Mom wants to share a letter.

To all my Dogster pals. Mom wants to share something with you. Long before I ever came around like 12 or 13 years ago, mom had adopted a female Saint Bernard from the Saint Bernard Rescue Mission. Her name was Viva and she had been a breeding dog in a puppy mill in the southern half of Missouri. She had never got to be a puppy, play with a family, she lived in a concrete pin and popped out litter after litter until she was to old. Thats how mom ended up with her. When she went and picked up Viva the person who had transported Viva handed mom this letter. Mom doesnt know who he author is but she believes it is from all us rescues. The title of the letter is fitting right now so that is why she is sharing, its "UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN".

I will never know what I did to deserve such an awful life full of abuse and neglect. My life had become so sad and lonely, it was like living in an endless, dark tunnel. I remeber looking up one day and seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel. The light was so bright I thought God must have sent an angel to finally end my suffering. God di send an angel, he sent you. The bright light I had seen was your smiling face. You promised me that my days of neglect and abuse were over. My battered body and broken spirit hardly dared to believe it was true. You opened your heart and your home and gave me more love and comfort and safety than I had ever known befor. You gave me the softest bed for my tired aching bones and more toys and attention than I ever dreamed existed. I no longer cringed when a hand was raised near me, because your hands had only kindness and treats to offer me. There is no way to really measure just how deeply your love and devotion affected my life, but even love and devotion and all the medical attention in the world can't heal a body that has been battered and broken for too long. So please do not be sad that I am gone. From the day I met you, I never suffered again., not even at the end. I will live in your heart forever UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN..




Mom doesnt know who wrote this but she is glad they did. This puts into words the main reason she adopts rescues instead of other routes. In her heart and ours, it only seems right. My mom is posting this to dedicate to me and ALL the other rescues out there that sit on Rainbow Bridge knowing someone loved them and cared enough to give a rescue a life free of abuse and neglect.

My Journey Over Rainbow Bridge

My fellow Dogster Pals. First let me start off by telling you all how much I love you all. Dogster is a wonderful site. It has introduced my family to some great freinds. I have loved sitting with mom while she read me some of your funny diaries, Millies were hilarious. They cracked us up. My sweet friend Tessa sent some of the sweetest and most creative pictures we have ever seen. Zeek AKA Sugar Lips made my mom laugh. We loved looking at the pictures. Our pal going through jerkness training(wont name names). Our new pals we just met that live a few towns away with Saints and a Golden. There are so many we kept in our corral that we viewed on a regular basis. Thank you all so much for enriching our lives.
Not too long ago I wrote that I had a stroke. I actually recovered phsically well for the most part. The problem was I didnt quite recover mentally. No one is sure why but I was very aggressive after the stroke. I know I shouldnt have but I attacked my brother Bernard and hurt him. He is SOOO old, he has problems even standing up and I shouldnt have done that. My family thought it was just a freak occurance because I had never done that before but then I attacked my brother Abe. Now that I really shouldnt have done because he out weighs me by about 50lbs. He threw me to the floor and let me up when I stopped but when I got up I did it again. Luckily he was not mad. He just held me to the floor till mom got there. The family was concerned now. Dad was worried about Bernard and especially Bella because she is so small. I could kill her easily. Plus they were wondering if my aggresion would turn towards people and kids. Mom and dad know with my size I could really injure an adult and really hurt a child. Then I attacked Bernard again a few days later. He was bleeding on the porch. Dad was soooo mad. Poor Bernard. I didnt mean to hurt him. I dont know why I did it.
Mom and dad did a lot of talking that night and in the morning with the vet. No one understood my sudden change in personality except that I was hurting and the stroke had changed me. Everyone cried when they realized that for the safety of Bernard , Bella and the family that I had to be put to sleep. The vet couldnt fix me, I would of had to been on heavy drugs to control my pain and mom and dad decided that wasnt living if I was sedated all the time. The trip to the vet was hard. Mom tried to be strong. Dad said he just couldnt go. I was such a daddys girl that he knew he couldnt. Everyone there was so nice. I got a nice blanket to lay on. Mom petted my face and gave me some kisses while the vet injected the stuff into my leg. I fell asleep very fast. I dont feel anymore pain. I run. I jump. I roll in the most amazing grass. Plus I have all my teeth. My brother Bernard is going to love it here. I will love to see him run with no arthritis slowing him down. Mom doesnt know it but as she walked out of the vets office alone holding my leash and collar. I was there walking right beside her. I was sitting beside her in the car when she was sitting there crying.
If you are sitting there with a tear in your eye please wipe it off. I am in a great place now. I had the most fantastic last 2 years with my furless family. They rescued me and I recieved something I didnt know existed-LOVE. So please wipe the tears away and reach down and hug your dog. Look into their eyes and see the complete love they have for you. Thats the way God made us. To love you. Its sad when we dont have the humans to love and be loved back. I was a lucky one. I have played. I have comforted. I have laughed(yes dogs laugh). I have loved and been loved back. I have felt the soothing comforting hands of a gentle human hand. I have been a trully blessed dog.
Good Bye all my wonderful Dogster pals. I will be here to greet every single one of you as you cross over the bridge with a lick and a nuzzle.
Forever Loved,
Gracie French

Semi good news

Mom and dad were all prepared to take me to the vet to put me to sleep. With mom and dad both being nurses and all they realized the signs I was having were going away. Come to find out I had a stroke. I am not sure if that is good news or not but it sure is good news that I didnt get put to sleep. So now I walk a little funny and I still have problems gettin up and down. I have bumped into a couple of things today but I am alive. Plus mom got me ice cream sandwiches to hide my medicine in. I am HAPPY to still be alive. They both know I dont have a long time left but I have more time then yesterday!!!!!!

Hard Day

I want to tell ALL my Dogster family how much fun I have had with them. The out reach has been world wide. Its amazing how many friends me, Bella, Abe and Bernard have made in a little over a year. There is an amazing bond between a dog and their human pets. That is why today has been so hard. Let me back up a few days or even a few years. You all know I was thrown away and not wanted until that angel from the shelter Jimmy called my mom and dad. That was an amazing day. I now know how lucky I was to get them. This is why it is so hard. I am old and for the last few days have not felt well. Not my normal old aches and pains but something very different.I dont have any teeth left. My bladder leaks urine when I sleep unless I take my no-pee pills. I am not a bad dog and would never pee in the house on purpose. Luckily mom and dad know this and dont get mad at me when I have a leak. These last few days have been different though. I am tired. I hurt. I know am dieing. Mom and dad know it too and spent most of last night crying and petting me. They know the end is close. My pills are not working anymore. Its hard for me to even get up. I cant get comfortable. I am whining and shaking periodically. Mom and dad even helped me on the couch so I would be comfortable even though they knew I would leak pee on it(dads been wanting a new couch any way).
They have shown me so much love over the last 2 years. More than I could ever tell. It hurts me watching them cry. They didnt think I would make it through the night last night but I did. They know I am hurting and they are crying talking about taking me to the vet. I want so much to show them I love them and am ready but they are having a hard time letting go. They dont know about what kind of life I came from but I KNOW what kind of life they gave me. It was amazing. I have lived a Queens life for the last 2 years. Especially when mom would bring me home a ice cream cone. WOW. Those are soooo good. I close my eyes and think about those great moments and they make me smile(when I smile in my head I have all my teeth).

peanut butter trick

I have to agree with Bernard, I like it when Megan gives us our medicine. She hides it in a spoonful of peanut butter and it is nice.

Mom tried to kill me today!

My mom tried to kill me today. She all of a sudden realized I am a little on the heavy side. Well she thought she found the solution(NOT)! You see her running partner moved away and dad doesnt like her running by herself, he says it isnt safe to have a woman running alone. So she has drug me into her miserable program and she took me for a run. She says we didnt run far and that we are working our way up, Hello 8 blocks is far when your running. I knew I was going to die by the time we reached the porch. Dad thinks it is great because mom gets to run and I am there to protect her. Wake up, cant protect anyone if I am gasping for air. Doesnt she know that is NOT my breeds sport. We are couch athletes!

Tucker is on Dogster now!!!!

To all my pup pals who have read my entries and have been waiting for Tucker to join Dogster, he is on now. I am so excited you all get to see him. He is very well behaved. Please give him lots of treats and show him how great Dogster dogs can be(he is an only child so he needs some extra puppy love).

I TRIED!!!

Mom tried to give us a healthy snack but it sure did taste bad. I actually tried it but it felt funny in mouth. I do not like bananas.

My brother

My brother is being very brave. He is going for his daily walks and taking his medicine. I am very proud of him.
Now about Tucker, I seen him in his yard today. I cant wait until his mom gets him on Dogster. I am very excited.

Wait until you see Tucker

I know I have told you all about Tucker, well my mom finally told his mom about Dogster. So I cant wait for you to see him. I will let everyone know when he has his own page. You all will love him, promise.