn't go to dog parks and frolic with the other dogs - he was attacked as a young dog by three dogs and never got over that. He loved his sister, Mica, so without her around, the separation anxiety he experienced was more than most owners could bear. His ordeal with new owners, the shelter, more new owners, the shelter again, cost him 25 pounds and a bad case of kennel cough. Zeus had become a horribly frightened, untrusting, scared dog who would require years of rehabilitation to undo what had been inadvertently done to him. The kindest thing to do was to let Zeus go. We all hope that Mica's home will truly be her forever home and that Zeus will wait for her over the rainbow bridge.

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Smoke - June 2005 - 3 years old

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Dawson - June 2005 - 12 years old

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Shelby - May 2005 - 8 years old

From the moment that we first met Shelby, I knew that she wasn't going to leave our house. She came to us as a foster, but I felt that she had always been with us. I called her Shelby Grace - she just had a lovely gracefulness about her at all times...
Shelby came to us after being left at the shelter, and was considered a "three time loser" - she had been returned there twice after adoption because she wet in the house. My husband could tell right away that she actually had a urinary tract infection, and she was fine as soon as we got her treated properly. (Just goes to show that there's usually a reason for perceived 'bad behavior'..!) Shelby fit into our household right away, and it was a joy to be around her. She especially liked spending long weekends out in Westcliffe, having the run of the 35-acre-woods with our other two big dogs chasing along beside her.
Shelby's time with us was far too short. All the years of urinary problems caused eventual damage, and after only a year and a half she succumbed to kidney failure in May 2005. I miss her snuggling up on the bed with me to sleep, and curling up with me on the couch to watch TV at night. She was a sweet and gentle Weim soul - and I think she still is, because I feel her with me every day even now.

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Dickie - February 2005 - 5 years old

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Hansel - September 2004 - 7 years old

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Gunnie - June 2004 - 5 years old

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Blue - March 2004 - 8 years old

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Ellie - February 2003 - 2 years old

For the past six months my little Ellie had become my daily companion, my focus, and my friend. Yesterday afternoon, she left our company to move on to the other side. I like to think of her playing with our yellow Lab Libby. Or, maybe at this moment, my mom is scratching her soft ears and giggling at the funny way Ellie tips her head. Either way, Ellie is no longer in pain.

It has been said that the number of years is not a measure of a life well lived. How we live each day is the true yard stick. I would like to think this is true with animals as well. Ellie lived each day with joy and love. Her spirit was undeniably and unconditionally good and loving. Although I wish I would have had her for a longer period of time, I feel fortunate to have had her during what was a critical transition time in my life. She leaves this world reminding me, and all of us I guess, that life is short--make the best of each day--enjoy the little things--and give as much love as you possibly can--because in the end, that's the true measure of a life well lived.

Both Ellie and I have been blessed to have had great people supporting us during these previous months. Ellie will be missed by her "co-workers" here at Sounds True, by my family who got to meet her over the holidays, by her foster family who did such a great job with her before I got her, and by all of her other friends who have enjoyed petting and playing with her silky ears. Most of all, she will be missed by me.

Thanks for all of your love and support.
Karolyn
(and Ellie in heaven)

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Dillon - June 2002 - 3 years old

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Brit - May 2002 - 9 years old

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Rain - March 2002 - 7 years old

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Duke - October 2001 - 2 years old