SPORT
Beagle
Birthday: Sometime in mid 1980s
Death: Age Unknown 1990s
Sport showed up at our doorstep in Laurel, MD right after we bought our first home in 1990. There were no missing dog reports that we could find anywhere. His age was unknown but he seemed old when we got him. He kept escaping and digging his way out of the backyard (probably what happened with the other owners). Every time he escaped, it cost us $200 at the pound. He did it twice and that was enough. We kept fortifying the fence until he couldn’t get out. He started having seizures and had to be put down several years after we owned him. He was our first dog together. He was a sweet dog – very laid back.
SAUCY
Lab Mix
Birthday: Sometime in early 1990s
Death: Age 10 – Early 2000s
Saucy was a very very loving dog. Easy going and always wanting to please. We found her by way of a farmer wanting to unload some puppies in Friendsville, MD. Our kids were very young (I don’t think Jesse was even walking) and we decided to rescue a farm puppy. She was with us for 10 years and ended up having to be euthanized because of a returning aggressive mouth cancer. She had a surgery to remove it and it grew back almost immediately. It was a very hard time for us as we had bonded with Saucy. She was the only dog that we ever got to say “I WUV U” when she wanted a treat. She would also say “MAMA”. When she was in pain from the surgery and the cancer returned, Saucy would sit on the couch and mournfully say “MAMA”. I would sit with her and comfort her as best I could but could not allow her to suffer any longer. We still miss Saucy to this day.
BUTTER
Cocker Spaniel
Birthday: Unknown
Death: Age 6 – Early 2000s
We adopted Butter from a local pound in Maryland. We don’t know how old she was but she was only with us for a few short years. Talk about a dog that liked to suck up to you and roll on her back waiting for her belly to be rubbed. She was super sweet. We did not know her medical history but about age 6 she started having trouble going to the bathroom. We took her in for X-rays and it was determined that several discs in her back had failed. Surgery could have been done but there was only a 50/50 chance for her recovery. We were told she would have to live in a crate the rest of her life. Rather than take chances and then have her quality of life be poor, we made the hardest decision of our lives. We really miss Butter. That was the only close up picture that I could find of Butter in my phone. The other pictures are in print and packed away.
FRITTER
Beagle
Birthday: 04/06/2001
Death: 02/08/2012
Fritter – funny Fritter. We found Fritter as a young puppy at the local pound. He was so cute so we scooped him up. My dad would call him Norman for some odd reason. Fritter was always ready to snoop out the food sources. He would rely on the other dogs to swipe the counter and get him a treat. One year, some dog decided to swipe the Christmas gifts off the counter and give Fritter the package. Fritter tore it open and ate all the chocolate inside and shared it with the other dogs. We were due to drive to Vermont that evening but had to stop off at the vets with 5 dogs in tow to get them checked out. They all got a hydration bubble on their neck and out the door they went. The 8 hour trip to Vermont in a motorhome was spent cleaning up doggy vomit from the chocolate. I will never forget Fritter’s kindness and sharing. Unfortunately, Fritter had to be put to sleep during his 11th year of life due to a horrible spreading skin cancer on his stomach. He also could no longer go potty on his own and had to be carried outside. Poor guy was miserable.
CIDER
Dachshund/Shepherd Mix
Birthday: 04/06/2001
Death: 11/16/2015
Cider was my special girl and my shadow. We picked up Cider at the Maryland Line Rescue a day or so after picking up Fritter. Someone had dumped her off because they didn’t want her anymore. We had gone to the rescue looking for another pup for Fritter to grow up with and found her. Cider clung to me and followed me wherever I went. She was my favorite. She loved going camping and for walks with the other dogs that we had. She bonded with Fritter since they were the same age. My dad would call her “Ginger” and she’d come to him every time he called. It’s hard to imagine not having her in my life. I miss her so very much and still cry when I think of her. She started having seizures and then running into things. Her weight was dropping quickly. It was found that she had cancer. I HATE CANCER. It has taken a lot of my dogs. We had to put her to sleep so that she suffered no longer. She was 14.5 years old. Sweet Sweet Cider.
PIPPIN
Jack Russell Terrier Mix
Birthday: 04/06/2005
Death: 05/05/2021
Pippin was another favorite girl of mine. We rescued her from a local hairdresser that had too many dogs and wanted to find a home for her. She was under a year old and was nothing but skin and bones. Pippin LOVED going for hikes and camping. Our first camping trip out, she got over excited when she saw an off leash dog approaching us at a nearby trail parking area. Pippin bolted out of the car before we could clip the leash on. She chased the dog out of the parking lot but then came back to us. The off leash dog was not found for 2 weeks but was luckily reunited with their owner. Pippin would always sniff out tumors that would grow inside me and alert me to their presence. She was never wrong when I needed surgery and would lay on me until my pain went away. Pippin lived 16 years. In the middle of the night, a violent seizure threw her off the bed. We rushed her to the local emergency vet who found that she had a mass on her pancreas that seemed to be causing issues. The vet didn’t think she would have long before it ruptured. We had to say goodbye. It makes me well up with tears when I think of her and all the others. She was a loving and very smart dog.
DOG DOG
Unknown Mix
Birthday: 04/06/2006
Death: 03/03/2023
Dog Dog (formerly known as Jessie) was an Eastern Shore Dog. We got her from my 11th grade history teacher. He was getting married at age 80 yrs old and was not able to keep her. Dog Dog had shown up on his doorstep after she had been hit by a car. He kept her for several years until his marriage. He saw our big yard and wanted Dog Dog to have a place to run instead of being kept inside all the time. We picked her up just before his wedding and our Jesse fell in love with her. He named her Dog Dog. Dog Dog was so easy to love. At first, she didn’t want to mingle with the existing pack but then she began to fit in several months later. She enjoyed playing with the others and enjoyed just being with us. She was a very active dog until she could no longer walk or go potty. We rushed her into the vet and were told that there was nothing they could do for her. Her back and hips had finally given out at age 17 and she was in pain. There was also a mass on her pancreas. We had to say goodbye.
MUFFIN
PUG
Birthday: 04/06/2006
Death: 06/28/2023
Muffin was the only dog that we ever bought from a local pug breeder. We got her when she was weaned and able to leave her mama. She was tough stuff and ruled the roost. She was the smallest of the pack but was the leader of the pack. Peanut and Muffin would chase each other around the house constantly. Muffin loved to play with Jesse as well. They would play all the time together with various toys. Muffin was the love of Alec’s life (aside from me) and both of them had a very strong bond. Toward the end of Muffin’s life, Alec would carry her around in a front pack when we would go for walks. She was a cuddly dog and loved lap time – it didn’t matter whose lap it was as long as she was being held. Alec cannot see another Pug without tearing up – it has been 2 years since her passing. Muffin started having bad seizures and spine problems. She went blind as well. She too would have to be carried out to go to the bathroom and carried everywhere as she became unable to walk. We had to rush her to the emergency vet and say goodbye when her body would no longer function. She was 17 years old. Our little girl is so very missed.