Paws In Heaven

It’s been a while since I moved on to my next life, but I still think of you every day. My last days were pretty uncomfortable but I really appreciate everything you did for me. Your handmade meals were great but I really don’t feel hungry anymore. I gotta tell you, I don’t miss the storms and I see that you’ve had a lot of them this Spring. You remember my teeth chattering and now that I’m above all of that I have to tell you that I’m much calmer. I’ve gotten to meet all of your other pups from long ago and they are interesting new friends. They say to tell you that they are doing well too. Roxy and I are chasing squirrels again and I’m much quicker than I used to be. I know you’ve thought (usually in the middle of the night when I visit your dreams) that you waited too long to help me out, but that’s just not true. The timing was perfect and Angela is an angel (well named I think). I need to get back to goose chasing and barking at nothing so I better go. We’ll see each other again, when you’re ready. But until then,

I’m Okay.

We remember and honor our sweet boy Oso, whose life changed ours in ways words can only begin to describe. He was more than a pet; he was family, a best friend, a comfort, and a constant source of love. From the moment he came into our lives, he filled our home with warmth, joy, laughter, and a kind of unconditional love that will stay with us forever.
He had a special way of making ordinary days feel extraordinary. Whether he was greeting us with excitement, resting quietly nearby, making us laugh with his personality, or simply
being present when we needed comfort, he gave us more than companionship. He gave us peace. He reminded us to slow down, to appreciate the simple things, and to love without
hesitation.
He was amazing in every way that mattered. His loyalty was steady, his heart was gentle, and his love was pure. He had a way of becoming part of every routine and every memory,
leaving his mark on our lives in countless little ways. The sound of his paws, the look in his eyes, the comfort of his presence, and the happiness he brought into our home are gifts we
will always cherish.
Now that he is gone, the house feels quieter, and our hearts feel heavier. We miss the little things most of all: the moments that once seemed so ordinary but now mean everything. We miss his companionship, his spirit, his affection, and the way he made every day better just by being in it.
Though we had to say goodbye, the love he gave us will never leave. He changed our lives, made us better, and taught us the meaning of faithful, joyful, unconditional love. We will carry him with us always—in our memories, in our stories, and in the quiet places of our hearts.
Rest easy, sweet boy. You were deeply loved, you will be forever missed, and you will forever be loved and remembered.

Foul-Mouthed Frankie (legal name) a Dudley yellow lab unlike any other, she left a mark on every person lucky enough to know her. With her striking yellow-green eyes, a soft pink nose and belly, and the most beautiful golden coat, Frankie was as stunning as she was unforgettable.

She never had enough pets and never met a toy she was willing to share, so don’t even think about it. When she had a tail, it never stopped wagging, and even after she lost it, her whole body carried on the job, wiggling with the same unstoppable joy. Frankie was, at her core, a happy girl.

She loved nothing more than being off leash, sniffing every inch of Scrivner Conservation Area, or diving into any body of water she could find. Personal space wasn’t her thing, and neither was timing, especially when it came to her unapologetic and often ill-timed farts, which she somehow found fascinating herself. Equal parts lady and goofball, she kept everyone laughing.

Frankie had a natural instinct for hunting and a love for birds, but her true calling was as a loyal companion and devoted house dog. In Frankie’s world, it was always dinner time. She never turned down a bite, but she was endlessly gentle with the nieces/nephews and especially with Hayes. The bond they shared brought nothing but smiles, giggles, and plenty of kisses. Frankie never stopped licking. Her love language was constant, enthusiastic affection.

She was a daddy’s girl through and through. Rob had her from just six weeks old, and the two of them shared a bond that ran deep and true. He gave her the very best life, and she gave him unwavering love in return.

Frankie was simply the best girl. Though her body failed her too soon, it never dimmed her spirit. We take comfort in knowing she is free from pain now, running, swimming, and soaking up all the belly rubs and love she could ever want. She will be deeply missed and never replaced.

For as long as I can recall, I have thought Siberian huskies were the most beautiful of all dog breeds. One of the earliest ‘dreams’ I told Aaron I had was that I wanted to own one someday. 13 years ago, that happened. We found a litter of pups, went out to see them, and one of them fell asleep in Aaron’s hand. They are not wrong when they say the dog picks you, you don’t pick the dog.

The pups had been given temporary names, and ours was named Desoto. We couldn’t find a name that we liked any better, so it stuck. And oddly enough, the first home we bought together was in “Desoto’s addition” to the town in which we lived. It was fate!

We can confirm that everything they say about a husky is true! Well, almost. They howl. They are stubborn. They shed (twice a year for six months at a time). They are smart. And their blue eyes will stare directly into your soul until you give them that piece of cheese you are holding. They say they are very active and are expert escape artists, but we, fortunately, didn’t experience any of that with Desoto. What we did experience was 13 years of unconditional love.

Aaron had several surgeries on his ankles and ‘Dr. Desoto’ was his faithful companion. We were blessed with being owned by Desoto’s mom for a few years before she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Watching them together playing in the yard was one of our favorite past-times. He never met a tennis ball he didn’t want to destroy. And he knew without a doubt that every visitor that came to the house was there to see him. To our children, he was ‘buddy’. He made the house feel like a home.

The hardest thing about owning a husky, or any other breed of dog, is the goodbye at the end. He gave our lives so much love. He hasn’t left us. He has simply gone ahead to reunite with his mom, Di, and his brother, Kyzer. I know when the time comes, he will once again be waiting to greet us at the door, singing his song of joy and wagging his tail. A kind of love like that never dies.

Cheetah🩵

I still remember the day my parents got you, I was in 5th grade and had fell asleep at my desk dreaming that they had gotten me a dog. At the end of the school day I was headed to the car and the window rolled down and your head popped out, I bolted to the car! We named you cheetah because when you were a pup you had spots like a cheetah. You were just 6 months old when they brought you home. Fast forward 13 years and what a life you’ve had in those years! From being an escape artist in your younger days, to loving and eating the snow, awoo’s if you weren’t being paid attention to and sunbathing on your back in the grass. You really loved your belly rubs! So much love, laughter & joy followed you everywhere🥰 you really were the best girl🐾

4/4/26… a day that won’t be forgotten for our family, we didn’t want you to go but we knew you were suffering and hurting and we didn’t want that for you. You had been to good to us for us to sit there and let you suffer❤️ we didn’t say goodbye, just a simple see you at the rainbow bridge! It was hard for us to watch you go, but we knew that you’d be happy and pain free, running your heart out up there! We are grateful for the 13 years of happiness and life you gave to all of us. We wouldn’t change any of it! We miss you and love you Miss petah, until we meet again sweet girl🕊️🩵

Abe
(12/01/2017 to 03/30/2026)

My Abe, my precious boy, my sweet boy. Goodbye was so hard. When you took your last breath and Dr. Randazzo said that you were gone, my heart ripped into pieces. You were my cuddler and my shadow boy. You followed me everywhere, especially to the kitchen! LOL! I miss waking up with you next to my bed, I miss seeing you everywhere I go. My heart hurts so much as I am writing this memorial of you 💔
We first saw you at the shelter in March 2023, when the rescue Lucky K9 said that you needed help. You were wasting away in the shelter, losing weight and hope, since your previous owner decided to give you up after 5 years with them. We still can’t believe they wanted to put you down! Well their loss is our gain! We were so lucky to meet you and even more fortunate when you became part of our family. You acted like one of ours so quickly and you loved us so much with your loyalty and devotion! You went from a skinny boy in skin and bones to a chunky 65 pounds boy within weeks. We chuckled when the vet said we needed to slow down with your weight gain. You became chunky Abe pretty fast! 😂

Thank you Abe for loving us. 3 years with you was so so short! Lymphoma has no mercy, and it took you away from us. We are so grateful for the 5 months you gave us after treatment. We miss you like crazy and still see images of you everywhere we go 😢 My dear boy, the first day when I come home from work and not see you waiting at the door almost killed me. The void you left is devastating but I will try to only focus on all the good memories we have of you. We love you the day we met you and will always love you, ALWAYS!
Dr. Randazzo, we are grateful for your compassion and gentleness during the euthanasia. Thank you for making an extremely difficult moment easier to bear. It brings us comfort to know that Abe was able to maintain his dignity to the end, and was still our happy boy till his last breath.

When I was 19 years old, I decided I wanted a dog to keep me company, so I started going to the Humane Society every few days to find one that matched my personality. I wanted a dog who would be happy just snuggling and relaxing with me.
After a few weeks, I found Coco. She came out to the play yard with me and simply sat by my side instead of trying to play with toys like most of the other dogs. I went back a couple of days later to visit her again, and then continued visiting her every few days for two or three weeks. I told myself that if she kept choosing to just sit with me, and she was still available, then it was meant to be, and it was.
Coco has been with us for the past 10 years and has seen me through so much…starting my relationship with Luke, getting married, moving, and having babies. She even came to work with me every day for years. When my dad asked me to come work at Wingate, I told him my one condition was that I could bring my dog with me every day. She also won cutest pet in Columbia one year.
After all the love she gave us over the years, Sawyer said to me a week or two ago that it was time for us to give Coco to Jesus. Within days of her saying that, I started noticing changes in Coco that made those words feel true. By this week, we knew it was time to say goodbye.
Everyone says they have the best dog, but we truly did.
We will miss our sweet Coco so much until we see her again 🤍

“Nala was born April 17, 2013. She was a wonderful dog. She was able to get along with any animal and any person. She was more than an animal to us, she was family. She made bad days great, she loved everyone, and when it was time for her to go, she made sure she gave us her good bye and to know she will be looking over us. She finally gets to be with her sister Babette, our Beagle we had to say good bye to in 2024.

It’s hard writing about Nala because there is just not enough room to say how much she meant to us and how great of a pup she was. I know we all miss her, including our other pups Duke and Kelce, along with her favorite cat Okie.

She was truly a special dog and like Chase Mathews said “ A good old dog never did no wrong, And sure as hell taught this old boy a lesson, Lord, I know You get a lot, but I've got one question, Do all dogs go to Heaven?

We love an miss you Nally Wally 🥺

Thank you Paws In Heaven for making this as easy and as special for us as it can be.”