RIP 2/28/11 - 2/1/20
Sweet Pepper went to a shelter after her owners moved to assisted living. She had been adopted by them from that shelter four years earlier. Pepper came into rescue 1/25/20 and only enjoyed belly rubs and playtime for a short while. She had a cancerous mass between her intestine and colon that could not be resolved. Her last days were filled with love.

In Honor of Phantom

My dear Phantom, I first saw you at an adoption day run by German Shepherd Rescue of Maryland, lying quietly among a pack of GSDs, while a four-year-old boy ran in wild, unrestrained circles around you. I watched as another dog leaned over to sniff your ear. You didn't see the dog come up, but you reacted to the intrusion by jumping to your feet to defend yourself, if necessary. When you turned to meet the intruder, there was a three-year-old girl in your path, and I saw you deliberately slam on your brakes to avoid hitting the little girl. I had gone to the adoption day with the idea of finding a large female GSD, but when I saw your highly intelligent response, I decided right then and there that you were to become my companion. After the appropriate home check by Lea Spickler, and meeting you again at Town & Country in Fairfax with Denise Rogstad, I was approved, and you came home with me.

Sadly, when we got home, it became apparent that you had very severe ear infections in both ears, so off to my vet we went. Your ears hurt so badly that you wouldn't let Dr. Rice do much then to help you. We decided that it would be necessary to sedate you to get the infections cleaned out and apply the necessary medications. While you were out, Dr. Rice x-rayed your hips to check for displaysia, only to find that you had apparently been hit by a car, and that your broken pelvis had never been set to heal correctly. Once your ears had healed, you learned to love having them gently stroked, and often came to me for head and bumper rubs. I've never understood why your original humans let you suffer so much and thought of you as nothing more than a yard ornament.

I once watched you race Miss Mousse down the stairs to the back door for walk time just after adopting you. Miss Mousse was a bit smarter than you were and ran to the carpet to make the sharp turn to the kitchen, while you tried to short-cut her on the parquet and slid right into the edge bead of a doorway, scaring the bejabbers out of me and knocking a big patch of hair off your head. You didn't try that one again.

We went to obedience school together for several seasons, and you easily learned to do those things that I tried to teach you to do, and you made me immensely proud of you when you earned your Canine Good Citizen award the first time you tried for it at the first VGSR reunion many years ago.

As the years went by, you never seemed to get the hang of not relieving yourself in the house, much to my consternation, but it was all due to the nerve damage to your spine and pelvis from the car accident. You just looked so mortified when you had an accident that it broke my heart to think that your first humans had not given you the care that you needed and deserved. As the years have passed, the accidents seemed to increase in frequency due to progressive nerve damage. You never seemed to understand that it happened, and that you had little control over the accidents.

So now, almost ten years and several homes later, you're almost 14 years old, and the time when we must part company arrived this morning. The nerve damage had become so severe that it robbed you of the ability to climb stairs without falling and sometimes becoming stuck in the balusters, necessitating “Dad's Taxi” to help you come upstairs at night, and to come up from the yard to the deck after our brief walks. Coming down 13 stairs used to take you two seconds, yet it became more like two minutes and I saw the discomfort in your face as you struggled to retain your balance. I watch your walking become slower and slower, with frequent stops to rest, even only feet from the house. I heard you keen and sometimes cry when the pain in your hindquarters becomes too much to bear with your usual stoic grace and dignity. I watched you doing an involuntary, crab-like sideways walk because of the weakness in your rear legs, and too often I heard you fall on the smooth flooring. As I gently lifted you, I knew it hurt, and yet I felt compelled to help you get to a more comfortable place on the carpet or your bed. And so, my dear Phantom, it broke my heart to see you fall, rise and fall again this morning, and to know that your spirit left your body as you lay there. I firmly believe that Miss Mousse is there at the Bridge to greet you and help you into the next world to be with her again. Please don't be afraid. Know that you have made a big difference in my life, and have helped Miss Mousse teach me the lessons of unconditional love and patience. Know that as you go, Benny is here to take the lead in your absence. Know also that you will always have a place of honor in my heart, right here beside Miss Mousse. You were my first German Shepherd Dog, but you'll not be my last. You have helped me to open my heart to receive and love more big dogs, for which I will always be grateful. Thank you for the years of love that you gave to me. I pray that I have earned your devotion. Go in peace and with my love, big boy.  

12/13/2010

Dear Friends,

It is with very heavy hearts that Jeff and I report that our dear, beloved old German Shepherd Dog, Piper (Rowland's Verdana Bold CGC) has gone on her final journey. I hoped that she would live to see her 12th birthday in February but fates are not always kind. She was blind, crippled, and starting to disconnect from reality. She had a very bad night last night (Thursday Jan.1, 2015), so Jeff and I made the decision to let her go. She had already outlived Miles, Cheerio, Hoss, and FluffyMax.

Piper wasn't a show dog, although she collected some ribbons as a puppy. She wasn't an obedience dog, but she did get the Canine Good Citizen title.She was my constant companion for the past 11+ years. She trained all the foster dogs and taught them appropriate pack manners. But what she did mostly was love me and Jeff. According to the animal communicator, her final words were, "Tell Mommy I love her."
​
Piper is survived by her little brother Siegfried and foster brother Tsar. She will always be in our hearts.

b'shalom,
-Risa​

Polly was rescued from the Prince George's County MD animal shelter at the age of about 12 weeks by GSRMD in 2002. We think that she was a GSD x Schipperke mix.
She was fostered by Risa and then adopted by her friends Laura and Jonathan Jackel of Gaithersburg. Polly was the beloved companion of their sons, Isaac and Alex.
Polly liked playing soccer,romping in the snow, and playing hide-and-seek. She learned to live with the cats. Polly passed away in February of 2014 and she is greatly missed.

Raven Stewart  Born 3/17/2014, Adopted 3/10/2018, Crossed Over 6/18/2021. 

I adopted Raven from VGSR on March 10, 2018 when she was nearly 4 years old. She was my second adopted shepherd after losing my beloved Sammie after 13 years. Raven was a big, beautiful, confident girl. She was a bit stubborn at first, wanting to do things her way in her time, earning herself the nickname "Knucklehead". She did eventually come to trust me and the bond was strong.  We spent a lot of time walking and hiking in Lake Fairfax Park and the paths here in Reston.   She loved to play fetch but I discovered early on that she had a passion for sticks as well.  Not just fetching them but breaking them up into small pieces. This could go on for several minutes and then she would stop and look up at me, so proud of her work!  I also discovered that she liked to swim one day when we stopped for a drink at the creek. I had hoped to get her to a place where she could swim freely off leash but, alas, we ran out of time.   

She was a big hit with my elderly Mother, accompanying me always on my semi-weekly visits. Mom would get her howling, another talent that Raven frequently engaged in upon hearing sirens. Raven was always happy to oblige earning a share of Mom's meal (a big no-no but how do you say no to a 93 yr old?). 

Raven accompanied me on a few other trips and was liked by every person she met.  Other dogs, not so much, but that was okay because she was an only dog. Late last fall I started noticing her favoring her left leg and she was diagnosed with a CCL tear.  She had surgery Dec 31st and after 2 months of recovery she was good as new, back to running and playing fetch. 

Things were great until mid May when her appetite started waning.  She was never terribly food motivated and would occasionally skip meals, but this was becoming too regular.  I took her to the vet and received the devastating news that her chest was full of cancer.  Two weeks later I let her go to cross over the rainbow bridge. 

We made a good team and I have a lot of memories to cherish.  She was my salvation during this last year of social isolation and I am forever grateful for her companionship.  I miss her by my side but she has left indelible footprints on my heart . I look forward to the day when we will be reunited.   Paula