In Memory

We adopted her as Carla on 2/29/2008 and named her Marley.  Her estimated date of birth was given to us as 1/1/2008.  She was a labrador/boxer mix born with brothers and sisters but we chose her because we loved her shiny black coat and kind eyes. We had her when we were a year married and then had 2 kids so Marley has been with us from the beginning.  She always loved to eat and run around and always had her tail wagging.  The last few days were hard to see because she could not walk as well due to her battle with arthritic legs and sarcoma.  It made us so sad seeing her not being able to eat when she was the best eater with her tail down between her legs which was nothing we ever saw her do.  We had to put her to sleep on 4/25/2021 with such heavy hearts.  Our whole family misses her very much.  We are so thankful for A Forever Home for giving us the wonderful gift of having Marley.

To A Forever Home – 

In 2007, I adopted a puppy that I named Isis (her original name was Gumdrop). For 14 wonderful years, Isis was my constant companion. We walked for two hours or more per day! 

Isis was part beagle, part whippet, so she loved to sniff and loved to sprint. She obsessively chased squirrels and frequently asked for snacks. She provided our family with lots of love and cuddles. 

Isis was sweet and gentle to the end. We said goodbye to her on April 2, 2021, but she will remain in our hearts forever. Thank you for giving us this wonderful gift!

Kathy

We adopted Annabelle (originally Roxy) back in the fall of 2006.  She was with us through the birth of our three children, and was a wonderful companion for our family as it grew.  As toddlers our kids gave her the nickname “Abo” as they had a hard time saying her full name.  She was always very gentle with our kids, who she viewed as an excellent source of supplemental food from vacuuming up the floor around them.  She was wonderful with all of our extended family’s dogs, especially her best friend Stella.  She was a great friend on numerous walks around the neighborhood, hikes through the wilderness, and road trips to the beach.  It was a truly sad day for our family when we had to put Annabelle down this past February after nearly 15 years.  We miss her so much!

The Reichert Family 

Dear A Forever Home Staff, 15 years ago we adopted the sweetest little puppy from A Forever Home. “Cooper” a beagle spaniel mix was in our eyes our first baby and through the years he was the most wonderful little companion we could have asked for. He grew up with our family including our son “Sam” and always held a special place in our hearts. On the last day of August 2019 we had to say goodbye to our dear old friend. Personally, it was the hardest day of my life but he still makes me smile when I look at pictures of him.
Although I swore we could never go through the pain of saying goodbye to another dog ever again, something has been truly missing in our house ever since. It just hasn’t been the same without the pitter patter of paws and happy dog kisses….I attached some pics of “Cooper” that we took over the years. Just figured you’d like to see how that fateful day truly changed our lives.

All the Best, Rob

Our loving companion is gone… but his memory lives on! 

We signed ourselves up 12 years ago for this guaranteed heartbreak without comprehending that it’s in exchange for the deepest, most magical, unadulterated form of unconditional love. Shep, we love you and miss you dearly. You have left your paw prints all over our hearts and you will be there forever. 

– Kaushik, Paromita, Soham, Prisha, Ganen, Dolly & Archana. 

We are sad to announce that Myles (AFH name Charlie) passed away on Saturday, March 27th. We adopted Myles when he was three months old. We attended an adoption event and instantly fell in love with him. From camping trips, outdoor adventures, watching nieces and nephews grow and welcoming our first baby, Myles has been a part of every aspect of our lives. We can’t imagine our days without him but we hope he is at rest and with us in spirit.

Best, Emerald & Kenneth 

We adopted Oscar in 2010 and he has been a joy to the end. He made it well
beyond what he should have. Many surgeries for mast cell and finally 6
months of chemo. Every day was a gift A donation has been made in his honor
via pay pal. Thank you for allowing us to have this wonderful boy. When the
pain subsides–we’ll be back. Be on the lookout for boxer puppies. 🙂 Tammy
and Hal

I woke up this morning to intense sadness. My walking partner of 13 years was not here. I calculated that we went well over 5,000 walks together. Our little buddy who everyone thought was part fox. The sweetest, Best dog ever. Just heartbroken. But we thank God for the light you brought to us. Rest dear Riley. We love you so much!

Maribel and Patti,

My best bud Schooner (AFH original name Donnie) who I adopted from your organization on March 16 2007, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday March 14. I am beyond heartbroken. He was my best friend and my co-pilot for the past 14 years. He always had the most amazing smile and truly had a zest for life. He was such a people person, everybody that met Schooner ended up having a new friend. Over the years we shared so many adventures together. Our favorite thing to do was run agility courses. We started doing dog agility when Schooner was two years old and we were running courses as a team for almost 12 years. Schooner loved doing anything at the beach! Always a week at Dewey Beach, DE every year. He totally enjoyed being in the sun, running on the beach with other dogs, and digging in the sand. Loved, going for car rides especially to his favorite store, Dog Gone Natural for a treat and to Starbucks for his puppuccino. Most of all he was my loyal companion and confidant, always at my side through thick and thin. I could talk to Schooner about anything, and he would sit there and listen attentively and nonjudgmentally. Schooner was my amazing guy with a heart of gold. I will miss him terribly, but he will live on in my heart forever. Thank you so much for bringing Schooner into my life. I knew immediately when he came up to me and looked up with that little head tilt, that he and I would be best friends forever….Thank you so much. Sincerely, Mary Ann

Thank you for giving us our girl, 13 years ago this March. She was named Shaundra when we were lucky enough to adopt her at 10 weeks. She became Haleakala (Halea for short) Shaundra. She was the joy of our lives…fun, feisty, mature for her age and the BEST on road trips. She left us on 2/8 just 2 weeks after turning 13. 

Thank you for bringing her into our lives.

Alissa 

It is with a broken heart that we must inform you that our beloved dog, Elmo, crossed the rainbow bridge peacefully this afternoon at the age of 14, surrounded by his loved ones. We brought Elmo home 14 years ago this month – an adorable beagle-boxer mix. He brought us so much joy and was much loved. Elmo successfully beat thyroid cancer in 2019 but was diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma (bladder) about a year ago. He fought hard, but was unable to beat this one.

Tom, Jennifer, and Lexy

On January 4, I lost my best friend, Irwin, who has passed on after 14 amazing fun-filled years. I still remember the day we walked into the PetSmart and saw that “A Forever Home” was visiting. He was the last of Corona’s litter – the only merle puppy and he couldn’t have been cuter. With AFH, he was called “Bobby Blue”, but just a few months earlier in 2006, my favorite adventurous personality, Steve Irwin, died and I knew that by passing along the name Irwin, he would take on that adventurous spirit.

Irwin was our “permanent puppy” – cute-faced and goofy well into adulthood, at times dumber than a box or rocks, and unsure of the world and the people he was convinced would kill us. He was my shadow inside the house, always by my side (even my 5- and 3-year old know when playing hide-and-seek with Daddy, find the dog and you’ll find Daddy). He was an athletic freak, with limitless energy, speed, and jumping ability – often my faithful companion on long runs and trail hikes. If you’ve ever set foot in my house or within eyeshot of him or me, you’d know he took his role of loyal guardian seriously; God help the poor soul who would ever try to hurt me or my family if he was anywhere nearby.

But with my family, he was silly, lovable, soft, and the perfect companion. I can’t believe the day has finally come to say goodbye, but all good things come to an end. I love you, Irwin, and I’ll miss you forever. Thank you for bringing him into our lives, A Forever Home!

Our Golden Retriever, Stevie passed away in July 2020.  We adopted him from AFH in 2015.  He was the most loving, sweet, quiet, even tempered dog.  A true gentle giant!  Every person that met him fell in love and he loved all people, especially kids.  He was truly the best dog in the world… ask any person that met him, they’d agree!  He was a senior when we adopted him and we were lucky to get 5 years with this wonderful creature.  We miss him every day!…Amy S.

We said our final goodbyes to our beloved pup, Murphy, last week. We adopted Murphy (previously Digbey of the Fireworks litter) in July 2006, and we were so lucky to have had 14+ years with our boy. He was a loyal companion who loved his family and his treats. Murphy was as smart as he was handsome; he was a perfect example of why rescue dogs are the best. He left us with so many wonderful memories, including serving as the MOH (mutt of honor) in our wedding. We miss him terribly but find comfort in knowing he’s finally at peace.

Thank you so much, Lauren

This is probably  the hardest email I have ever sent.  We were fortunate enough to have adopted two very special friends from forever home.

Our Taz: Who would have thought that in a trip to Southern States for horse feed we would find such a treasure.   There he was and when he was picked up he wrapped his paws around my husband’s neck and that was it.  He was such a joy and we were so lucky to have such a wonderful  and devoted friend.  We lost him to bone cancer. He is deeply missed every day.

Our Bruiser: It was love at first site!  We saw him online and knew he belonged in our family.  No matter how bad of a day you had, when you drove into the driveway  and saw this beautiful face waiting for you it all went away.  Always full of love.  Bruiser passed in October and  is greatly missed.  Our hearts are  broken.

No longer by our side but forever in our hearts. With heavy heart, Sharon and Kenneth

We adopted our Cody (aka Steve from scamper pups) from a litter fostered by Forever Home in 2007. We put in our application, then were notified that he became very ill (likely with parvovirus) and might not make it. Your rescue group did not give up, and made sure he had the best possible treatment. Thanks to you, he did recover, we were able to bring him into our home and love him for 13 years. Sadly, he passed on December 14th. He was the best companion our family could have hoped for. He loved running outside, playing fetch, going for rides and just hanging with his people. We are grateful to the part you played in bringing him into our lives ❤️❤️ Stephanie

Our lovely Princess died on October 2, 2020–we are heartbroken.  She was Sarah from the S puppies, adopted in 2007.  She was fun, beautiful and always ready for a long walk.  We were lucky to have her for such a long time, but we will miss her very much.

Thank you for bringing her to us A Forever Home❤

Trish

This sweet ole girl, Holley, crossed the Rainbow Bridge the morning of September 25, 2020. She has been a part of our family since she was 6 weeks old, and turned 16 this summer. She was the best dog you could have… always happy to see anyone, loved potato chips, cheese, bologna, and loved playing Frisbee and in the snow. She was my Son, Zander’s, shadow and protector for many years and shared one last bologna lunchable with my 20 month old Rumor Jae just a couple nights before. She loved driving my Mom crazy by wanting let outside a million times an evening to see what she could find to eat in the yard. She was my Dad’s garage and late night dinner buddy and he was her best friend and favorite human. She will be terribly missed but I’m so thankful she had a great and very long doggy life. She deserved every bit of it. See you on the other side sweet girl. 😙🐶

Carmen – I just wanted to thank you and the team at A Forever Home. I adopted my pup Elvis from you in January of 2006. He passed this last week. I will be forever grateful for the last 15 years with the best boy in the world. Elvis traveled from the halls of Congress all over the country and then back to DC for his golden years. He was dubbed the “People’s Dog” long ago because he made friends everywhere he went. There is a big hole in my family’s heart I think we are all trying to fill but we would hole heartedly jump in again for another 15.

Thank you Carmen! Cara

We adopted Abigail from A Forever Home in 2003 and she was a wonderful member of our family for 16.5 years, until she finally stopped fighting her cancer in March.  We miss her so! 

Thanks, Craig