DOWN MEMORY LANE

"DOWN MEMORY LANE"

This site is dedicated to all the dogs who have touched our lives, & have passed on to the Rainbow Bridge. It does not matter whether they were big or small, mutts or purebreds, just that they were loved by someone & continue to remain in our hearts & memories.

Lucky arrived at our doorstep at the end of October 2009. He weighed 104 lbs. and fell down when he tried to step up on the curb after being lifted out of the van he was transported in. Lucky was severely malnourished, had a very bad case of fleas, and a great deal of his hair had fallen out as a result. The hair that he did have felt like horse hair because of his inadequate diet. He could barely see due to a puss oozing eye infection and he needed entropion surgery. He had large tumors on the back of his front and back legs due to long periods of time spent on a hard/concrete floor. He was heartworm positive, had roundworms, and he needed to be neutered. In short, this poor dog was a mess. He had a long life of neglect and abuse now finally behind him.

It took a village of volunteers to get Lucky’s health back. The volunteers at Mid-Atlantic Saint Bernard Rescue took turns visiting him, feeding him, walking him and just spending time with him. He was extremely thin, but did not want to eat dog food, so we bought him Hardees biscuits and McDonalds hamburgers…which he loved. We were determined to fatten him up. Lucky was very fortunate to receive financial help from a small group of donors, and along with a wonderful foster home, and excellent medical care from Bay Beach Veterinary Hospital, he began to slowly recover.

After 6 months, Lucky now weighs 140 lbs. and is neutered, has had entropion surgery, is being treated for heartworms, and has received all of his vaccinations. Best of all is his remarkably improved appearance - all of his soft beautiful hair has grown back. He is a completely different looking and acting dog. He loves his squeaky toys, loves to be brushed, and especially LOVES belly rubs. If you visit him, you won’t be able to leave without giving him at least 2 or 3 belly rubs. His foster family fell in love with Lucky and decided to adopt him. On May 1^st, Lucky became a member of the Gallagher family. He is a happy boy and will be able to live out the rest of his life in peace and in a loving home.

Titan: Dear Saint Rescue, ? to Feb, 5 2011 We rescued Titan from the Saint Rescue in Virginia June 2005. Titan was a goofy, slobbering Saint who thought he was a lap dog who always, always, always had the disgusting habit of burping in our face when we pet him! His tail had a mind of it's own- along with his slobber. He bonded with our first dog- Bailey- a persnickety Cocker Spaniel- and together they were the dynamic duo; "Mutt and Jeff". Titan was a gift to our family. Never was there another dog as gentle and sweet (and sometimes hyper and unruly) as Titan. We loved him so. In 2006 we moved to Anchorage, Alaska- Saint Bernard heaven. There he pranced on glaciers, climbed mountains, roamed the frozen tundra, and even met a moose or two! As many Saint owners are well aware- when you have a dog that size, sacrifices must be made. I learned to keep a vinyl tablecloth on my kitchen table when we weren't sitting down for dinner, so his drool would not dry and crust on the wood. Our garbage had a new home on top a bar stool so he couldn't reach it anymore. Blankets covered our couches, slobber lined the walls and ceilings, the only vacuum that would handle the amount of fur he would shed was a Dyson, and though Saints are not known for being defensive- when my husband was not home, Titan valiantly defended me from everything from squirrels, garbage men, UPS workers, and salesmen! In 2007 we moved to Fairbanks and we could find no hotels, houses for rent or extended stays that would allow dogs his size. That led my husband and I to buy a camper to live in for two months as we looked for a house that would match our family so we wouldn't have to be separated from Titan (and I confess that camper has been parked in our driveway ever since)! We found a log cabin in the woods 5 miles north of Fairbanks. It was perfect. When my husband and I first had children, Titan's nose was in all diaper changes, midnight feedings found him awake and groggy with us. In 2009 we moved back to North Carolina and Titan didn't miss a beat. As the children grew, Titan turned into their favorite play thing. Always gentle and patient with them. Titan died unexpectedly in his sleep on Feb, 5 2011. We are devastated, heartbroken, in anguish and so empty without him. Bailey didn't eat the first few days after he left us as he kept a vigil in front of the dog door waiting for his brother to come back. There is a reason these dogs are called Saints. Some thing tells me that our time with Titan is not over. We both have a feeling that within a few months or possibly a year, fate will bring us another Saint. He might not look exactly the same, but I have a feeling the first thing this new Saint will do is burp in our face, and we will welcome him home again. 2/10/2011

Ami, Chris, Rebekah, Eli, & Bailey Raggio Hubert, NC

Sampson: Hi everyone I’m Sampson. I am a long hair with a broken mantle. I have a partial mask with freckles. Yes, I’m cute that way, with freckles and all. I am current on all my shots and ready for a new home. I am a sweetheart and I love other dogs too. I like walks and play time, but don’t get me wrong I’m no Cocker Spaniel as I do enjoy my down time too. I am two and a half years old and house broken. That’s right people I know when to lift my leg and when not to. 10/25/2009

Bear: is a senior male dog .He is a very sweet boy but will need some special care. He is looking for a home to spend his last years!! MD saint Bernard rescue and its volunteers were truly privileged to have been in trusted with this wonderful dog's care and he will be missed very much by all that loved him. 12/31/2008

ROCCO: is a strong, beautiful 16 month old smooth-coat male. He weighs in around 140 lbs. He is neutered, current on all shots and is on heartworm prevention. Rocco was turned over to rescue because his family was moving. Shortly after coming into rescue, he was diagnosed with Addison's disease (dysfunction of the adrenal glands). For this condition, he receives two pills every day. If he walked passed you, you would never know he had anything wrong. He is sweet boy who loves to run, chase, and play. He is good with cats and children. He is a leaner and will try from time to time to sit on your lap. He is housebroken. He is looking for a family who will love and care for him. 9/28/2008

TEDDY: is a 7 year old rough-coat male. He weighs in at around 150 lbs. Teddy is neutered, current on shots, & is heartworm preventative. When Teddy came into rescue he was not far from being dead. He was kept outside all his life, extremely skinny, & highly heartworm positive. Now Teddy is a new man! He has put on weight, is heartworm negative & is a very sweet natured boy. Teddy is crate trained & housebroken. He has a sweet disposition, loves people & is good with other dogs. Teddy is the happiest that he has been all his life! He's a beautiful boy who just wants someone to love him. He would make a great addition to anyone's family! 7/26/2006

TEDDY: is a 7 year old rough-coat neutered male. He weighs in at around 130 lbs. He is current on shots & has been heartworm tested. Teddy is good with cats, & seems fine with other dogs, & he absolutely adores people! He is housebroken, walks well on the leash & loves to eat table scraps ( which we are trying to break that habit! ). We prefer him to go to a family with children that are 8 years or older, just because he has not been around toddlers. Teddy's favorite toy is the hose! If he sees you with the water hose in your hand, he comes running! He LOVES for you to squirt him with the hose, especially in the mouth! He also loves to be loved on. Teddy is a very special boy & dear to our hearts. His family is going thru some rough times & could no longer care for him. 7/26/2006

PAJEROWSKI'S CORDIAL BRANDY: DEC. 14, 1993 - OCT. 17, 2005

Brandy was my first elkhound and my first dog as an adult. She definitely kept me on my toes when she was younger since she was a hunter, an escape artist, a barker and a chewer. She was also the sweetest little girl that anyone could ask for and was a great communicator. She had different sounds for everything and over time I learned what each little noise meant so I didn't even have to look at her to know what she wanted. Up until her last few weeks she was still very happy and energetic and for that I am so thankful. She will be greatly missed.

The Pajerowski Family

TAZ ( aka: "The Tazman" ) SEPT. 2003 - AUG. 2005

This story is very hard for me to write but everyone should know about our special boy. TAZ came to us at a time when he was most needed. We had lost our beloved rottie, Bronson, at age 13 on December 26th , 2004. His sister, Kati, was very lonely without her friend; as were we. We had previously adopted Kati from Charleen Lamore of Upstate NY St. Bernard Rescue. In January of 2004, Charleen called to say she had a little boy who was in need of a home. He was 5 months old and had spent the majority of his life crated. We drove up to meet him, taking Kati with us. We fell in love instantly and took him home that day. Taz and Kati bonded immediately and were inseparable. Taz was a guy who lived every moment of his life for the pure joy of it. He truly loved his evening walks when he could run and wrestle with Kati in the fields & creek out in the back of our house. He loved the creek and his adventures with Kati. In the summer, he would go down to the water and just sit his butt in the water. He would sit there as long as you let him ! Mud was his friend, as one of the pictures shows !!!! We never really minded how dirty he would get. He had fun and we had water to clean him up !! He commanded your attention when he entered a room by marching right up to you, getting right in your face with his "How you doin' ?! " look and his little pig grunting noises. He loved sleeping on his back * especially on the bed. Right from the start we always said he looked like a Disney character.
On the evening of August 9, 2005 he seemed to be breathing a little strange. It was a very hot, humid day so we assumed it was the weather. As the night progressed we watched & listened to him. He seemed to just be panting hard but then when he laid down he was okay. I planned to call the vet first thing in the morning and get him in for a check-up. My husband let him out at about 3:00 am. He drank some water from his little kiddie pool and came back in. He came over to my husband, who stayed downstairs with him afterwards, and wanted to be petted. My husband then fell asleep. At 5:00 am on the morning of August 10th, he went into severe distress. We scrambled to get dressed. We raced him out to the backyard; to the car. He staggered around (like his back legs would not work) and then vomited up a massive amount of a white, foamy substance. We got him into the back seat of the car and were racing him to the ER. He died in the back seat 10 minutes into the trip.

There are no words to express the grief & devastation we feel over his loss. We miss him immeasurable. He has left his paw prints forever on our hearts and in our lives. He was cremated and my husband will build him a special wooden box; as he did for Bronson. Thank you again for this opportunity to honor him. He was very special.

Denise & Charles Geraldi

BRONSON GERALDI: 1991- DEC. 25, 2003

When we first bought our house in 1999, my husband's brother brought us an 8 year old rottweiler that could no longer be kept by his owners and had no place to live; no-one wanted him. We named him Bronson and he moved right into our house & hearts. He weighed 115 pounds when we got him
and he was one skinny body with a big head. We got him to 150 pounds of pure muscle & love. Every year that we would bring him into the vet - he was just amazed. When Bronson was 12 he went in for his routine visit to the vet in June. Our vet simply said "I rarely see a rottie in this condition at this age. He is amazing". He was on Rimadyl for the last two years of his life. Christmas night, 2003 he could no longer get up. My husband slept in his chair that night and Bronson literally crawled over to him to sleep near him. We had to put him down the next day but he gave us his all and more. He would have turned 13 years old a month after that.

Denise Geraldi

TITAN ULANET: OCT. 2001 - SEPT. 16, 2005

Today began as any other. I made plans to go hiking with my landlord, her dogs, and Titan of course. We left here about noon, stopped and bought lunch, then drove to Soldiers Delight State Park. We hiked about one mile, ate lunch, then continued on our way. A few moments after that Titan's breathing changed, it got much deeper, so we stopped for a break. He drank some water, but once we stopped he slowly began to get worse. After a while he lost the ability to use his back legs, then he fell asleep, but not deeply. I went for my truck, leaving him supervised by my landlord, but in my absence Titan had a seizure and died. He had a burial and a final goodbye in the back yard. He was the nicest dog I have ever met, and he practically worshiped the ground I walked on. Titan was my best friend and I shall miss him for as long as I live. These two photo's were taken on Monday, on a camping trip to the Adirondack mountains. Titan loved to travel, as long as I was traveling with him.

Bruce Ulanet

REX LIENESCH: PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 10, 2005

Rex was diagnosed with an untreatable form of kidney cancer 3 1/2 years ago. Today I could see that he was ready, so we took that trip to the vets.

A pile of soft blankets were placed on the floor for Rex's comfort. I knelt next to him, and stroked him, and talked quietly to him. I took a last look into his beautiful eyes, then held him while the vet administered the first injection.

She said "keep talking to him, he can probably still hear you."

She then gave him the final shot, and as I sang his special song to him, his heart stopped. His head was cradled in my arms, close to my heart.

Rex was adopted from Pennsylvania German Shepherd Rescue for a mere $100. He was worth so much more than that, in the loyalty and love he gave back to us and to others. In his brief 9 years with us, Rex made many friends visiting schools, nursing homes and hospice patients. He was a dashing figure in the parades too. Rex - the second hand dog - was a first-class friend and family member.

It was 9 years ago today, August 10, that we adopted him. Nine years - it wasn't long enough. I am missing you, Rex.

Chris Lienesch

ALLIE ASID: DEC. 1,1997- DEC. 7, 2004

Allie was a very special girl. To her, everyone she met was a potential new friend! She came to us by way of Laura Wasson, another special friend who has also passed away. Laura was doing Saint Bernard Rescue for MD & VA at the time. She found Allie in the Baltimore County shelter at 9 weeks old. Someone received her as a gift & did not want her. Laura called me immediately & I came out & got her right away. Allie was very outgoing & extremely smart, and she was the sweetest dog you'd ever meet. We would always take her with us to all the Rescue Events. Everyone just loved her personality. She always greeted everybody with a wagging tail & a smile. July 2004 Allie was diagnosed with cancer in her front leg. We went thru 4 treatments of radiation to alleviate her pain & give her some quality time left. This cancer was not curable & would eventually spread. She had less then a year to live. We made sure that she new that she was loved to the very end. We miss her deeply.

Kathi, Stephen & Noah Asid

FRED REXROAD-KORT: JULY 27,1994-DEC. 7, 2004

Fred came to us from the Carroll County, MD. shelter ,on a very hot day. He was very confused & anxious. Fred came into the MD/DC/Northern VA Saint Bernard Rescue foster program. While in fostercare, Fred tried to escape out of a couple of windows, & one just happened to have an AC unit in it! He also had gotten himself lost in the corn field, while staying on the farm. Saint Bernard Rescue was so happy when Jennifer Rexroad called us to adopt him! In our minds, she could not come & get him quick enough! Fred went to live with the Rexroad-Kort family. He had a new playmate named Ollie, who just absolutely adored Fred. They were the best of buddies, which also helped relieve Fred's anxieties. Fred spent his last 3 1/2 years lying on the AC vent in the kitchen, relaxing. Fred also helped raise another playmate, named Arthur. Fred was a big (he weighed in at a whopping 232 lbs.), sweet, & lovable boy. Fred loved everybody, & everybody loved him. Fred will be deeply missed, but we can find peace knowing that his last years, were his best years.

Jennifer Rexroad & Jack Kort

COCO WEISSMAN: NOV. 13,1998- JULY 18,2005

Today we put our beloved Coco to sleep. In typical Coco stoicism, it took three doses of sedative to make her sleep, and even on the third one, she kept trying to keep her eyes open before the final shot. We just kept looking into her eyes, massaging her head in all the sweet spots and telling her how much we loved her and would miss her. Then Coco took her last breath and left us.

Coco chose us, specifically me, on a trip to a breeder on the Eastern Shore in December, 1998. I was holding one which was whiter, but nervous and fidgety. Sarah brought Coco to me and Coco melted in my arms. I picked up several of her other littermates, but she kept coming back to me, wanting to be held, and I knew she had selected me. Two weeks later, we picked her up and Coco was six pounds bigger. (Saint Bernards gain on average of three pounds per week during the first ten months of life. I remember getting up with Coco every night for those 2AM feedings during her first month with us when she missed her mom and littermates. We would eat a little, cuddle alot, and then I would lay her down to a cool jazz station on the boombox.

As Coco grew, she quickly became a member of our family, making friends with Jackson, our male cat, and looking after us. As Wendy became more of a bookworm, she used Coco as a pillow whenever she would settle down for a good read. Coco insisted on watching Wendy when she was very young. If an adult came up to Wendy on the street, Coco would wedge herself between Wendy and the stranger, giving the stranger threatening looks. She also watched Wendy when she climbed trees, or had Hannah over to the house. Hannah was an emotionally disturbed little girl, and Coco picked up on it right away. Coco would greet Hannah in a friendly manner, but rarely let her out of her sight. When I worked out of a home office, Coco was at my feet, and would answer the door. Many backed away when they saw all 140 lbs of Coco. One poor pizza man urinated all over himself when she opened the front door (Coco LOVED pizza and cheeseburgers).

Besides her sweet presence, Coco was a protector in other ways. I will never forget when she woke me with low but persistent whimpers one night a few years ago. Coco was used to seeing our and the girls' friends going in and out of the house, but this time something puzzled her. It was maybe 3AM or so, and she was whimpering and banging my head with hers. I got up thinking she needed to go out. As I staggered towards the bedroom door, Coco whimpered more loudly, and pushed me up against the window with her body. I looked out the window and beheld two guys trying to break into my car! As soon as I gasped, she began barking up a storm, and the thieves ran away. Another time, Coco sensed a prowler, and pushed me around the perimeter of the backyard, only letting us back in when she was satisfied nobody was around. Coco had many friends here in VA and MD among local friends and family, and charmed visitors from afar. Our au pairs, especially Martina and Dorthe loved Coco very much, and spoiled her alot. Coco was a dog made for spoiling. She loved mooching table scraps at dinner parties from us and the guests. We used to call her the "love machine." Lucky for Bob and me that we have a king size bed, because Coco joined us nightly. Coco appointed herself night watchdog, and would get up during the night to walk the rooms and see who was sleeping where. Whenever we came back from vacation or a business trip, Coco would dance in circles, doing what I called her "raindance," often on her hind paws and barking. Coco loved belly rubs, above all. If you rubbed her belly and leaned close to her head, she would take her front paw and hug you around the neck.

In January, while out on a run with Coco, Bob noticed she started limping. Our vet thought she'd need knee surgery for a torn ligament. The surgeon examined her and told us the bad news: cancer. He said she had maybe a few weeks to live. We got a second opinion, and the news was the same, although the second vet had a more wait and see attitude. The tumor on Coco's leg was visible, but for many months stayed the same. We'd give her painkillers if she moaned but that was rare. For months, Coco was the same great girl, sweet and smart with a new limp. Then in June, the tumor seemed to grow quickly, and Coco had more trouble walking. This past week, she could barely walk, ate almost nothing (even turned down treats), drank little, and slept alot. When we returned from NC yesterday, the tumor was even larger and oozing. Coco was having trouble breathing. It was time for Coco to go to her final rest.

Today Bob and I both wept alot throughout the day. We took Coco "bye-bye car" for lunch in the old Mustang convertible (Coco loved riding in the back seat of the convertible and smiling at onlookers, as if to say, "Isn't life grand?") to Wendy's for a last supper of cheeseburgers, her favorite people meal. After work, we took Coco to the vet, and were with her when she left this life. After I spend my gazillions of years in Purgatory, I hope Coco will be at the side of St. Peter when I finally make it to heaven. I miss her so much already.

We will adopt another dog through St. Bernard Rescue, but there will never be another Coco; she truly stole our hearts.

Tonight, please give your pets an extra hug or caress for Coco in her memory.

Love,

Bonnie & Bob Weissman

BEAR PAJEROWSKI: APRIL 1,1999- JULY 11,2005

Kathi,
My wife, Maggie, and I adopted Bear in April 2002. It is with tears in my eyes that I am writing to tell you that Bear went to the bridge on Monday. Below, I'm including a copy of an email my wife sent out to our friends. I believe it explains his history with us and explains his passing. He was such a sweet, lovable, gentle dog. It is such a shame that he had so many health problems, but we were so glad that he got to spend the last 3 years of his life with us. I know you deal with a lot of dogs, but I thought you might appreciate the update.
Mike Pajerowski

We had to put Bear to sleep tonight. After he had dinner he was trying to vomit and go to the bathroom and couldn't. Then he went into the brush in the back of the yard where he never goes and we couldn't even get to him. I knew then that something was really wrong and Mike and I called him and managed to get him to come out and then he tried to dig his way into another set of brush. I tried to call our vet but they were closed and then while calling the emergency vet we noticed he was looking very wide so we knew it was bloat. They said surgery could have fixed it but that it would cost several thousand dollars and with his age and other health problems could take 6 weeks to recover from and would be very difficult for him. I decided that I couldn't let him be in any more pain and told her to do it. I called my husband and he wanted to come see him before they did it so he had our next door neighbor watch the kids and he came to the vet too. At least now we know he is free from pain. I knew it was coming because he has had so many health problems for the past 2 years, but it still doesn't make it any easier. We got Bear in April 2002 as a rescue and they thought he was around 3 years old. He was being treated for Lymes when we got him, but then he spent about 14-16 healthy months with us before he started having knee problems. They were confident it was the cruciate ligament and said surgery would fix it. We did the surgery and it turns out the ligament was fine and they couldn't find anything wrong with it other than arthritis. For the past 2 years he has been on so many meds but the newest meds he's been on have really been working. He's been much happier and been able to get around pretty well. We just got back from vacation on Sunday so I'm very sad that he spent 9 nights without us before this happened. I'm just glad that it didn't happen at the kennel and we got to be with him last night and I got to be with him while they put him to sleep. I just wish I could have seen into the future and had known this was coming. I would have taken the day off work to spend the whole day with him. He was my buddy, my shadow. He was the one who slept right beside my bed and was always at my side while I was on the computer or cooking or reading or watching tv. Even when he was in a lot of pain, he would use every ounce of energy he had to come upstairs to sit beside me while I did my hair and make-up in the morning. I'm going to miss him SOOOOOO much!! Goodbye sweet Bear!