| Visit our booth at the 2005 Veterinary Medicine Open House on Saturday, April 2 from 9am-2pm at the Veterinary Medicine building on the Urbana-Champaign University of
Illinois
campus.
View directions to
the open house.
Visit our German
Shepherd Dog Shop
at www.CafeShops.com!
Sammie's Meal Time Bib
now available!
Elizabeth Riddle, our rescue president, outside
of her full-time job and continuing educational pursuits, is an animal behaviorist
and an obedience instructor, with a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University
of Illinois with a specialty in Ethology (the study of animal behavior). She
officially founded this rescue in November of 1997 while attending the University
of Illinois. Learn more about this rescue...
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Sponsor a dog at our rescue in memory of your own German Shepherd
Dog or German Shepherd mix that has passed away.
All donations will go directly to the care
of all the German Shepherds at this rescue.
Please visit our Sponsor
a Dog page to find out how to have your German Shepherd
or German Shepherd mix remembered on this page.
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| This
is in memory of my big, beautiful Shepherd, Kobi.
Kobi passed away on Jan. 10, 2004 very suddenly because of a twisted
intestine,
just shy of his 4th birthday. He was our great protector and friend.
We always felt safe when he was around. He was not a real affectionate
type, but he would always let me kiss him and hug his neck. I would
always get mad at him for leaving big
muddy paw prints on the glass of the garage door, and he left one
for us that we will always have. He was always so full of life
and loved chasing birds and squirrels and playing with his ball.
There
is a hole in our hearts that only he could fill
and we miss him terribly as he was taken too soon from us. We will
always remember Kobi fondly. He was such a big part of our life
and we loved him very, very much.
— Aileen O’Dea and family from Illinois |
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We
pulled Cleo from a shelter in January 2003. She was to
be another foster dog who we care for, train, socialize, and
then tearfully send on to their new home. Less than two
weeks after bringing her into our home, Cleo was diagnosed
with end stage renal failure. We adopted her ourselves and
so began our journey together. Cleo and I may not have had
the benefit of sharing our lives for years, but we crammed a
lifetime of bonding into the 11 too short months that we did
have together. My life and schedule revolved around Cleo
and her needs. Nothing was more important to me than taking
care of Cleo and enjoying life with her. She and I could
read each other perfectly. If she were a human, we would
have finished each other's sentences. In my heart I know that Cleo
was an angel sent to me. Her
silliness and happiness in spite of everything she endured
was an inspiration to me. She taught me how to live in the
moment with her, and give a pishaw to the other things going
on around us. During her final days she taught me to smile
despite utter sadness. We were blessed to have had her in
our lives. She was and still is my hero. May the memory of her incredible
spirit live on forever in the lives of those she touched.
Rest well my sweet girl until we can be together again.
There will never ever be another dog quite like you.
— Marilyn, rescuer from Indiana |
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Dixie was
my baby, my best friend, and my teacher. I had always wanted
a dog like her and she was everything I had ever wanted and more.
She has taught me so much. I have learned infinite patience from
her younger days when she let me know, time and again, that she
had
a mind of her own. She never completely lost this willfulness—and
I never wanted her to—but it was tempered with maturity and
wisdom. We began to form a partnership and she realized it
was
alright to do what I wanted her to do. (However she always reserved
the right to do it her way!) She taught me the true meaning of
unconditional love. Through all that she and I went through, the
good and the bad, she never failed to be there with a wagging tail
and an invitation to play—showing me that she loved and
accepted me completely. She also taught me the meaning of true
friendship.
She was always there when I needed a shoulder to cry on or someone
to jump for joy with. I could always talk to her and she would
listen, truly listen, to every word. She was a unique mixture
of energy and serenity that was contagious. Everyone who met
her instantly
loved her and she never met a person or animal that she didn't
immediately consider her own. She lived more in her short life
than many dogs get a chance to live in a long life. I only had
her for four and a half years, which wasn't nearly long enough.....
but what wonderful years they were!
— Jodi from Illinois |
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Sadie and Beau. When I went to look at the "free" German
Shepherd puppies that someone was giving away, Sadie (on the
left) stole my heart
immediately. She was the runt of the litter. We took her home
and began the training process. I can't tell you how many shoes
we
went through until she learned that shoes are NOT toys. Beau
came to live with us a few
months when the people that owned him couldn't keep him anymore.
These two dog were smarter
than I ever seen. I felt I could talk to them like any person
and they understood me.
After many years of having them, I let
them out one morning for a yard
break,
and
when I
came
back
a few minutes later, Sadie could not get up. I thought maybe
she
just hurt herself while being outside so I left her in the
house for the day while I went to work. I couldn't concentrate
at work, so I came home and told Sadie we
were going to the doctor.Sadie did NOT
like going to the vet, but before I could get the front door
locked, Sadie
was already pulling herself down the hill trying to get in
the car by herself. She had no feeling from below her front legs
to her tail so she was literally was dragging herself.
The vet sent us to
a specialist that said they could do
surgery, but Sadie's chances of walking were not good.
We spent that afternoon with Sadie at home and then
took
her in to the vet and had her put to sleep.
I held her as she fell asleep. Sadie was my child and it
was
a sad
day for everyone. Beau
mourned for weeks and wouldn't eat. Beau suffered from
a lifetime of horrible allergies which was hard on his poor body.
He passed a couple
years after Sadie. These two dogs truly loved each other as
did I. I still miss them.
— Tammi from Kansas |
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Misty,
Our Vice-President's very special puppy and honorary
German Shepherd (schnauzer mix), recently passed away
after two decades of unsurpassed loyalty. Misty was a one-man
dog for our VP's entire adulthood. She saw him through the best
and worst of times with unconditional love and acceptance, often
kept him going with snuggles on cold nights. Misty will never
be forgotten, and the clicking of her nails will be missed terribly.
Twenty years is a wonderfully long time to keep your best friend.
She is now dancing in green fields with our other beloved pets,
until it is time for us to meet again.
— Rick and Elizabeth, Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue
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"Her name was Shadow, but
life was brighter because she was in it."
My
family adopted Shadow at the tender age of 9 weeks. She was a
pure black fur ball of energy. Little did we know the beautiful
and proud dog she would grow into. She was protective, almost
to a fault, (ask a few ex-boyfriends) and often threatening a
passerby for getting too close to us on our daily run. Though
barking at people walking on "her" sidewalk was a favorite pastime,
she was most content being in the middle of the commotion with
her paw on your hand. Whether it be in the middle of Christmas
paper wrapping or under the kitchen table - wherever the family
was, she was. Some of my very favorite memories of Shadow are
when she misbehaved - coming home to her with a tiny bathroom
garbage can stuck on her head because she was trying to eat the
Kleenexes out of it, or coming home from church to find a bag
of hamburger buns hid throughout the house in bedding and couches.
I often wonder just how many toys were buried in our old couches
before we gave them away and how many bones we left buried in
our old yard. Shadow was nowhere as happy as she was at Mom and
Dad's summerhouse in Wisconsin. Whether it be fishing with Dad
in the boat or chasing the ducks in the lake (and then them turning
around to chase her), she was home. Sadly, as much as we loved
Shadow, God had other plans for her - he needed a new protector
and companion. On April 5th, 2003 Shadow joined Shasta and King
and is happily playing and swimming in a place that bears a striking
resemblance to Buffalo Lake.
— Korrin from Illinois
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We
did everything right. Good bloodlines, healthy sound parents.
All his shots, New collar, leash, bed, bowls, toys, crate...ah
yes the crate! Small enough to feel safe and lie down in but
big enough to get his head through the wires and hang himself...5
days before Christmas. Never had this happened to us. We had
grown complacent thinking we were doing everything perfectly.
Never did we check the kennel, we just assumed it was "perfect" also.
Please, check these wire kennels thoroughly. Strong little necks
can push the lid up but can't pull themselves back in. Maybe
some day, we will be able to adopt another German Shepherd Dog
pup like our little "Candy's Cain" (but
not replace him).
— Jan from
Ohio
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We
adopted Leia (right), and her
brother Luke (left), in April, 2001. They were both very shy
around us and incredibly attached to each other. Eventually,
they came to accept us as their new family and their individual
personalities emerged. While not the goof ball her brother was,
Leia was extremely affectionate and playful. When she was very
happy, she had the most adorable prance where she would spread
her toes and high-step with her front legs. She loved to chase
toys and went crazy over anything that squeaked. Leia even liked
to watch TV! She was also incredibly devoted to Luke, waiting
by the door until he came back from his walks. They would often
parade around the house together, holding on to the same toy.
Everyday, they gave us something new to laugh about. In February
2003, Leia suddenly developed cancer in her spleen. There was
nothing we could do and she had to be put to sleep just one week
later. We are so lucky to have found these two and glad we were
able to make Leia's last years so much better than her first.
We miss you Leia!
— Luke and his Family from Illinois
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Burl was
a gorgeous, male, sable, 4 year old. He was also blind, and because
of that, lost his home. His owner dumped him at the pound because
he had "too many dogs". We only had him for a few days, but in
that time this 89lb sweetheart tolerated a 2 1/2 hour bath, ear
cleaning, nail trim, having to learn a new environment and new
people. He was very compliant and at one point fell asleep on,
my husband, Rick's lap. We even have a special foster home with
extensive experience in training blind dogs, so the condition
of his blindness wasn't an issue.
We will never understand what any of these dogs have suffered
through in their lives, and we really do not want to. We, as
ground level rescuers, already know too much of the truth. There
are three other dogs at this person's house who are dying a very
slow and extremely painful death. Burl was left outdoors for
his 4 years and didn't even know what to do inside the house,
but curled up next to the heater on his comforter in the kitchen
and slept comfortably for maybe the first time.
Burl had been caked with feces and saturated to the point of
urine crystals on his hair follicles. He was blind, probably
later in life and probably as a result of his illness and was
dumped from the only family he ever knew for this inconvenience.
His owner didn't even want to pay the $10 owner give up fee to
the pound and complained about it.
Burl was unneutered, unvaccinated, and untreated for heartworm
or any illness. He wagged his tail at the littlest bit of attention.
He ignored cats. He wagged for other dogs —probably the
only creatures to ever help him in his life. This
dog died 100% because of human neglect. The dog did nothing
to deserve this treatment. He had no medical care, no preventative
care, no affection or love.
After all of this, after having every reason to hate or fear
humans. After having every reason to fear the world, fear the
unknown. This dog laid his head on our laps, snuggled his head
into us, laid his paw on our arms, licked our faces, cautiously
followed us and trustingly went where we led him. This dog ate
our food, drank our water, slept on our comforter in the kitchen
and next to our bedroom door. This dog let us bathe, brush, nail
trim, and clean his ears without so much as a growl or a lip
curl. This dog let our veterinarian examine, take a temp, check
ears, eyes, heart, and draw blood without so much as a cross
look. This dog let that needle take him home (euthanized) without
a fight.
Thank you to Aileen
O'Dea, Gina Addis, Kathleen
Braun, Rebecca Kuk, Susan Caley,
Steven Hirsh and family, and Deborah Eades (God bless this
sweet dog and may he chase squirrels forever in a better place
across the Bridge) for
their donations to give Burl a proper cremation.
— Elizabeth, Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue
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Elvis (a.k.a.
woo woo baby) needed to be put to sleep on December 26, 2002
due to uncontrollable seizures. He was just a pup. He is pictured
(right) with his pal, Duke. Elvis' biological mom was a purebred
Australian Shepherd and his dad was a purebred German Shepherd.
I saw him in June of 2002 when I took a neighbor to pick up a
horse she had purchased. Elvis snuggled into my neck and made
little grunting noises. I just fell in love with him! At 6 months
of age, Elvis was very good at 'sit', 'stay', 'down' and fetched
toys like a pro. He would get his tug and bring it to you to
play with him. If he wanted me he would make this wooo wooo sound
and couldn't wait to go with me to feed the horses so he could
round up the cats to the feed bowl. He greatly enriched our lives
in the short time he was with us. I ride with a volunteer Horse
Search and Rescue (SAR) Team and had hoped to train Elvis to
work with the horses in the field doing searches for lost people.
SAR work rekindled my interest in having a German Shepherd or
German Shepherd mix in my "family". I don't know how long it
will take me to get over the loss of this young, but much loved
pet.
— Susan from Illinois
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Dutchess (a.k.a.
The Snoocher, Dutchy, Snooches) came to our lives in May of 1989
as the third child (with two human children before her). She
was a shy, lanky pup with one ear up and the other undecided.
She was jet black and came with an attitude. We were lucky enough
to have her around for over 13 years.
Dutchy spent much of her time playing with balls, plastic alligators,
and a vinyl octopus. She saw my brother and me graduate from
high school, college, and medical school. She got us through
family good times and bad. There was seldom a day when we wouldn't
smile about something relating to her. Daily walks by the lake
were her favorite, and she would often return with a stick or
rock keepsake from the journey. I had hoped for her to be the "flower
dog" in my wedding.
In her final years, Dutchess suffered with Degenerative Myelopathy
(DM), which made it hard for her to stand up and get around.
My parents installed carpet segments and ramps all over the house
to facilitate her lifestyle. She left us peacefully (after barking
at the mailman) and quietly passed away with her head in my father's
lap. We all miss you Dutchy — see you later.
— Andra from Ohio
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| Oscar came
home with me when he was six weeks old - absolutely the "cutest
little pea" in my eyes.
When he was about 5 months old, he had an abdominal obstruction
and a few inches of his small intestine had to be surgically
removed, but he recovered quickly. In the following years, like
many other German shepherds, he was very energetic and playful,
he had also developed allergies, and was afraid of thunder. Other
than work, he accompanied me almost everywhere. He came with
me on vacation, to grocery stores; he even went to the bank with
me sometimes. He was rather picky when it came to food. His favorites
were roast turkey, rotisserie chicken, and broiled beef on top
of NeutroMax small bite dry food.
Oscar passed away on October 19, 2002, just less than a month
from his 7th birthday. He had been suffering from hip dysplasia,
followed by ITP. In his last days, he was taking a high dose
of steroid to control ITP, and it was suspected that this might
have contributed to a combination of sicknesses.
He is being remembered as beautiful, loyal, and intelligent.
Rest in peace, Oscar boy, you are always in our hearts. You are
not only my best friend, you are also part of the family. Thank
you for all the precious time you have given us. Until we meet
again, play happily at the Rainbow Bridge, and always remember
that we love you very, very much.
— Rebecca from New Jersey
What is Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia
(ITP)?
View an article on this topic by the River
Road Veterinary Clinic of Vermont: http://www.rrvetclinic.com/lib_immune_mediated_hemolytic_anemia.htm
In September 2003, Rebecca unvieled her new website in memory
of Oscar. Her site is designed to help homeless German Shepherds
find homes. Visit her site at: http://www.oscarthegsd.com.
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 Duke was
a real sweetheart and a beautiful big boy. He broke our hearts
because he was such a large and handsome boy, but would drop
in a second as if in fear of being struck. He was so quiet and
gentle and very snugly and surprisingly trusting, but if you
tried to throw a fetch stick or said "no" too loudly,
he just cowered. We were afraid he had been beaten and this is
inexcusable. He was very well behaved. He was found by police
locked in a basement and left for dead. Thankfully he did not
suffer malnutrition or illness. Unfortunately Duke developed
Gastric Torsion (bloat) in the morning of November 22, 2002,
after breakfast. Because of his age (possibly 8 years old), the Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue opted not to try surgery
and put him to sleep.
A special thanks goes
out to Duke's sponsor: Lori
Broach — on behalf of
her dog Leia, a Shepherd/Doberman
mix
Thank you to Aileen
O'Dea, Marilyn Manley, and Rebecca Kuk for their donations to
give Duke a proper cremation.
— Elizabeth, Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue
What is Canine Bloat?
View an article on this topic at Cyber
Canine: http://www.cybercanine.com/bloat.htm |
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Rebel was a handsome male German
Shepherd. He topped a hundred pounds easy, yet was the sweetest
boy in the world. He never asked for much from us at the Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue.
He came from a sad situation. Apparently having changed ownership
several times in his life and ending up with someone who never
really wanted a dog. He was chained to a dog house under a tree.
The neighbor fed him most of the time and asked permission to
walk him. She was tired of seeing him in the weather with flies
and feces surrounding him and asked if she could call the Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue to surrender him.
Rebel certainly wasn't getting any younger, he was at least
eleven, if not 13-14 years old. It was December of 1999 and winter
was here. His old bones were not going to make another season
of exposure. The Central Illinois German
Shepherd Dog Rescue lucked out and picked him up during
a mild beginning to the winter just weeks before bigger storms
hit.
He was brought in the house and given his own room to stay
in. He was quiet, loving, and just loved a good meal. He had
never been neutered and had a couple major masses on his body.
We had his masses removed and tested, he was neutered and his
teeth were cleaned. He braved all of this new medical attention
and healed up well. We hoped for a couple of good happy years.
He enjoyed car rides and walks around the block and was content
to sleep in his room the rest of the day after breakfast and
supper. His limbs started to get sore, so the walks declined
and we had to be more careful on stairs. He was a senior and
we understood the process, but he was still comfortable and happy.
Rebel was never adopted to a personal home of his own where
he would be loved and spoiled all alone. We came home one day
in the summer of 2000 and he could no longer get up. We moved
him closer to air-conditioning in hope of bringing comfort and
called our vet. She came to the house and performed an exam.
He had become painful on palpation and all of his organs were
enlarged. She believed he was very end stage and things were
just shutting down.
Rebel was held by us, lovingly in our home, which we hoped he
considered his, and our vet brought him peace. Rebel will forever
be in our hearts. We only knew this magnificent animal in his
golden year and could only imagine how fantastic he must have
been in his youth.
We don't want to imagine this animal's heartbreak at being discarded
over and over and spending his final years at the end of a chain
by a tree surrounded by his own excrement. How brave he must
have been to accept care from complete strangers, tolerate medical
procedures, and examination by a vet, when he may have never
seen a veterinary hospital before.
We can marvel at his gratefulness for a warm place to sleep
without fleas, flies, or mess. We can be amazed at how happy
a bowl of food made him. We can be reminded of the horror of
irresponsible human actions and the purity of an animal's soul.
Rebel was a dog who never left the rescue for a single loving
home. We all understand the love we feel for our pets and how
none of them will ever be forgotten, may we never forget the
dogs who pass away in wait for rescue.
— Elizabeth, Central
Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue
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