We Said Good-bye to...

To all of you who lost pets this year, we extend our deepest sympathy. We know you miss them.

Do Not Mourn.... Do not mourn my passing for if you could see
By slipping all my earthly bonds, I'm young again and free.
By day I run the Heavenly fields, my body healthy and strong
At night I sleep at Angel's feet, lulled by Celestial Song.
Do do not mourn my passing, just close your eyes-you'll see
I'm once again that frisky pup, just as you remember me.

My sweet boy, Bailey-- greatly missed and loved deeply. He was part of my heart.

These two Border Collies belonged to my sister, Nancy. Bonnie is above on her pillow. Laddie is below. Both dogs were brought into her family when she lived in England. They were 15 years old! Bonnie and Laddie lived next door to me and loved to talk with my Pekes at the fence. They both died this year, months apart. We all miss them-- they were incredible dogs.

Here is Duchess Carla-- she was one of my foster dogs and SO sweet. She was adopted and greatly loved by Jane in NC. We miss Duchess so much. Duchess' Peke brother,Otis Lee, also died this year, just the week before Christmas. We extend our sympathy to their mom.

Paddington Bear, also known as Ch Lyonese Two Shillings Red was born November 17, 2003 and tragically and suddenly died September 5, 2008. He had group placements and leaves behind two beautiful daughters: Lyonese Burberry Lace (3 single points from her championship) and Lyonese Ballerina Lace. His father was Am/Can Ch St Aubrey's Frangelico and his mother is Taeplace Mistress of Lyonese (aka: Penelope Peabody, daughter of Am/Can Ch Taeplace Monet, BIS, BISS) Paddington Bear is greatly loved and greatly missed. I think he may have been the most beautiful dog we ever bred physically and he possessed the most soft and gentle temperament.

Here is Paddington Bear as a puppy.
Ziggy, who we were not able to get soon enough to help. He had a bad heart, and died quietly in the shelter.

Lady's owner had to say good-bye this year. She misses Lady so much. She was 13 1/2 years old. Her owner wrote this: She was the best pet we ever had, She never bit anyone, never chewed up stuff. She loved kids, people, other dogs of all size, cats and traveling. When we went to the market she sat on my arm with her head out the window and loved all the attention she got. Lady loved to be loved and sleeping in bed. She would sit with me until she got to warm then laid on the floor close to me. When I would go from one room to another she went too. Lady went to rainbow bridge Oct. 7, 2008 where she is waiting for me so we can go into heaven together.

Hannah (pictured with Linda/me), greatly loved and missed by her foster mom, Shanyn, and by her new family, Mary, Colleen, and Michael.

Isis, greatlly love and fostered by Kathy. She was in rescue six months and had so many problems. She finally was unable to fight them anymore and died at the emergency vet.

Lucy, loved by her foster mom, Linda and by her adoptive parents.

Maggie, loved by her foster mom, Gloria. Maggie died suddenly of heart failure.

Poochie, loved by her foster mom, Linda (I had her a few days), and Gloria. She also came into rescue with a very bad heart. We loved her for the time we had her.

Barkley, loved by his foster mom, Gloria. (Barkley's life before we had him was too much to overcome.)

Some of the Maxwell Foster Dogs

Here are some of the foster dogs I've had this year. :-)
This is Holly. I just got her this week! Just in time for Christmas. I call her "Holly-Jolly" and sing the Christmas song to her. Holly is between 8 and 10 years old--

This is sweet Maggie and Max. Maggie just wants to be cuddled, and Max LOVES his mini-tennis ball and toys. They are still available for adoption. We want to keep them together because they are so bonded. Both are five years old.

Abby/Lulubelle (adopted)

Weezie (adopted)

Jinji (adoption pending)

Clarence-- he's still available!! :-)

Starlight-- she's here at my house. She's moved in! haha

Joshua-- SWEET Joshua! (adopted)

A note on Angel, the Christmas Peke

So many of us love these little Pekingese. Sometimes, one is in a shelter, and someone knows they can't adopt it (too many already), but they pray that rescue will get the dog or someone will adopt it. A friend of mine saw Angel on Petfinder and knew she needed help. So, my friend prayed! She didn't know what happened to Angel until she saw her on my Peke blog. Here's what she wrote to me--
"I know you know God has His hand in everything, but I wanted to share something with you about an answered prayer. I have looked at Petfinder recently and saw a Peke that just made me want to scoop her up and love her. I knew I couldn't adopt her because I have three already. So I decided that I would offer up prayers for her. Several times I looked at her picture and each time I prayed to God that she would have a loving home or if she was sick that he would welcome her to Heaven. Today I read your Blog and recognized her as Angel, the peke Gloria fostered and loved for one day. Those prayers were heard and answered. I'm so glad for Angel that she knew love and a soft pink bed before she embarked on her new adventure in Heaven."

Angel is spending Christmas in heaven-- what a place to celebrate!

Angel, the Christmas Peke

This is Angel, the Christmas Peke. We got Angel out of a shelter in early December.

Angel has on her new coat to keep her warm. She was a Peke who had a hard life. She just needed a place to be loved and safe.

She has a bad mouth and it was hard for her to eat. But, she loved her foster mom and loved to be held and lay her head on the shoulder of her "mom."

Angel found this little pink bed and made it her own.

We were looking for a miracle for Angel. She was in bad shape and we were not able to save her. She had a grade 5 (out of 6) heart murmur and her heart was "all over the place". Her Christmas wish was to be safe and loved and we gave her that. For the time we had her, she got the care an imperial princess deserved. She was loved and warm and comfortable .

Now she is a Christmas Angel in heaven. We all miss her, but gave her her wish to be loved and safe and warm. That is what we do for them.

She was in critical shape, but we thought we could make a difference. All we could do was make a difference for a day-- but she received love and care for that day. She died knowing she was greatly loved, even for a short time.

It's what we do in rescue-- love them. If that is just for a few hours or a few months or longer, it's what we do. If we can make them better and then let them go to a new mom/dad, that's what we do. If we cannot heal them, fix them, then we just love them, and for each one of these little precious dogs, it is enough. They have been loved.

This Christmas, we miss the ones we could not save, we continue to help the ones we can. And for all of them, we wish you a blessed Christmas!!

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Here is a note from her foster mom, Gloria:

Our Christmas Angel came into PVPC as a stray from a shelter. Angel was extremely sweet and loving and those who met her fell in love. Unfortunately, Angel had been neglected far too long and had far too many health problems by the time we received her. She had one day of finding out how the Imperial Lion Dog is supposed to live and then her poor little heart gave out. In the meantime she had the chance to walk on grass, be warm, be offered good nutritious food, and to choose which of the pink snuggly beds she wished to sleep in and she slept in at least three. As her foster mom I felt honored to have the chance to love her and Angel touched my heart forever.
Gloria