Panther
RIP Panther: I wanted to let you know we lost Panther this evening. She suffered a massive seizure and my vet was unable to stabilize her. I am heartbroken, she was truly my dog from the day we picked her up from you. She was my constant companion, would sulk if I left her or she could not come with me and was known to park herself next to the car in the garage and refuse to come in until she had gotten her way (a ride in the car). She loved riding around in my golf cart at work, was sassy, opinionated, and quite simply the most wonderful dog I have shared my life with. Thank you for all your organization did for her before she came to us. I think the last ten months of her life must have been something wonderful for her, Dana Diemer

Nugget
Nugget RIP: I'm afraid I have some sad news. On 11/11 we had to say goodbye to Nugget, the sweet black and tan dapple we adopted in 2006. I'm sorry this is a long email but I figured if anyone would want to hear about him it would be you. As Nugget got older he had several health issues. He had had bladder surgery twice for stones which left him increasingly "leaky" as he got older :) He had a heart murmur that progressed to cause congestive heart failure and was on 3 medications for that. He also lost most of his vision and some of his hearing. Despite all this he was still a happy dog who loved going for (slow) walks, sitting on the couch with Dad watching TV and most of all eating! In April he had an episode of pancreatitis and another one about a month after that. We changed his diet and he seemed to be doing well, although he gradually lost interest in walks and seemed to stay in his bed more and more. Last Sunday he had some diarrhea and vomiting. We took him to the vet and he got antibiotics and medications to settle his stomach. I cooked him a big batch of rice and chicken which he ate all last week. He seemed to be doing better until this Sunday. He vomited twice in the morning. Although he continued to eat all day Sunday he ate less and less at each meal. We took him to the vet on Monday and they diagnosed him with yet another episode of pancreatitis. They started treatment slowly, with the plan to administer fluids over 2 days so as not to stress out his heart. We took him home Monday evening and planned to bring him back Tuesday to complete the treatment. However, Monday it was clear he was not recovering like he did after his previous episodes. He was too weak to do anything beside lay in his bed. My husband and I tried to hand feed him but he wouldn't eat. This really worried us because we knew if he wouldn't eat he really was ill. He looked so frail and tired. We talked about his quality of life and that even if he survived this bout of pancreatitis he may have to go through this in the near future again. We decided that if he did not make a dramatic recovery Tuesday morning at the vet we would take him home for the rest of the day and then say goodbye after work. Monday night he slept in the big bed with us. Tuesday morning he was so weak. We took him to the vet and they gave him fluids and pain meds, but he continued to deteriorate. At lunch time my husband took him to my parents' house (where he normally stayed during the day). We set his dog bed in the sun on a beautiful Florida fall afternoon and he laid there for a while. I got home around 4pm and sat with him for a couple hours. At 6 pm the vet came to the house to help him say goodbye. My family surrounded him and he went to Heaven in my arms. It was incredibly peaceful. I only tell you the details of his last days so you know how we arrived at this decision and how difficult it was to make. I think his passing was as peaceful and comfortable as we could have made it. Instead of dwelling on his death though, I would like to celebrate everything he did in his life. He was a great dog! - Saw me through medical school and residency, and was my study buddy beside me on the couch while I studied for so many exams over the years - Volunteered as a therapy dog and touched many patients' lives at the hospital and nursing home. - Was there when I started dating my now-husband, and turned him into a dachshund lover after thinking he'd only have big dogs his whole life :) - Became a friend to Rufus, the dachshund we fostered in 2011 - Became a favorite of kids in our neighborhood and always let them pet him and even pull his ears. - Saw my family through the death of 3 grandparents and our other dachshund within a 1 year span - Became a reassuring presence for Hilde, my parents' new rescue dachshund, who suffers from separation anxiety. We always said Nugget was Hilde's "rock." - Graciously and kindly welcomed our baby boy on September 11. I never loved Nugget more than I did when he showed nothing but gentleness and love to this new crying baby that invaded his household :) So this closes a chapter in our lives with the loss of Nugget. He was there through almost all my 20's and it will be so strange to go on without him. We loved him so much and even though no one wanted him at the beginning of his life, his life mattered and he made the most of it! Thank you so much for rescuing him a long time ago and keep up your good work. I attached a picture of Nugget on his last afternoon with us, laying in the sun. Sincerely, Lauren McDonald

RIP Vasco aka Buster 3-24-14
"Buster was his previous name, but we decided to name him Vasco, honoring the conquerer Vasco de Gama, and he was a real one!! He came to our lives in May 2008, and he became a real protector for all of us. He had had a very rough past, he had been abandoned several times and abused before arriving at AADR. He spent a year waiting for adoption and until we saw him and decided to adopt him. We gave him all the love that he never had in his short life, We had the satisfaction that he was happy during last six years with us and his brothers until he died on the 24th of March 2014. We can definitely note the emptiness in the house........Vasco was a presence, a good one, and one that will be missed. We love you very much and we light a candle close to your picture every single night and pray!! We hope to see you in the future, just wait for us!!

Jake RIP
Jake came to us via AADR about 7 or so years ago. He had been a 'breeder' dog (I guess it was time for fresh stock). Jake was quite submissive for a long time. When approached, he would flatten himself to the floor, head down. He also had no clue about playing/chasing a ball; he'd just look at it like "What?" and walk away. Even watching my other two doxies go nuts and chase a ball until they were pooped didn't register with him. Jake did take to squeaky toys, though - he'd run through the house with one like it was his prize catch of the day. Sweet tempered and completely submissive to our other two (and later, three) weiners, he did have a very strong protective streak when it came to anyone approaching me, whether in our home or on the outside. While he never went after anyone, his aggressive stance and deep bark could be intimidating to strangers. I sometimes felt like he was saying 'Hey, I've got a good thing here and you better stay away!" He was quite a love sponge, almost to the point of being needy, but I think he was making up for his years spent in a run. Sweet, dependent, gentle Jake - we will miss him. God love you, little guy! And special thanks to AADR for bringing him into our lives.

Dotti Westberry RIP 08/30/14
We are very sad to report that we lost one of our AADR alums, Dotti, last night to heart failure. Dotti was a special part of our lives for over 5 years and we are so thankful to have had such a precious and sweet little girl be a part of our family. I have no doubt that Dotti is playing right now with her brother Gunter who we lost last December. We will mourn her loss and cherish her memories for now, but somewhere out there is a little Dachshund that will sometime in the near future become part of our family and it will be loved and spoiled rotten. Many thanks to all of the members of AADR for the phenomenal work they do in protecting these wonderful little creatures!! Run free Dot-Dot, we will see you again one day!