Good afternoon,

It’s with a heavy heart that I write that Odie, my 3 1/2 year old rescue that was my sidekick from the moment he came home at 8-weeks old after being fostered by A Forever Home, passed away July 24th. Odie was the absolute greatest – a calm, old soul with the goofiness of a
puppy. A lover of all people & pets, he was always willing to greet with a tail wag and a smile. Known for his funny ears and upside-down, contorted laying down, he lived the best life I could provide him that ended way too soon. Being by my side through thick & thin during one of the hardest times of my life, I will forever love & miss him & and his loyalty and be thankful for my time I had with him.

Attached are a few photos of the greatest dog I’ve ever been around. RIP Odie Dog (as my nephew called him), you were the best.

Dear Maribel, Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. The photos are precious! Lottie was such a good girl and a joy to be with. She was sweet and shy but also tough. In her last year and a half, she endured several different and difficult cancer treatments in the effort to save her life. She was stoic and took everything in stride. She loved all the vets and technicians and they loved her. She was my best friend and I loved her so much.  Attached are some photos of Lottie. 

We got Simon from AFH September 2009. He passed away July 2024 and was so loved!

We had the great joy of sharing our lives with Miss Rosie aka Rosalina, Rosebud, and Princess. We adopted her in 2015, and what a gift! We adopted her a brother named Fred too. They loved playing, hanging out, and going on adventures. We walked many trails together, crossed rivers, and went on vacations. Rosie was a sweet natured, adorable pup who loved getting her belly rubbed. She was an awesome greeter – tackling and giving us lots of licks (doggie kisses) whenever we walked through the door or woke up in the morning. We miss her immensely but are so grateful for the love and companionship we shared. We love you, Rosie!

Thank you “A Forever Home” for the great work you do! 

Gayle, Mark, and Fred

Hi A Forever Home team- I adopted a dog from you in 2007, specifically he was from Hopscotch’s pups- I still have the paperwork (image attached). We named him Kingston and he lived the most incredible life with us from Arlington to North Carolina to Brooklyn to Virginia Beach. He passed away today 6/17/24 after living an amazing 17 years with us. While we are of course saddened by his loss one of my first thoughts was to reach out and share his story with you all. While he was a rescue, he is certainly the one who rescued me and went on to become a companion for my mother and the first dog for both of my children. His companionship over the past 17 years has enriched all of our lives and we have the Forever Home team to thank for the work you do and making it possible for this little sweet soul to come into our lives. Thank you for your continued dedication to your mission after all of these years and the lives of the dogs and families that you impact.

With gratitude and appreciation, Karen

Greetings, recently, my dog, Lilly had to be put down and I’m heartbroken. I adopted her from A Forever Home 10 years ago and she was my best friend. She’s the second dog that I had adopted from A forever home.

Rex

I knew this little man was super special when I met him on September 15, 2013, the anniversary of the birthday of our late family dog, Carmel.  Call it fate, but a Greater/Higher Power definitely brought us together on that special day.  To say I was a bit nervous to take him home was probably an understatement.  But I made a commitment, and we were a team, and, boy, did we get by!  From our first walk through the neighborhood, Banjo started to touch lives and make folks smile.  His love knew no bounds, and words would diminish the amount of joy he brought to my life and to the lives of others. We had countless adventures, and I was so proud to say, “This is my Banjo.  I adopted him.  He’s a rescue!”  I just couldn’t imagine a day when we wouldn’t be together- it just didn’t seem possible.  To say my heart is broken does not even begin to describe how I am feeling living life without my sweet Banjo.  He peacefully crossed the beautiful Rainbow Bridge on July 11, 2024.  I am so very grateful to A Forever Home for allowing me to care for and love such an amazing dog for almost 11 years.  Thank you for taking a chance on me.  Banjo touched so many lives, and that has provided me such comfort through all my tears.  Although the pain of losing him is so very great, if this is the price I have to pay for the years of genuine joy with him, then this heartache is absolutely worth it. Rest in peace, little man.  And until we meet again, I love you to the moon and back and more than tongue can say.  

Love, Alissa

Back in 2015 we adopted a beagle from AFH and a year later we adopted another beagle from AFH. This time she was a mix . Our first Dixie, we felt she needed a friend so we went back to AFH to find her one and we found Piper . Both dogs have been amazing to us , very sweet , playful and very loving . Everything was going well with Dixie and Piper and their new home and family , sisters inseparable until one day in 2021 Piper had fallen ill we had taken her to the vet and any parents nightmare the vet told us she had cancer and possibly only 6 months to live . We were devastated with the news . All we could do was continue to love her and give into all her needs . By a miracle she got better and was doing so well until 3 years later she started declining and unfortunately in May of 2024 the cancer had gotten her , she could no longer fight it anymore. Dixie never left Piper’s side, she was with her sister til the end. With this it has broken our hearts. Piper was an amazing dog , our best friend . I know she is in doggy heaven watching over us . Someday we will be reunited with eachother once again. R.I.P Piper❤️. My family and I want to thank AFH for letting us adopt such an amazing girl.

The Engle Family

Hi,  We are reaching out to share the news of the passing of our dog Willis. We adopted Willis from A Forever Home when he was 4 months old. Willis was part of a “W ” puppy litter and after meeting him we realized that we could not change his name, it was perfect for him. We were lucky to have loved Willis for over 12 years. From a rambunctious puppy who ran around all of the dog parks, to becoming a “puppy brother” to our two children, and aging into a distinguished old man, Willis brought joy to our family every day. His loss is deeply felt but we are forever grateful to have had him as a member of our family. 

 With love, Megan and Adam

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our loving dog and best friend, Jeter.  Jeter was born in October 2004.  We met him at an adoption event in Serling VA.  As he crawled into my hand and I lifted him up he curled up under my chin.  My wife and I established an immediate connection Jeter.  It was love at first sight.  Jeter lived an extraordinarily happy life.  He loved to run around the yard and play.  He never met a person he didn’t like.  Jeter was also extremely smart.  He learned any trick very quickly and loved his Milk Bone rewards.  Jeter passed away peacefully in our arms on 23 May 2024.  His amazing almost 20 year life was filled with love and happiness for both us and him.  We will miss him dearly.  God speed my little friend.

Sincerely, Keith and Lori