Welcome to A Forever Home Rescue Foundation’s Memory Page. On this page we honor all of the wonderful dogs who have shared their lives with us. Although they are gone from our lives, they are never far from our hearts. Please email your tribute and photo to info@aforeverhome.org.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in a joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…
Author unknown…
Image credit: Image by Graham Lowe from Pixabay
Beloved Holly (Lilly)
After sixteen years with our beloved Holly, we have come to believe that the name “A Forever Home” should really say something about what our pets have become to us rather than what we signed-up to give them; something more along the lines of “Forever in Our Hearts”. Holly came into our lives in the Autumn of 2005 during an AFH adoption event at PetSmart in Chantilly Virginia and immediately became one with our family.
Side-by-side growing-up with our two sons, Holly became the third wheel with everything they did except watersports, far too risky behavior for this proper lady. When 34 guinea hens made their way into our life in 2013, Holly’s Border Collie instincts kicked-in and she was determined to set the boundaries for their free-raging activities and wouldn’t take no for an answer until they flew to treetops, waiting the coast to be clear of that strong-willed and determined dog.
Holly was an unscripted addition to our family, and we all became Holly-centric over time basing many of our family decisions and directions with Holly in mind. We were never without a wagging tail or a smile looking for a treat; Holly was always ready to play when we were (and even if we weren’t). Over the years Holly touched many lives and most assuredly was greeted by her grandfather on the other side whom she shared a home for almost a decade. We can almost hear him saying “Hello Dog”. Planting our garden will never be same without Holly’s pawprints in the freshly groomed soil but memories like those will stand the test of time.
Thank you to AFN for not only the opportunity to give Holly a forever home, but for the opportunity to have Holly in our family and memories forever.
Tom, Cathy, Barrett and Griffin Cosgrove, Georgetown Delaware
Tyson – Best Dog Ever
AFH, In the fall of 2006, we rescued Tyson, a beagle mix puppy from A Forever Home Rescue Foundation. Little did we know, he rescued us. He was the only black beagle in his litter and his mild temperament drew us to him. We are saddened to report that Tyson passed away on Oct 28, 2021. Tyson was a little over 15 years old and brought love and joy to our family every day in a way, only the best dog ever could. We miss him immensely. Rest in Peace, Tyson. July 4, 2006 – October 28, 2021.
Nana Lola (Air Houla Tamika)
Dear AFH,
My name is Maggie…I adopted a wonderful great dane/ airedale terrier mix from you about 12.5 years ago. She was an amazing creature, and made a wonderful family member. She was a great nana dog to my daughter, who is now 18. Unfortunately, I had to have her put down about 3 weeks ago due to multiple organ failure. Dr. Eeg came to my house and and we eased her over the rainbow bridge here at home. She is sorely missed.
Thank you for all you rescue work, Maggie – AKA Lola’s mom
Our Dog Rocky/Benton
We adopted Rocky (formally Benton) from A Forever Home in August of 2010. We knew immediately when we saw him, that he was our dog. Since then he was with us for every one of life’s big milestones; marriage, home ownership, the birth of our three children. He enjoyed every family vacation with us; we honestly didn’t go anywhere without him. He was a fixture in our community, everyone just adored him. He loved his food, walks, car rides, but most importantly, he loved his family. As long as he was with us, he was happy and content. He was the most loyal, sensitive and loving companion. Rocky was diagnosed with Cancer (Lymphoma) on his 10th birthday, June 16th, 2020. After receiving Chemotherapy, he enjoyed 8 months of remission, before relapsing. We lost him May 6th, 2021. The loss of Rocky was profound. He might very well have been the most loved dog, ever. We are so thankful to A Forever Home for bringing us together. He was our missing puzzle piece, and am intricate part of our family. We miss him greatly.
Sammy – Best Dog Ever
If you have a pet, show them some love in honor of Sammy. Sammy was the best dog I could have ever asked for. From 4th grade through grad school he had been with me and my family- through SO much. He loved to play hard (frequently running into things, especially with one of his favorite toys- a green frog half his size) and nap hard. He requested dinner early relentlessly. He always did circles in excitement and gave you a snarled smile while wiggling his whole body when you came home. I will miss him so much. May he rest in peace, the best boy.
Sweet Tinkerbell
I just made a donation in memory of our sweet Tinkerbell. That is her on the right. Pete, her brother dachshund, is still with us. Both came from A Forever Home Rescue. She basically taught Pete how to be a dog. When we adopted her, she had been a stray in West Va and was going through a “false pregnancy”. She would get two of my son’s doggie stuffed animals and try to nest with them. So cute, but sad in a way. Two years later, we then got Pete to give her some company. He was rescued from the 2,000+ puppy mill In West Va. (national news) He had been in a crate for 1.5 years with his two brothers…neglected and ignored. They would throw food in to eat off the floor. He was a bit of a social, doggie mess. He would cower from a touch and not even “sniff” when we went on walks. But Tink helped him be a dog and the love we All shared helped him grow into the loving (albeit still quirky) dog we love so much. We miss Tink terribly.
Sweet Smiley Sam
Hi, My name is Hanna Rose and I adopted sweet Sam 11 years ago in 2010 from A Forever Home. They all called him “Smiley” because he would smile so much all the time. He has been with me through middle school, high school, throughout college in Texas, and for the past two years in New York City! He traveled all over (Washington DC, Florida, Nantucket, Dallas, Waco, and so many more!) with our family. He was loved by so many and was one of the most loyal and sweetest souls I have ever seen in a pet! He tragically and suddenly passed away this Fourth of July weekend, but I wanted to let you know that he was my rock from age 14 to 24 and I will never forget him. I’ve attached some photos (I have so many!) Thanks again for giving me the best friend and companion I could ever ask for.
Beloved Ben
Dear Forever Home, This is such a hard note to write and I have put it off for months as my heart is absolutely broken. Last summer my beloved Ben who I adopted from you in June 2008, when he was 4 month old, had his spleen rupture. He underwent emergency surgery and I received the devastating news that he had Hemangiosarcoma. He underwent two months of chemo to no avail and I had to make the most awful decision to let him go. This is not how I ever imagined our journey together would end. Ben was the light of my life for 12 and a half years from the minute I met him at an adoption event. He captured my heart and held it in his paw every day since. He was wicked smart in addition to being so very handsome and big personality that captivated anyone who met him. He was my constant companion, my confidante, the one who I treasured to walk, wag, bark, and run thru life with. He is missed every minute of every day. I know it saddens you to hear news like this, but also let it be known that Ben had a wonderful full life full of love and adventures that would not have been possible with out your organization from the start with Patricia McIntyre fostering him and letting me become his forever mommy. Barb
Missed Deeply – Hercules
Good Afternoon, I am writing to notify you that our pet, Hercules Gwin, has passed away. We adopted him from you while living in Springfield VA in 2007. About 5 years ago he developed diabetes and quickly went blind, but he remained an active, loving part of our family with the help of another rescue dog we added to the family, until this past Sunday. His mobility was severely limited and the diabetes finally took its’ toll on our sweet boy. Thank you for the chance to add this precious dog to our family. He will be missed deeply, and will be in our hearts forever.
Sincerely, Kelly
One of a Kind: Miles
June 1st would have been our dear, sweet, goofy Miles’s 15th birthday. He crossed the rainbow bridge on August 31, 2020 after a valiant battle with heart disease. It has taken us a long time to process his passing which explains the delay in writing this memorial.
We adopted Miles from A Forever Home on August 4, 2006 when he was only 8 weeks old. He was the smallest of the “Millie” litter (we decided to keep the name from his foster family) and looked microscopic next to his siblings. I still remember my parents skeptically asking me, “Are you sure that’s the one you want?” But as soon as I picked him up, I knew he was destined to be a member of our family.
Miles brought life to our household amid difficult times. Even if we had nothing to say to each other, we could talk about him for hours. The sounds of his paws click-clacking on the hardwood floors, his disproportionately booming bark from a 20-pound body, and the nonsensical conversations between him and us echoed throughout our house all day long (except during nap time, of course!)
From day one, we could tell that Miles was highly intelligent, but also extremely stubborn. This trait showed the most when we received his congestive heart failure diagnosis. The cardiologist prognosed that he had about six months left but our headstrong boy made it through a full one and a half years. Even the day before we put him to sleep he was galloping around refusing to give up the croissant he snatched from our grocery bag.
The past nine months have been incredibly tough. The house seems empty now without Miles’s “tippy-taps” or “kurkures” (the sound of him digging furiously on our furniture), especially during the pandemic. He truly was my best friend and companion who grew up and stayed by my side from coast-to-coast. We will be forever grateful to Miles for the 14 years he spent on Earth with us and will cherish every single memory he gifted to our family. Thank you, Miles, especially for giving me a reason to get out of bed each morning.