Our beloved friend came into the Rescued Tails family over seven years ago after being found abandoned in an apartment. He had an injury to his knee and x-rays showed someone had once shot him. But Ceaser lived his life without holding a grudge - he absolutely loved people. Never before did we have a dog who enjoyed going to the vet as much as Ceaser - if people were involved, he was all for it. He was a "talker" at times, but we knew he meant no harm. Ceaser enjoyed his days with us snoozing in the sunshine, going on walks and even attending dog training classes where he licked the faces clean of every human he encountered. He enjoyed coffee time, TV time and just plain "pet me" time. Ceaser had a multitude of health issues over the years that we were able to fix or manage except for one that recently surfaced. The cancer came so fast and hard that even the best doctors could not give a good prognosis for our 13 year old friend. On Sept. 30th, 2015, we helped Ceaser cross over the Bridge and end his suffering. We miss you old boy. Say hello to the others - it shall be a grand reunion when we all meet again

~~From Hank's foster mom, Carol:

"I first met Hank through the Rush to Rescue program. He and his handler were housed in the living unit I am officed in. I would have Hank come back and hang out in my office several times a week. I would feed him a treat or ten as he didn’t discriminate when it came to food. He had a special affinity for beef leg bones, and would work on one bone for hours. I took him to a few meetings now and again, so we became pretty good buddies. Hank was allowed to spend an occasional weekend at my house, and this spring, the decision was made to bring him home permanently. Everyone who knew Hank loved him, and he made an indelible impression on many of the staff and offenders who had the pleasure of knowing him.

At home, Hank loved the early mornings. Once he was given his medications and breakfast and I had that first cup of coffee in hand, we’d head outside to do our “perimeter check” of the farm. He made it his responsibility to check out each bush and every rogue smell along the way. When we’d venture past the sheep and goats in the pasture, the hair would raise up on his back and he would growl/bark at them ferociously. I believe that was his way of protecting his people from those foreign “potentially vicious” animals! Also, if he knew he wasn’t being watched too closely, he’d sneak into the garden and help himself to a tomato or two. Even when caught red handed, it was impossible to be mad at him when he’d look at you with that guilty but sweet face. He loved to walk on the paths in the woods, and a noisy squirrel or bird would catch his attention now and again.

When coming home from work, I always tooted my car horn when coming into the driveway. That was the signal to Hank I was home and he would come barreling out of the house pushing open the screen door to whole-heartedly greet me. When he was happy to see one of his people, he would literally run at Hank’s speed and start walking circles around them. My granddaughter loved to make him speak for a treat. His favorite sayings were “Hank” and “I love you.” He liked chewing on tennis balls, but once he had popped it, he was done with it. He was gentle with children and always got along well with other dogs and cats. He was always happy despite his limitations.

He was a great companion animal and truly gave more than he ever took. It truly was our pleasure and honor to have Hank as part of our family even for a short while. He will be missed.

On November 3, 2014, we said goodbye to our sweet boy, Ceaser. You blessed our lives with your affection and silly antics. What a good sport you were to put up with all your canine house mates - what a brave feline! We lost you much too soon, and we will forever miss you sneaking up to our pillows at night and watching you "stalk" the paper bags. Our big, orange boy - you will always hold a special place in our hearts - we love you forever, Ceaser, and look forward to seeing you again someday.  

Yesterday morning our sweet, little Spider passed away. It would have been a year this October since we had rescued him. Spider had been living outside, in a colony of about 20 cats, and was emaciated and had a gaping wound on his neck. Shortly after we took him in, he was diagnosed with FIP - a disease in cats that is fatal. -- We miss your sweet morning meows and little motor purring away as we would hold you close each day - nose to nose and all the head butts. Your big 75 pound pit bull buddy, Mabel, misses playing with you through the fence. You melted our hearts each time you popped up to greet us from your bed. We love you little Spider-man forever and ever. Thank you for all your sweetness and love you gave.

Our hearts broke, once again, as we had to say goodbye to Bam Bam today. Bam Bam and his sister Pebbels came to live at the sanctuary in Shell Lake, WI, back in 2007. They had been born in a barn, and when they arrived here they were semi-feral. But it didn't take long for Bam Bam to learn to trust us and his sister, Pebbles, soon followed. Bam Bam lived the good life here and had many wonderful days of running, playing and lounging in the sunshine. About 2 years ago, Bam Bam was diagnosed with Feline Leukemia. His health was fine until about 1 1/2 weeks ago. It was a steady decline, and today we made the difficult decision to end his suffering. We miss our big, beautiful boy terribly. We love you forever Bam Bam.