Mindy
Greetings— We just wanted to put out a note of thanks and gratitude to AADR for sending us our Mindy 15 years ago (or so? 2009 I think) and then Layla in 2016. We wanted to let you know that Mindy crossed the Rainbow Bridge this week at 18.5 years of age. We are of course heartbroken, but she had a long life, full of love and cuddles and keeping her pack together, being Layla’s companion as much as Layla was hers (we joked when we adopted Layla that “we got Mindy her own puppy for Christmas”—and it was only partially a joke), and bringing tons of joy to our family. (Layla is…adjusting. I think this loss may be harder for her even than the humans. But we are burying her in love, and watching to see how she does going forward.) Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do—these sweet girls have been a blessing to our world and we can’t imagine it without them. Full of gratitude, Mindy's Family

Murphy...RIP
Murphy came to me in November of 2008 as a foster, and I met Diane at the same time in a park n ride, as she delivered him. I was told he was 2 or 2.5 years old. The first thing I noticed of him, was he was sooo long and a beautiful black and tan. He came from Tennessee and could become aggressive when disciplined. My boyfriend, now husband (Vietnam veteran), fell in love with him. So I became a foster failure and gained a family member. He loved car rides, exploring the world and taking walks. He played well with other dogs, and loved to sit under our feet when cooking. He definitely was a momma's boy as he would allow me to do much of his grooming including nail clippings and was a quick learner. He could sit, and stay with a cookie on his nose until told to "go". He and his partner in crime, Sasha (smaller one) also an AADR rescue, born in my house in January 2009, passed in her sleep 4 years ago July 2000, at the age of 11, are now together. Murphy lived a great long life and passed Dec 19 2024. Miriam

Rusty...RIP
I adopted Rusty in March 2017. He was called Donnie or Donny when he was at AADR. We had to change his name since my husband is Donnie. He was with a foster in Pennsylvania. Sadly, Rusty went to Rainbow Ridge this morning at only 10 years old. He's running free with his sisters Sadie and Brandi. Rusty had inflammatory bowel disease and a liver disorder so he was on a restricted diet with lots of meds. He saw an internal medicine specialist who has had him stabilized for 2 years. Rusty also went blind in late 2021 from Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration. But it was absolutely amazing how well he got around the house and out to his potty spot. How he could maneuver around furniture and thru the garage was amazing. No one should ever shy away from a blind dog. They're just as wonderful as any dog and they learn very quickly. Yesterday afternoon Rusty lost all use of his left side. His vet agreed he'd had a stroke. He can now see, run, play, and eat whatever he wants. He loved us so much and we loved him. We're very sad, and we will be for a long time. Run free Rusty. We will love and miss you forever. Your Mom & Dad

Zelda RIP
She loved being with her doxie brothers, Dudley and Seymour and her sister, Emma who is a lab mix. She loved going on walks, car rides, sunning on the deck and just hanging out with us. She was an extremely clever girl and provided many moments we will cherish. Nancy

Maggie RIP
Maggie Joyner 2012-2024 Maggie first came to us in 2021 as a Foster with a lot of health issues. She had eye drops, ear drops and needed to be bathed 3X a week with a special shampoo for a skin infection. Shortly after getting her, she started having seizures. Long ones. She was quiet and not very active but sweet non the less. After a couple of months she started feeling and acting like a new dog! Her fur was growing back, she was off her meds and her seizures under control. As you can imagine, we grew very close with her as we helped her recover, so, we adopted her! It seemed as soon as we gave her our last name, she knew it and became quite the little stinker. She loved to bark at everything and quickly appointed herself as the fun police to our other dogs. She and my husband had their own little language and she loved to be sung to. Maggie was a big part of our little pack and was always a big "helper" with everything from going to the bathroom to running errands. Always happy! In July of this year, 2024, she was diagnosed with diabetes and we started with insulin shots twice a day. Everyone at the vets office was in love with her. She had a way of schmoozing everyone to her every whim! Sure made those days of having to leave her there a bit easier. Than came the tumors on her adrenals. Long sad story short, we lost her the week before Thanksgiving. Having Maggie as part of our family was a joy, a bit of a challange at times, but mostly an honor. She had/has a big loving spirit that leaves that big hole in your life once they cross Rainbow Bridge. There is never enough time with those special souls. Thank You AADR for allowing us the few but very full short years with Maggie. We love her dearly. Deanna and Britt Joyner