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

Hello,

My best friend passed who I received from you all at your rescue. She was a litter of weimeraner/coonhound pups. She loved music, being off leash honestly (sorry) and me whistling and her coming back from wherever she was like a jet plane anytime I called for her.
She was there for each of my kids to meet.

Thank you! Alec

Our story begins on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at an adoption event at Petco in Chantilly, VA. We had gone to other adoption events before this and we’re still searching for ‘our’ dog. We had looked at several dogs that day when our daughter Chelsea sat down on the floor beside the foster mama’s daughter who was holding Copper. After a couple minutes, Copper got up, walked over and sat down in our daughter’s lap. So, Copper kind of picked us. He was known as Valley at that time. We were told that he and his litter mates (The Tribe) were found on the side of the road during a rainstorm. He was such a laid-back dog so I started calling him ‘Old Man’. That was his speed. We couldn’t wait to be able to bring Copper home. February 15, 2009 was that day. The funniest thing about copper was how picky he was about eating. We bought him little puppy snacks which were a little bones. He would not eat one of them. So I gave him a Cheerio. He played with that cheerio for almost 15 minutes and then finally ate it. Over the past 15 years, copper has given us the most unconditional love and brought joy to our family and everyone he met. He had many adventures going up and down Short Hill mountain where we lived in Northern Virginia. I can’t believe the little guy survived Bears, coyotes, snakes and the like that were on that mountain. He loved his big brother Koda until his passing in 2017 and his little brother Fleury until his passing in March 2022. He leaves behind his brother Kenai, who already misses him a lot, as well as all of us. My grandchildren will miss him, especially 20 month old Colin. RIP little Copper. Have a good time running in the fields over the Rainbow Bridge with Koda, Fleury and Arapaho. 💙💙💙

Thank you, Marsha

My sweet friend, Molly the wonder mutt passed away May 14, 2024. She turned 15 in April. Adopted from AFH as a 10 week old beagle mix puppy we had so many great years together. She was 35 pounds of happy. Molly was my walking buddy, my pal once kids moved away, and my constant companion during the pandemic. Thank you AFH and Molly’s foster family for bringing her into my life. Donation coming your way. Keep up the good work. 

Thanks, Ann

Dear Yuki, thank you for the time and love you gave our family for nine beautiful years. Your loving gaze, calm presence and steadfast presence were a balm to our souls. We will miss you terribly. Yuki came to us in March 2015, very skinny with recurrent ear and teeth infections. We got that mostly under control over the years with diet and persistence and the support of Chantilly Animal Hospital. She was best friends with Teddy, our Safe Harbor german shepherd rescue from Kansas. Teddy and Yuki loved to go on walks together as well as playing ‘doggie WWF’ with a couple of the neighborhood dogs. Yuki’s nickname was ‘Flash’ as she could sprint at amazing speeds once she got her back legs underneath her. It was poetry in motion. Yuki was also the sniffiest dog I’ve ever seen. No smell was too insignificant to be ignored, and many smells required extensive minutes long bouts before she was fully satisfied she had extracted all information from the 2 inch spot on the ground. In the morning she had to smell our breath and when we came home from work or shopping she had to sniff our faces, hairlines and clothes. We always asked “Dr. Yuki” if we had the all clear.  She loved the park, chasing small furry animals (we had to be on alert for that), and being in proximity to either Teddy, me or my daughter. Yuki knew what time it was and if we were teleworking she circled us to herd us to our desks and computers. If we walked out for coffee or food she monitored our return, the epitome of the work supervisor. We all knew who was in charge.  She liked to do “upside down dog” with her head hanging off the dog bed, laying under my work desk, and generally being in the family mix. Yuki was so shy when we first got her she hid in the pantry. She slowly warmed up to us although she was always very shy around men and children. She seemed conflicted; she wanted to be petted but didn’t quite trust anyone to do it right. She did not like her raincoat (seemed resigned) or snow boots (those never stayed on) but absolutely adored rolling around in snow like a big white fluffy puppy.

Maribel and forever family, It is with a heavy heart we share that our four legged daughter, Penny, has passed away. She was the most perfect puppy to ever exist – kind, gentle, loyal, and truly a rare being. We still remember bringing her home 10 years ago, and she was just as soft and sweet on her last day. We are so beyond thankful for these last 10 years with her – even in the darkest of times, Penny was always our light. Our heart. Our peanut butter licking and cucumber chewing girl. Our traveler and car-ride-lover. And ultimately, the most humanistic and empathetic dog we will ever have, know, and love. I know that Penny is resting well with our Muwa (my mother) and I can only hope that she will come visit us in our dreams. We love you Penny, more than you will ever know. Your snout, paws, and soul are in our hearts forever. Thank you forever-home for trusting us and allowing us to have a beautiful penny with us🙏

Best regards, Prabha 

In 2012 I had bought my first house and I thought that it would be nice to get my first dog, Jude, a friend. I found Sadie at AFH while looking for Rottweiler/lab mix puppies that would look like one of my childhood dogs. It appears now that she somehow found her way in with a litter of real rottie mixes and no one was more surprised than I when she grew into not being a Rottweiler mix at all. It didn’t matter however, because she became my best friend. She was my wife’s shadow, her closest confidant. Sadie welcomed our 2 kids home with open paws and selflessly became their guardian and protector. We said goodbye to our sweet girl just a few days go after a long fight with lymphoma. We loved Sadie, and she loved us.

My husband and I decided that we wanted to adopt a puppy in 2008, when I was retiring from teaching.  One of my students, Abby, waters fostering two adorable boxer/bloodhound mixed puppies, so she brought them to school one day.  The minute she put one of the puppies in my arms, I instantly fell in love with this little girl.  We named her Abby after my student.  This pup was everything we had wanted in a dog: bright, curious, loving, and fun to be with.

We had so many adventures on our country property.  One event that I will never forget was an encounter with a bear family.  Abby and I were sitting on our front porch when we spotted a mama bear and her two cubs strolling by our front field. Before I could grab her, Abby jumped our porch gate, which she had never done before, and raced after the bears. I was terrified for my girl!  I finally found her in the woods under some brush.  She was shivering, but unhurt.  Mama bear must have let Abby know that she was not welcome to play with her cubs!

 Our girl passed away a year ago, but Abby will never be forgotten!  We are so thankful to have had her for 15 years. Thank you AFH and Abby’s foster family for bringing her into our lives.