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Friends of |
MAXINE Maxine - September 17, 2000 to January 31, 2011 Maxine came into our lives on June 6th, 2009; it was a perfectly beautiful, sunny day. I can hardly define how absolutely gorgeous and loving she was. All of our neighbours greeted her and welcomed her into the neighbourhood. She, in turn responded with lots of affection to all concerned. Our 21 year old cat, Wilbur, greeted her and they became great buddies. Quite often Wilbur would sleep on Maxine's bed with her. Maxine really blossomed and became quite the little socialite on our walks, greeting everyone, canine or human, although she mainly ignored the dogs, opting instead for affection from people. In January, Maxine started losing her balance. She wasn't her energetic self and didn't want to play her usual game of tug of war. After tests by our veterinarian, we were told that she had cancer in her pancreas and thyroid. We were advised that in order to save Maxine from a painful and prolonged illness and seizures, we should consider euthanizing her that day. We were not expecting that - Maxine was full of life, barking to come home with us - but we did what we had to do. We let her pass without suffering because we knew this was one battle that we could not win. We were not prepared for her loss at all. We didn't have her long enough; we should have had more years to enjoy her love and companionship. She was a very loving dog and we miss her so much. Even Wilbur has had a hard time with Maxine's unexpected absence, searching the house numerous times, looking for his buddy. Thank you to Friends of Abandoned Pets for allowing us to enjoy Maxine's love, even if it was for such a short time. Both Sandy and I were fortunate to have her come into our lives and we thank you for giving us the chance to adopt such a loving sweetie, our wonderful dog, Maxine. BARRY & SANDY & WILBUR  CLEO You were by far the prettiest, gentlest, fattest and smelliest kitty I have ever loved. You introduced me to FOAP almost 13 yrs ago, and we never looked back. I love you Cle-cle, and I will miss you. Carmel  CHARLIE 1995-2008 You came home in a big duffle bag Soon to be have Charlie, on a dog tag A Shepard/lab mix, black and tan, This is how our great friendship began So much joy, you brought into my life Winter morning forest hikes Hot coffee, for me Snow coffee, for you Your first buddy Duke, your first puppy tooth Your first eaten shoe, your last eaten shoe! Hearing the cries of a distressed puppy, You searched until you found him in the woods We brought him home, and you taught him well Your patience and mentoring skills, Well beyond your years, as you were still just a pup I was so proud… Your natural instinct to protect me in a dangerous situation Taking control and attacking the stranger From a small, calm, sleepy pup To a huge, intelligent loyal companion You made me laugh, while in the water, fishing for the never to be caught minnows, You made me laugh when Ozzie came on the radio, discovering your beautiful howl You made me laugh when you played with your partner in crime, Jasmine You made me laugh when you did your Elvis impersonation Seeing you with your new Daddy Looking up at him as you walked together Proud and ready to show the world You, Charlie, had your very own daddy! All of us camping together at the lake Charlie in his glory, access to water Showing off your new lifeguard skills! Rescuing dad EVERY time he went for a swim! You were joined to my hip, for so long And now, you had new one I couldn’t have been happier for you And so very grateful to Brian Our hearts are heavy, now that you’ve gone You are now our special angel Thank you Charlie, my baby boy For being such a great friend and loyal companion Twelve great years of unconditional love Embedded in my heart forever. Also thank you to FOAP, for providing me with an opportunity to adopt this very special dog. We miss you terribly, Love Mom, Dad & Jaz  GOOGIE 1989-2009 It is early morning, the sun just rising. I slowly awake, because I feel a pair of laser beam eyes on me. I open one eye and make eye contact with Googie, who is patiently sitting on the corner of my bed. 'NYACK!!' She knows I am now awake; forget going back to sleep! Googie was the most patient cat in the world. Never mind that there was food and water in her bowls - she wanted the ritual of my putting a bit more, even a ½ teaspoon. She would sit patiently, 'nyacking', humphing, brumphing, as I got up. I'd put a bit in her bowl and happy, she would eat most of her food and then go back to sleep! When she first arrived and Berni opened the cat carrier Googie marched right out and looked around. She laid claim right away. My previous cat was 18 when she died; the one before that 22. I was going to foster Googie. Googie made herself at home, if I was in the living room she would sit on me or by me. If I was at my computer she would lie on the bed behind me. In bed, she would curl up in the crook of my leg. Sometimes she would sit on my chest and tuck her nose under my chin. My balcony is enclosed and when I would be out fixing my flowers or vegetable plants, or just sitting and reading, Googie would poke around behind the pots, or lie on her side and sun herself. If I was inside and she wanted to go out, she would sit by the door, looking at me with those laser beam eyes. Googie was smart. Open a can of cat food, like most cats, she was right there; open any other can she stayed put. She liked some TV shows. She watched show-jumping; her head bobbing as she followed the horse over the jumps. She recognized my voice on the telephone. She could also be naughty. I learned not to put my breakfast plate on the coffee table so I could eat and watch the news. Googie liked sausages and as soon as my back was turned would snatch one off the plate! Poor Googie became thin and I suspected hyperthyroid; this was confirmed and she needed ear cream meds. I broke my leg - I have osteoporosis - and was in hospital over 2 months - Berni looked after Googie. Then Christmas 2007 my Dad died; my Mom in June 2008, and finally Googie had to be laid to rest. I lost all my family in the space of just over a year. People say 'it's only a cat' but I miss Googie just as much as my parents. She brought joy into my life. Even though she is gone, I still see her sitting by the balcony door, with those laser beam eyes, waiting to go out to sun herself. May she rest in peace. Photography by Marsha King  MAYA MAYA , my dear and beautiful and sweet Golden Retriever of 6 1/2 years old, passed away suddenly on November 25, 2008. She was the great companion of CODY, FOAP Mascot of the 2007 Annual Dog Walk and beloved and cherished dog of Suzelle Saab. She died after she ran outside at night for her last outing before going to bed and we found her in the snow sleeping on her right side. After bringing her to the Boyd Animal Hospital (it was around midnight), she was pronounced dead and suffered most likely from a heart attack. MAYA participated for 3 years in a row to the FOAP Annual Dog Walk with CODY (which I adopted from FOAP ).  BIJOU In Loving Memory of Bijou Overstreet 1991-2007. W ith her brother Smokey, Bijou was adopted from FOAP on Halloween 1992. Two years later, her left eye had to be removed due to melanomas of the iris and glaucoma. She adjusted quickly to having only one eye for the rest of her life. She was remarkably intelligent, affectionate, chatty and cheerful even at the end of her long and happy life. She was gently put to sleep on September 12, 2007, following a growing series of serious illnesses and conditions. She is sorely missed by her brother and by her adoptive humans, Ed and Adele, who will always lovingly remember her.  CHIMO Chimo was the foster dog I could not let go of. I adopted him in 1997 and I am so grateful he came into my life. He was so easy going and so gentle. Chimo loved to eat, soak himself in the lake, receive back scratches, chase cats, lay in the snow, go for long walks, and did I mention eat? I had to let go of my Chimo in September 2008 and since then there has been a huge void in my life and a lot more crumbs on my floor. I miss you so much Chimo. Thank you for everything. Clea  SKEWLEE Fourteen years ago, I decided to adopt another cat. At the time, I was looking for an adult, however when I went to see a possible adoptee, I fell in love with one of her shy, skittish kittens. I planned to call her Jasmine, but somehow her name became Minnie, then Minuscule - which lead to Skewlee. She had the biggest ears I had ever seen, on such a small, skinny kitten. I wasn't able to touch her for the first week, she was so timid. Over time, she became one of the sweetest cats whom I loved so much. I miss her, home is not the same without her. Carmel  TAZ On June 18th 2008 I had to make the difficult decision to put my beloved Taz to sleep. I adopted him in 1995 after I had him as a foster mom. I did obedience classes and agility with him and he won several prices in agility. He always was a handful, but was an extreemly loyal and happy dog. He helped me through difficult situations and always protected me until the end. He was 13 years old and had cancer therefore I had no choice. I could not see him suffer. I will never forget him and I miss him very much. Thanks to FOAP for letting me adopt him. Kirsten Bender 
SCOPY (aka Clyde) Even though you usually greeted me with a hiss and snarl, you managed to find your way into my heart. On those rare occasions when you did let me pet you, you couldn't help but purr - which made me realize (and you too) that I wasn't so bad. I hope you have reunited with Janita, I am sure she is glad to see you. We miss you big fella. Carmel & the Gang  YOGI Yogi FOAP's 2007 walk has been dedicated to the memory of Yogi, a brave and gentle Rottweiller who passed away far too soon. Yogi came into FOAP's care several weeks before the 2004 walk, painfully thin, and at the time of the walk he was building up his strength before a knee operation. Yogi desperately wanted to participate with the other dogs, but it was just not possible; he remained a reluctant spectator but did get to play the part of patient during a demonstration of doggie acupuncture. Within a few weeks Yogi had undergone successful surgery and had been taken into foster care by Gaylinne Robert. Adoption followed soon after that. Gaylinne adored Yogi, and the feeling was mutual. He was strong and healthy for the 2005 walk and he served proudly as mascot that year. Again in 2006 he and Gaylinne attended the walk and he greeted his admirers with his usual grace and humour. Then, just days later, Yogi lost his sight completely, but three days after that, Yogi was back swimming out at Constance Bay. The following week, he was going up and down three flights of stairs in the house by himself. By September, he was back to hiking in the woods without his leash. He never became nervous or timid. Gaylinne bought him a pair of dog goggles to protect his eyes when he was in wooded areas (since blind dogs have no blink reflexes, they can damage their eyes on branches and other objects). The goggles kept his eyes well protected (see picture of Yogi in his goggles). Unfortunately this story of courage does not have a happy ending. It was discovered that Yogi had a brain tumour and Gaylinne lost him on December 18, 2006. He will always be missed by everyone whose lives he touched. We can be grateful that, in Gaylinne's words, he did experience love and happiness in his short but meaningful life.  SHADOW In loving memory of Shadow, who passed away December 21, 2006 Shadow was a grey tabby domestic short hair cat abandoned in the fall of 1999. I was fortunate to have the chance to adopt him and share his life for seven years. Among his endearing idiosyncrasies was a love of television, especially hockey games. One of his favourite shows, however, was The Simpsons. Shadow will always be My Special Little Guy (as Marge Simpson once called Bart), a friendly and gregarious little fellow, a great buddy and a very brave cat who, in his final month, endured physical setbacks with great dignity and courage. John Shields  Peaches In loving memory of our little girl Peaches. In the short time you had with us you fought a brave battle and had to endure a lot. I hope that now that you are "Kitty Heaven" you can enjoy all the things you could not do here on earth. We miss you so much. Christine, Dwayne, Kathleen and Avery Epp Carmel  Dottie This beautiful torti girl came to me almost 15 years ago, and was the most patient and kind cat I have ever loved. She put up with all the other cats in the house without complaint. She kept me company through the good and the bad, and always stayed by my side. She will be missed by her feline buddies, but especially by her Mom. Carmel 
In Loving Memory of Janita I was only supposed to keep this shy little airport cat for a week. She hid from me for at least 3 months, and then was suddenly always underfoot. Five years later, she would graciously allowed me to sneak in a pat or two, and sometimes if I was really lucky, she'd give me a "head butt" as she walked by. She was always at the door with the rest of the gang, and I could always hear her coming, as she "stomped" her little feet. I will always be listening for you Janita, me and all the gang, espcially Scopy. Carmel  In Loving Memory of Fiona On 28th of December 2005 our teddy bear, Fiona, left us forever at the age of seventeen and a half. She brought us happiness for over 8 years. We remember the day she came into our life, she was full of energy. As soon as she got here, she checked every corner of every room. She seemed to be seeing if she will like our house. The next day we saw that she adjusted well. Over the next few years, her energy remained until the summer of 2004. Since then, she started to lose her energy until it ran out forever. In our memory, she will always be the cutest, sweetest and nicest "teddy bear" in the whole world. Danisz, Roksana, Kasia, and Ted  In Loving Memory of Al Al, you came to us for foster care with all your playful affection. You were a loyal friend, a great one-on-one companion, but misunderstood. Although you have gone from our lives you are very much missed by all of us. Except maybe the cats, especially during your "cat learning" curve (although you did learn to spit them out unharmed). We were glad to have the opportunity to provide you with the best we could while you were here. You big "bear". The two moms. Al "Ali", you were a one-of-a-kind rottie. You had so much heart; and you tried so hard. You were very patient with me; I learned a lot. I miss you so much. Carmel  In Loving Memory of Cisco Dear Cisco, (who is chasing cars in doggy heaven) You were amazing. All the poking and prodding you put up with. All the pain you endured. You took it all in stride and seemed to accept that humans are just doing their best. Your tail was waggling "hello" as you touched the hearts of everyone who met you. I am sorry I never had the chance to help you return to your old self. What a Beautiful Girl. You almost made it, Cisco. Love, Ann  In Loving Memory of Danny Boy Danny Boy died from kidney failure in November. He became our foster cat 8 years ago and he thanked us daily for giving him a home, and though us he was thanking supporters of FOAP. The privilege, however, was all ours. He was a wonderful and loving pet. He is greatly missed by his best friend Fluffles and Peter and Marion Ross. Thank you Danny Boy for showing unconditional love at all times. |
In Loving Memory
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