Pet Memorials

Losing our pet IS losing a very special friend and family member. For those of you who have adopted one of our wonderful animals, have given them a loving home, and have made them a part of your family during their time here on Earth, this page has been created for you. This is a place for you to share your memories with friends, who understand the depth of your loss and sympathize with you. Memories may be all we have left of our dearly departed pets, but they will always be alive in our hearts.

My Forever Pet
There's something missing in my home,
I feel it day and night,
I know it will take time and strength,
Before things feel quite right.

But just for now, I need to mourn,
My heart -- it still needs to mend.
Though some may say it's "just a pet,"
I know I've lost a friend.

You've brought such laughter to my home,
And richness to my days…
A constant friend through joy or loss,
With gentle loving ways.

Companion, pal, and confidante,
A friend I won't forget,
You'll live for always in my heart,
My sweet, forever pet…
Written by -- Susanne Taylor

(Click on the pictures to zoom. Use back button to return.)

In Memory Of Maxwell Von Kimes
September 30/2001 - May 24, 2010
"He will be sadly missed. You were the best dog an owner could ever want. I love you." - Peggy Kimes

We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy to Ralph & Peggy Kimes and Kellie. Their nine (9) year old German Sheperd, Max, passed away on Monday, 5/24, leaving behind his loving family. Max was such a sweet soul. He was loved by all and will be terribly missed. (05/28/10)

Due to chronic reoccurring illness, our sweet Courtney was humanely euthanized on Wednesday, May 5, 2010. Courtney was rescued from the 'court' yard of a local detention center by one of APFL's dear friends. She gave birth to 4 beautiful kittens (BooBoo, Chloe, PoohBear, Victor) the day before her appointment to be spayed. Our friends fostered her and the babies until Courtney could be spayed. Courtney came to us as quite a feisty little cat. She'd had to fend for herself so long that she had little trust in humans. At the beginning of her stay, she was very unpredictable, wanting to be the boss. But after 2-1/2 years with us, she had become a happy, loving cat, who purred almost constantly and adored attention. Courtney has had many treatments for chronic medical issues. The treatments helped temporarily, but in the past 6 months, the effects weren't as promising and her health deteriorated. Because of this deterioration with no hope of future improvement, we made the extremely difficult, but humane, decision to let Courtney go. Her beautiful face and loving presence will be missed.

In Memory Of Daphne Davis
May 13, 1998 - December 23, 2009
We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy to Matt & Anneliese Davis. On December 23, Daphne was at the veterinarian's office for exploratory surgery to have what was believed to be a foreign object removed from her intestine, but the doctor called Anneliese from the operating room to say that the blockage was a cancerous tumor which had spread to her stomach cavity. The vet said Daphne could possibly live another month, but it would not be an easy time for her. Matt and Anneliese made the decision to let her go while she was still under anesthesia. Although she was just over eleven years old, she lived a full life in the past two years with Anneliese and Matt. Their hearts are heavy. Please remember them in your prayers. (01/01/10)

In Memory Of Kit Kat Kimes
April 1, 1993 - July 25, 2009
We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy to Ralph & Peggy Kimes and Kellie. Their sixteen (16) year old cat, Kit Kat, passed away today, leaving behind his loving family. Kit Kat truly had more than nine lives and he will be missed. (07/25/09)

Due to chronic skin issues and unpredictable, unprovoked aggression, A Pet For Life, Inc. had to say 'goodbye' to Aggie Mae who was humanely euthanized on Thursday, 7/2/09. APFL only euthanizes an animal as a last resort, but when aggression appears, we cannot, with a clear conscience, risk placing such a dog with a family.

In Memory Of Rex Bradshaw
January 7, 1997 - June 10, 2009

We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy to Carlton & Kim Bradshaw and their family. Yesterday, twelve-year-old Rex passed away, leaving behind his loving family. (06/11/09)

In Memory Of Annabelle
November 1998 - April 2009

"It is with a sad and broken heart I send you this note. My beautiful sweet Annabelle is no longer with us. She got bone cancer and it was pretty far advanced before it was discovered. This has been so hard for me, she was my soul mate dog. Plus she loved her life so much, I hate that she is not here to enjoy the spring, it was her favorite season. When I was going through her papers I realized that she was actually 10-1/2 not 9-1/2. Remarkable! She was the best dog in the world and words can't describe how much I miss her. She had a wonderful happy life and it was my greatest privilege to give her that."
Robin Holland ~ (04/17/2009)

Today, A Pet For Life, Inc. had to say 'goodbye' to one of our recent arrivals. Due to aggressive behavior, Murphy, the Wheaten Terrier, was humanely euthanized on Wednesday, 3/4/09. APFL only euthanizes an animal as a last resort, but when aggression appears, we cannot, with a clear conscience, risk placing such a dog with a family.

In Memory Of BooBoo
May 21, 2007 - January 19, 2009

After battling a short, aggressive illness, our sweet little BooBoo took her final walk across The Rainbow Bridge on January 19, 2009. At the first signs of something being wrong with BooBoo, she was treated by our regular veterinarian with medication and numerous tests, but even with treatment, less than two weeks after her initial symptoms, BooBoo was humanely let go to prevent any suffering. She leaves behind her foster mothers, Joyce Sides and Pat. Her last months on this earth were safe, comfortable and full of love. "BooBoo was such a sweet soul who left us much too soon. She will be terribly missed."
Kneicea A. Tull (01/19/09)

In Memory Of Spooky
Unknown - 11/29/2008

This is our special friend Spooky "Bear" Raynor. He entered out life back in May 1994 and he left us on Saturday November 29, 2008 @12:25am. I was holding him and telling him how much I loved him. His family was there like always. He was a special guy. Always showing love and support in our family. He was smart, and funny and very loving. He would greet you at the door everytime you came in. You had to pick him up and just hug him to tell him you missed him all day. You could actually carry on a conversation with him. He knew what you were saying and you knew what he was telling you. He loved to eat, and he loved his wheat grass. He had a big heart when it came to his family. He loved to sit on his pedestal and look out at the birds in the bird bath and in his daddy's vegetable garden. When Mom was snipping beans he was right there to help. He loved music especially Bluegrass. He loved to listen to his big brother Chris play his guitars. When Chris was asleep he would go in his room to check on him. And when Chris was working he would sleep on his bed because he missed him. . He knew what time was. He knew when his Daddy would be home to see him on his break everyday. I know he knew how much we loved him and how much he gave to his family. There will never be another 'Spooky" in our life. We will always remember what he gave to us. He was unique and very special. And we will always love him and honor his memory.
Scott, Sandy, and Chris Raynor (11/30/2008)

In Memory Of Leroy
Approximately 1998 - 11/29/2008
I found Leroy, a hound mix, when I was volunteering at the Humane Society in 1999. Surrendered as a stray, Leroy had a few medical and behavioral problems. He had an untreated wound on his leg, which had turned into cellulitis. (Cellulitis is an inflammation of the skin cells caused by an infection.) Because of some aggressive tendencies that made Leroy an adoption risk, the Shelter had to make the tough decision of whether to invest the money to treat him or not. I agreed to take Leroy, providing him with the veterinary care he needed and with his behavioral rehabilitation. Leroy had surgery on his leg, in which tissue was scraped away, right down to the bone. Leroy recovered well and has been with me ever since. His behavior improved and he's a very sweet dog today.
~ Pat Long - July 2007 ~

UPDATE:
Unfortunately, due to some advanced-age medical problems, Leroy made his way across the rainbow bridge this morning. Prior to his adoption by Pat, he had a very rough life, but with Pat, he seemed perfectly content. Leroy was one of the sweetest dogs you could ever meet and he will be terribly missed.
"Goodbye for now, Handsome Leroy Brown."
(11/29/2008)

Miss Hannah Grace, who came to us in April of 2008 at the age of fourteen (14) years, went to heaven today. She has been deaf since her arrival and has recently suffered the loss of her vision due to her advanced age. Upon our veterinarian's examination, it was recommended for us to let Miss Hannah go. She can now be with her Mommy who passed away in December of 2007. Although her Daddy was unable to care for her after her Mom's passing, he came this morning to say his final goodbyes. He requested for Hannah's burial to be on the family's property. A Pet For Life respectfully accommodated.

In Memory Of Tess
1994 - 09/11/2008

We would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy to our dear friend, Mary VanEss, for the loss of her sweet girl, Tess.
She will be terribly missed. (09/16/2008)

In Memory Of Dixie
September 2008

We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy over the loss of Dixie.
She leaves behind her loving parents, Matt & Anneliese Davis. (09/10/2008)

We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy over the loss of fifteen-year-old Abbey. She leaves behind her loving parents,
Matt & Anneliese Davis, who adopted her from us on October 24, 2003. (09/01/2008)

In Memory Of Lucy
June 22, 1997 - June 11, 2008

Lucy went to heaven on June 11, 2008. She had been with our family for almost 11 years and we miss her so much! She was such a gentle, loving dog. We adopted Lucy right before my first son was born. We wanted our older dog, Layla, to have a buddy once there was a baby in the house! Lucy and Layla made out fine together and Lucy did her best to keep Layla young at heart! Lucy was the kind of dog that our sons could jump or crawl over and she would not move one inch. She was her mommy’s “shadow” – wherever mommy was – you could be sure Lucy was not far away!
She was diagnosed with cancer and lived for 10 days after the diagnosis. Now she is in heaven with Layla but will be forever in our hearts.
Dean, Pattie, Matthew and Mark Murrell ~ July 1, 2008

Baxter, this little Yorkiepoo, leaves behind his loving family, The Wilkins. He enjoyed time with his Mom, Dad, Katie and Josh and loved visits from Mommom and Poppop. McDonald's french fries were one of his favorite treats. He will be terribly missed.
This memorial has been submitted by Kim Eckert on 6/21/08.

Angie Wilkins sent me this additional information about Baxter on June 25, 2008.

I just wanted to add a few things about Baxter to add to his memorial kindly submitted by Kim Eckert.

Baxter Wellington Wilkins was born March 8^th, 2007 and left us June 18^th, 2008. He loved Butterscotch Krimpets and Daddy’s grilled steak. He loved going bye-byes in the truck. He loved when his Daddy came home from work. He adored his MomMom and PopPop and is buried at their house. No one knew when we brought him home May 6^th, 2007 what a wonderful mark this dog would leave on us. He was gentle beyond belief and lived peacefully with his feline sisters Biscuit (Big Kitty) and Boo (Little Kitty). Tuesday June 17^th, 2008, the day before he left us, we became the new family to a five week old orphaned kitten named Toby. (God never takes away without giving back)

Bax could not wait to sniff him and love him and make friends. I worked the next day but my children said that Toby and Bax were side by side the whole day. Toby is so little that he could completely stand underneath Bax. Since then, Toby has slept each night in Baxter’s crate. Little Kitty doesn’t leave my side much and still comes to sleep at my head at night. Big Kitty is waiting patiently for Bax to come home. You can see her every night on the front step and when it’s time for lights out we have to come and get her. She looks at us as if we have forgotten someone. But we haven’t. We never will.

Our babydog is forever in our hearts.

In Memory Of Eli
December 4, 2004 - May 1, 2008

Our blue-eyed Australian Shepherd, Eli, was humanely euthanized Thursday, May 1st, due to aggression issues. Since rescuing Eli, Pat has had to continuously treat him for infections and allergies involving his skin. After medical testing, he was found to have a compromised immune system. He was adopted by two families and returned. Because of his skin condition when he returned to Pat, he's had to go to the groomer for medicated baths twice a week and he's been on multiple medicines every day. Unfortunately, even with all the measures taken to keep him comfortable, with his compromised immune system, the skin issue would be chronic for Eli. Pat took him to the veterinarian today for a check-up, but when he was being examined, he attempted to bite the veterinarian twice. Not wanting to risk anyone getting hurt, and knowing his skin problems, Pat, along with advice from the veterinarian, made the heartbreaking decision to let Eli go. Eli, with his beautiful light blue eyes will be terribly missed.

Due to serious birth defects, our gentle giant, Rocky, was humanely euthanized Wednesday, April 30th.
After rescuing Rocky a little over a week ago, Pat began noticing problems in Rocky that seemed unusual with a 10-month old Great Dane. Suspecting some health issues, Pat consulted a reputable veterinarian who confirmed her fears with even more than she suspected. Rocky was suffering from significant health issues, including muscular, skeletal, and neurological deficits, along with a compromised immune system, all probably inherited from his parents. Even though there are so many dogs in shelters who are waiting for a family, if you feel you must buy a purebred dog, please do your homework. Make sure the bloodlines are pure and do not buy from backyard breeders. Unfortunately, Rocky suffered his entire short life because of a backyard breeder who was more concerned about making money, than producing healthy puppies. (Rocky was purchased with no papers to confirm his pedigree and no health record.)
Rocky was only with us at A Pet For Life for a mere eight days, but he will never be forgotten.

Little Charlie went to heaven on January 13, 2008, due to complications from pneumonia. When he showed signs of being sick on January 12th, he was rushed to the veterinarian's office for an emergency checkup. After examining him, the doctor diagnosed him with pneumonia and sent him home with antibiotics. Charlie took a turn for the worst on Sunday, January 13th, gasping for each and every breath. As he was being rushed to the Emergency Room, Charlie passed away. He leaves behind his foster mother, Pat Long, who rescued him in August of 2007 when he was merely 1.1 pounds. His last months on this earth were safe, comfortable and full of love. Charlie was a very special little guy and his passing has left a very big hole in our hearts.
~ Kneicea Tull - 01/15/08 ~

We at A Pet For Life, Inc. would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy to the loving parents of thirteen-year-old Mollie,
Matt & Anneliese Davis.

In Memory Of Missy Gray
Approx. 2004 - October 31, 2007

Beautiful Missy Gray went to heaven on October 31, 2007, due to an unexpected illness. When she showed signs of being sick at noontime on this day, she was rushed to our regular veterinarian's office for an emergency checkup. After examining her and doing x-rays, the doctor, recommended that euthanasia would be the most compassionate thing to do for Missy Gray. She leaves behind her foster mother, Pat, who rescued her in February of 2007. Her last months on this earth were safe, comfortable and full of love. "Although she was with me for only eight months, Missy Gray will be terribly missed."
~ Pat Long - 11/01/07 ~

In August of 1996, Lucas walked into my life. At the time, I lived in a mobile home on my parents' property, so I had to get permission to keep a cat. My mother went to bat for me with my father so that Lucas could stay. He was my saving grace when my mother passed away later that same year. Lucas was never much of a lap cat, but he seemed to know when I needed him to be. My favorite memory of Lucas is this one. One evening, I was curled up on the couch watching television and Lucas was sitting on the arm of the couch. He had only been with me a couple of months, so we were still trying to understand each other. All of a sudden, he let out this strange meow. When I looked at him, he looked up at the ceiling and when I went back to watching TV, he'd meow that single strange meow again. We went through this routine about a half dozen times before I finally got up to see what he wanted. When I looked up at the ceiling above Lucas, there was a spider dangling just out of his reach. So, I picked him up so that he could take care of this annoying spider. Of course, he ate it. I had to laugh and I still smile when I remember that evening. Even though Lucas was with me for less than nine years, he will never be forgotten. I will always cherish my time with him.
~ Kneicea Tull - 10/13/07 ~

Misty was my first cat. She found me in December of 1986 at approximately three months of age. I named her Mistletoe because of the upcoming holiday season, but called her Misty. At the time, I also had a very large pet rabbit named Sherrie. Misty and Sherrie absolutely adored each other. I remember sitting in the yard watching them play together. When I was fighting cancer in 1987, Misty gave me a reason to get out of bed many mornings. She was an outdoor cat and she was a true hunter. She would leave the head of her prey near her feeding area to show me she was "earning her keep." When she wanted attention, she was given attention, or she would use her claws to get what she wanted. Misty loved for me to pick her up and drape her over my shoulder. She'd hook her claws in my shirt to hold on relaxing there without me holding her. Misty was with me for almost sixteen years and I miss her terribly. My father found her body in an area where she loved to hunt. She had shown no sign of being ill and there were no signs of a fight, so thankfully, Misty died doing what she loved most, hunting. I believe Misty is the reason for my partiality to calico cats. She was a tiny little girl, but she sure left a big hole in my life when she passed away.
~ Kneicea Tull - 10/13/07 ~

In Memory Of Freckles
March 12, 1990 - December 8, 2003

Freckles was a red/white cocker spaniel. The reason he was called Freckles was because of the bottom part of his front feet. They were white with red freckles. He was a very loving dog and only liked Mom and my daughter Heather. He didn't like males at all. I miss him very much. My next-door neighbor that year gave me a memorial stone for Christmas that had a cocker's face on it with his name. Nothing meant more to me. He passed away the day before my grandson was born and everyone says "a death before a birth." That's truly what happened. I was crying one day and happy the next. Freckles brought a lot of pleasure to my life and I will cherish the memories forever in my heart.
~ Gail Snyder - 10/12/07 ~

In Memory Of Mikie
Late 1985 / Early - October 12, 2006

It has been a year since I lost my Mikie. It seems much longer. I have loved many, but there will never be another like him. Mikie came to live with me at the age of 13. His first mom died and the family asked me to take him. He had limited social skills because his family was his loving mom and other cats. The challenge was to give him quiet time to adjust. Little did I know that he would adopt me as his new mom. He was my shadow. We had TV time at 9:00pm, cheese after work and conversations while I got ready for work. He could say “mama” and “love you”. I miss him from the core of my heart. He was there for me through health issues, husband issues and housing issues. He was my light at the beginning of each day and my comfort at the end of the day. He made problems trivial and reminded me of the important things like unconditional love and trust. What a blessing that I had the opportunity to be a part of his life for 7 short years. He taught me that simple pleasures are priceless. I remember him today with tears of sadness and with a smile that God blessed me by bringing him into my life.
~ Pat Long - 10/12/07 ~

If you would like to add a memory, a picture, or just a little note with your loved one's name, date of birth and date of passing, feel free to email us at apetforlife@comcast.net. Be sure to include your pet's name and your name. If you'd like a picture included and have no digital pictures, you can send a regular picture to us through the mail to: A Pet For Life, Inc., 28215 Log Cabin Road, Salisbury, MD 21801. We will scan the picture and upload it to our web site. Please include a note to let us know you would like the picture included on the Memorial Page.
Thank you for your continued interest in our web site.