Josie was a gentle, loving soul who had a very difficult life as a "yard" dog. She was a senior with multiple medical issues when she ended up in a busy shelter in Los Angeles. She was taken into rescue, as nobody wanted to adopt her. Due to various complications with organizing transportation for Josie, one rescuer drove all the way to California to pick her up and bring her back to Vancouver, where she would have a better chance of being adopted. When she came in to rescue, she was in horrible shape----her coat was severely matted and she was suffering from chronic eye and ear infections. She was cleaned up and given the medical attention she so desperately needed. She was then adopted and spent six months in a loving home before her medical condition deteriorated again. 

Josie’s new family could no longer care for her, so they brought her back to rescue. Josie spent three more months in foster care while she received veterinary treatment, until it was finally decided that she had suffered enough and would never regain an acceptable quality of life. So we stroked her gently and spoke softly to her as she crossed to the Bridge…

Jackson was two years old when he ended up in a high-kill shelter in Los Angeles. He had never been properly socialized and was fearful and aggressive towards the shelter staff. As a result of his aggressive behavior, he was not available for adoption to the general public, so he was rescued and flown to Vancouver for further assessment. He was placed in foster care and later adopted by his foster parents---an exceptional couple in North Vancouver who were committed to working with him to overcome his fears and aggression. 

His new family went to great lengths to help him, including consulting their veterinarian as well as numerous different behaviorists and trainers. Although they worked with him every day, Jackson’s aggressive behavior did not improve. After working with him daily for fourteen months, Jackson’s family came to the painful conclusion that he was beyond rehabilitation and could never achieve an acceptable quality of life---so they comforted him as best they could while he made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge.

Hugo was surrendered to a local shelter at the age of fourteen as his family could no longer care for him. Although still happy and spry, he was in need of extensive dental work and treatment for congestive heart failure. Due to Hugo's ongoing medical issues and advanced aged, he was not a good candidate for re-homing and he was adopted by his foster parents.

Hugo enjoyed watching old movies, spending time at the beach, and most of all, he enjoyed his food! After two happy years in his forever home, Hugo lost his long battle with heart failure at age sixteen. He is now running young and free at the Rainbow Bridge.

Pete ended up in a shelter in Los Angeles after being picked up as a stray. He was in terrible shape-----his coat was horribly dirty and matted and his left eye had been irreparably damaged. Nobody was interested in adopting him from the shelter, so he was rescued and given a second chance. He was bathed and cleaned up and his eye was examined by a vet. Underneath all the dirt was a beautiful, sensitive creature who just needed someone to love. Pete found a special home in Ladner where he quickly became a treasured member of the family.

Unfortunately, Pete spent just two and a half years with his new family, before losing his battle with congestive heart failure and pancreatic cancer. He will always be dearly loved and sadly missed by all who knew him, but we can all take comfort in knowing that his final years were undoubtedly the best of his life.  They were filled with long walks and new adventures, soft beds and sweet dreams, warm laps and, of course, plenty of love!

Diva was only two years old when her owners surrendered her to one of the busiest shelters in Los Angeles. Diva was emaciated and had never received proper nutrition or any type of veterinary care. She was extremely fearful in the shelter and spent most of her time curled up in a ball at the back of her cage, trembling furiously. Because she was so frightened and would not even come to the front of her cage to meet people, nobody was interested in adopting her and she was at very high risk for euthanasia due to critical overcrowding in the shelter. So Diva was rescued, taken to a vet clinic to be spayed and the following week, she was flown to Vancouver to find her forever home.

Although she had been overwhelmed with fear while in the shelter, once she arrived in Vancouver, she strutted into her foster home like she owned the place and immediately tried to take over---so her foster mom named her "Diva". She spent a short time learning about the good things in life: warm laps, soft beds and yummy food. After just a few days, her foster mom fell in love with her and made the decision that she would like to adopt Diva permanently. 

Then Diva got sick...she had never been vaccinated prior to her arrival at the shelter, and now she had Distemper. We did everything within our power to save her---she was such a young dog and her life had only just begun---she had only had a small taste of love and comfort. For a while Diva improved and it looked like she might get better. We were all so optimistic that she would recover---if only our love and hope could have been enough. But then she took an undeniable turn for the worse and began to have seizures. It became clear that her fragile little body could not fight any longer. Diva went to the Bridge while in the comfort of her mom's arms. Diva only had a tiny glimpse into all the wonderful things life has to offer a little dog, yet she fought so hard to stay with us and was taken away far too soon. Our only comfort is that she died knowing she was loved and valued.

No dog should ever die the way Diva did. Please ensure your dogs are protected against common canine viruses; either vaccinate or check titers, as recommended by your veterinarian. As a result of Diva’s tragic death, we have changed our practices for transporting dogs in order to prevent the inadvertent spread of disease. All dogs are now fostered in Los Angeles for a minimum of two weeks prior to making the trip to Vancouver. Diva was quickly isolated when she became ill and, thankfully, no other dogs got sick.

A tribute to Missy  from her family:

"Missy was surrendered to a shelter in Los Angeles and she was rescued from death row by Furever After Small Dog Rescue.  Missy arrived into our lives and immediately brought us joy. She was a loving, fun little girl that quickly became the queen of the house. She filled our home with love and gave us thousands of kisses. When she came to us we had another doggie, Chato, a boxer, who was paralyzed in his hind legs and used a doggie wheelchair. Missy became his loyal companion and soon was cuddling with him and trying to cheer him up. Missy's love helped to heal our grief when Chato died. 

It was very sad to think that someone could have walked away from her, she was so loving .We had her for almost four years and our only regret is not having had more time with her. She loved playing with her toys, chasing squirrels and she loved her food. She was a cuddly little ball of fur. She followed her mommy around and now her mommy feels very lonely without her. She became ill in the Summer of 2006 and at the end, things got worse and we had to let her go so she wouldn't suffer.  Our hearts are broken but we cherish all the beautiful memories of her that we have. We are looking forward to seeing her again at the Rainbow Bridge. Until then our sweet girl...."

Rosie was fourteen years old when she came into our care.  She had been dearly loved over the years and had even been trained in agility during her youth.  But when her guardian passed away and family members were no longer able to care for her, she found herself homeless.  Rosie's vision and hearing were failing and the transition to her foster home was stressful and confusing for her.  She did not adjust well and over the course of several months, it became clear that she was suffering from dementia.  She was becoming increasingly aggressive towards her foster family and the other animals in her foster home and her quality of life was deteriorating.  So the painful decision was made and Rosie's foster mom held her close and comforted her as she made her journey to the Rainbow Bridge.  Although we're deeply saddened by Rosie's passing, we take comfort in knowing that she died with dignity, in the arms of someone who loved and cared about her rather than being alone and afraid in a shelter.

Lucky was picked up as a stray on the busy streets of Los Angeles and taken to an overcrowded city shelter in West Valley.  Lucky was at high risk for euthanasia because he was a senior with multiple medical issues, so he was taken into care by our partner rescue group, Life 4 Paws.  He was in rough shape and his left eye had to be surgically removed because there was a tumor behind it.  Lucky made a full recovery and spent several months in a foster home in LA, but there were no adoption prospects, so he was flown to Vancouver in search of his forever home.  Lucky finally found his dream home with a fabulous young couple in North Vancouver. He went to work with his dad every day and enjoyed many brave adventures with his new family. 

Sadly, only a couple of months after he was adopted, Lucky's health deteriorated and he made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge.  Although we desperately wish that Lucky could have spent more time with his new family, we take comfort in knowing that Lucky’s last two months were the best months of his life.  We'd like to thank Lucky's mom and dad for their kindness and compassion in choosing to adopt a senior, special needs dog and for opening up their hearts and teaching Lucky what love is all about.