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Eleven years ago, my senior German Shepherd, Woody, who had Degenerative Myelopathy, got a much-needed canine wheelchair.....and he hated it. 😕 It was a dreary Friday evening in mid-October when my husband and I made a four-hour round trip after work to secure the canine wheelchair for him. I remember sitting in the truck thinking how desperate I was for Woody to take to the canine wheelchair, but unfortunately, he didn't. In fact, every time I put him in the canine wheelchair, he wouldn't budge....and I mean, he wouldn't budge. Woody was a stubborn old furry boy, to say the least, and no matter how much or how hard we tried to get him to adapt to that canine wheelchair, Woody was like, "No way. No, how...it's not happening!" Looking back, I can see that he was too far gone for something like that, but I had to try. Since Woody, we've needed a canine wheelchair here at the sanctuary several times over. In fact, Jared, a 10-year-old German Shepherd sanctuary resident with Degenerative Myelopathy, has been in a canine wheelchair for just about two months now at the time of this blog post. I'm happy to say that he has taken to it very well. When Jared is in his canine wheelchair, he cruses all over the sanctuary grounds with ease, just like he did before being debilitated by Degenerative Myelopathy. That's great news for him (and my back), but like Woody, not all dogs take to a canine wheelchair immediately, if at all. Some dogs are scared of it, and others might not have the strength to use it because they are too weak. In my experience, if they are too weak, there's no point in getting a canine wheelchair for them because it could do more harm than good. However, if the dog has the physical strength to get around in a canine wheelchair, there are a few things you, as a dog parent, can do to help your dog gain some freedom by using a canine wheelchair. Here are six tips for canine wheelchair success: 1) Make sure the cart is the appropriate size for your dog and fits correctly. You may come across a canine wheelchair for our dog via a friend of a friend whose dog used it and no longer needs it. That's nice, but not all canine wheelchairs are adjustable, and a correct fit for your dog is paramount. Not sure how to measure your dog for a canine wheelchair? Click on this link to find out how: https://handicappedpetscanada.com/measuring-for-your-dog-wheelchair/ 2) Correctly placing your dog in the canine wheelchair. This part can be a challenge because, more times than not, the dog can't support his back end. This can be an even bigger challenge if you are by yourself trying to do this without help from another person. My tip is to get your dog a good harness, like Blue Dog Help Em Up Harness , or purchase a canine wheelchair with a built-in harness like https://www.handicappedpets.com/adjustable-dog-wheelchairs/. This will save him unnecessary stress and your back unnecessary pain. To give your dog the best chance of taking to the wheel cart, he must be comfortable in it. Not sure how to put your dog in a canine wheelchair? Click on this link to learn how: https://www.handicappedpets.com/large-dog-wheelchair-instructional-videos/ 3) Allow your dog to get used to the wheel cart. Don't be fooled into thinking that once your dog is in the canine wheelchair correctly, that's it. Your dog will most likely be confused, if not scared, once he is actually in the canine wheelchair. He will not understand what this new apparatus is that surrounds him, and he certainly won't comprehend that it is to benefit him. So help him get a feel for the canine wheelchair by letting him stand in it and take some baby steps. Moreover, at first, only place him in the canine wheelchair for short periods of time several times a day, then as he gets more comfortable, put him in it for longer periods of time. 4) Entice your dog to walk in the canine wheelchair by using high-value treats or a coveted toy. If your dog is overcome with uncertainty or fear, entice him to walk a little bit by using high-value treats....something he really likes. Give him a little nibble of turkey or show him his favorite toy, and then move forward a few steps while holding out the toy or treat for him to see. You can also put a leash on him and walk alongside him while holding the treat or toy for him to see. Just remember not to overdo it. Dogs tire easily when getting adjusted to being in a canine wheelchair. 5) Clear a path. This is an important but often overlooked factor in canine wheelchair success. For your dog to maneuver the canine wheelchair effectively, he needs a clear and stable path. Whether inside or outside, he can't be in a space too small where he is constantly bumping into things such as tables and chairs or firepits and sheds. He also needs to be on a surface with traction, so no slippery surfaces or hillsides that may cause him to flip and tumble. 6) Give lots of praise. Like any other dog training, offer lots of praise and positive reinforcement. Even if your dog takes a few steps in his new canine wheelchair, really turn on the "Good Boy" vibes, so he knows he's doing a good job. Resources: Where to purchase a canine wheelchair: https://amzn.to/3dAwrjP Where to possibly rent a canine wheelchair: We rent canine wheelchairs, as does Gunnar's Wheels https://www.facebook.com/Gunnars-wheels-1155089164561706/ Best of luck, and tell your pup I said hi! Dawn

This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase through a link on this blog post. Dogs bring us so much love and joy, but sometimes they also bring us pee on the carpet in the house. Whether it be because you have a new puppy who's learning to go potty outside but hasn't totally caught on just yet, or because your dog is in the senior or geriatric stage of his life and can't quite hold it as long as he used to, accidents happen. So you have a pee stain on your carpet. Now what? If you are like most people, you clean it. But did you know that not only should you clean urine stains, but you should also try your best to remove the urine odor from the carpet as well? After all, if you can smell dog urine on your carpet, so can your dog. And if they smell it, chances of them peeing in that spot again are highly likely. Here at Woody's Place Senior German Shepherd Sanctuary, we've had our fair share of accidents on the carpet and have pretty much become masters at removing the urine stain and smell. Want to learn how we do it? Then check out this video with step-by-step instructions on how to clean a urine stain and remove the urine smell so your carpet will be like new. We use Millie Mats to cover the accident after it's cleaned while the treated area is drying. We also use Millie Mats to put under any of our incontinent dogs. Millie mats are very absorbent and reusable. Mix 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar, one cup of warm water, and five to eight drops of peppermint essential oil in the spray bottle. Here is a list of products used:

With so many store-bought treats causing our dogs to become ill due to contaminants such as Salmonella, E Coli, Botulism poisoning, Listeria, and mold, why not just make your own yummy treats for your fur friend? Not only is it an enjoyable experience, but you will undoubtedly have peace of mind knowing the ingredients going into the treats rather than not knowing at all. That sounds great! But where do you find healthy recipes for homemade dog treats? There's no shortage of them. In fact, one Google search for "Healthy homemade dog treats," and you could get lost in pages of recipes for hours. You just have to pick the appropriate recipe for your dog. For instance, if your dog has a peanut butter allergy, you would select a recipe that does not include peanut butter. Likewise, if your dog is overweight, then you would want to select a low-calorie recipe. The bottom line is to know your dog and select a recipe to meet his needs. Here at Woody's Place Senior German Shepherd Sanctuary, we like to use a couple of different diet-appropriate recipes. Still, the resident dogs have a unanimous favorite: our homemade "Frosty Paws" treats. Homemade Frosty Paw treats are super easy to make, and the ingredients are limited. Plus, we usually have them on hand, so it's no problem making them on the fly. Ready for it?? =>=> The ingredients for homemade Frosty Paws are=> => => 1 32oz. of plain or vanilla yogurt 1 jar of baby food 2 tbsp. of peanut butter That's it! But you can mix it up a bit by changing or omitting some of the ingredients. An example would be leaving out the baby food jar and adding a banana instead. Or, instead of peanut butter, add pumpkin to the recipe. So long as the base is yogurt, you can tweak this recipe a bit. Here's how you make it. => => => Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer, spoon, or even in a blender. Once the ingredients are mixed well, you can either spoon the mixture into your chosen container or put the mixture in a big food storage bag and snip off a bottom corner to pipe the mixture into the containers. If you use a blender, you can pour directly from the blender. We use the food storage bag method and pour the mixture into our XL Dog Paw and Bone Silicone Molds, but you can keep it simple by using any small container, such as small store-bought plastic containers with lids. Once you've poured the mixture into the molds, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until the mixture is frozen. To see just how we do it, click on the video below. Once the mixture is frozen, pop out a homemade Frosty Paws treat and give it to your fur friend to enjoy. Check out our taste tester, Jared. He LoVeS them! Using all human-grade, cost-effective ingredients, you can feel confident knowing that your fur friend will have a healthy, tasty treat to help keep him cool in the warmer weather, or like the Woody's Place gang, enjoy it even if there's a foot of snow outside.

We love our dogs. Right? And because we love our dogs, naturally, we want what's best for them. That's how I feel about each and every Woody's Place resident senior German Shepherd. I want what's best for them, and one way I go about doing what I think is best for them is to make them home-cooked dog food and treats. Honestly, even if I'm drop-dead tired at the end of the day, nothing feels better than whipping up a batch of homemade treats for the fur crew and watching them enjoy their treat. They love it, and I love knowing what goes directly into their food and treats. Especially with recalls of commercial brand foods and treats becoming all too common. When making homemade treats for the sanctuary residents, I find keeping it simple is the way to go. My reasons for this are twofold. One, because we have dogs with allergies and don't want them to have a flair-up, and two, to keep the cost in check, which is paramount when you have multiple dogs. With that said, our resident senior German Shepherds LOVE my soft peanut butter pumpkin homemade dog treats. It's a super simple recipe that is easy to make and super healthy for them. Seriously, these treats are packed full of vitamins and minerals that are great for the skin, coat, teeth, and bones, not to mention the digestive system, with only five simple ingredients. My soft peanut butter pumpkin treats are also particularly great for our seniors who may be missing teeth, as this is a soft treat, so not a lot of hard chewing is going on. Without further ado, here is the recipe 3 cups of oats 1 cup of pumpkin puree 1/3 cup of peanut butter (not with xylitol) 3 TBS of ground flaxseed 1 egg (Try to use organic if you can) Grind up the oats in a food processor to make a powder Then add all the other ingredients. Once the ingredients are mixed, press the mix into silicone molds or spread it out on a smooth surface and cut with a cookie cutter. Place treats in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes. Once they've cooled, feel free to serve them to your pup and watch their faces light up with joy! You can keep these treats in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can also freeze them and take them out as needed. Big kudos to you! You have now made your fur friend treats that are both flavorful and healthy! You can feel good knowing that the peanut butter you've used is an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins B, E, and niacin. The pumpkin is a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestive issues. The oats also contain vitamin B, which contributes to a nice shiny coat, and linoleic acid, which is excellent for your dog's skin. Flaxseed contains lignans, which have several health benefits, such as improving the cardiovascular system and preventing cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Flaxseed can also reduce arthritis symptoms, lower blood pressure, improve kidney function, and improve your dog's coat and skin. The final ingredient is the egg. Is it any wonder this food source was nicknamed "The Incredible Edible Egg?" I think not. The egg is jam-packed with protein, amino, fatty acids, and vitamins, including A, B2, 5, & 12, D, & E, folate, iron, selenium, and riboflavin. I mean, WOW, right? One egg can provide many health benefits for your dog, from luscious skin and coat to healthier, stronger teeth and bones. You can feel good about these ingredients when serving up my soft peanut butter pumpkin dog treats to your fur friend. If you like this blog post, please let us know by commenting and sharing! Disclaimer: Not meant for dogs with certain allergies.

Check out how much our senior German Shepherd residents LOVE their hard-boiled egg snacks! I hope your pup enjoys these Doggy Deviled Eggs as much as the Woody's Place Crew does! And please be sure to refrigerate uneaten eggs and consume them within three days. Disclaimer: Not recommended for dogs with egg and beef allergies.

Who doesn't love a party? And better yet, who doesn't love cake?! Most of us do, and guess what? So does your fur friend! Of course, just like humans, it's never a good idea to load up on sweets, but a piece of cake here and there can't hurt, right?! Especially when it's someone's birthday...like your dogs'! If you are like us, then you look forward to showering your fur friend with love, and you really pour on the love when it's their birthday am I right? You bet! Just recently, we had a birthday party for our most senior Resident, Champ. He's a whopping 13 years old, so we pulled out all the stops! We invited all his friends, got decorations, had some McDonald's plain cheeseburgers, presents, and even made a doggie cake! The party hats may have been a flop, but trust me when I say there was not a crumb of cake left by the end of the day because Champ and all of his friends made fast work of seeing it into their tummies. ;) You can make your fur friend his own cake with these few ingredients. Ingredients * 3/4 cup flour (all-purpose is fine) * 1/2 tsp. baking soda * 1/4 tsp. baking powder * 1 large egg * 2 tbsp. peanut butter (no xylitol) *2 tbsp coconut nut oil melted * 1/4 cup applesauce (can substitute with pumpkin or banana) * 1/2 cup shredded carrots or zucchini For the icing: 1/2 cup Plain greek yogurt 1/4 cup peanut butter This recipe can be doubled for a two-layer cake. You can cook this in a glass baking dish or a small cake mold. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool before applying the icing. Please remember that this is meant to be used as a treat on special occasions and not something to be given regularly or in large quantities. Doing so may upset your fur friend's tummy. To see how we made the cake, click on the video: I embellished the cake with a few Good Dog, Buddy homemade dog treats, which of course, Champ got to indulge in :) And here he is, the birthday boy, licking his birthday cake plate clean! It's safe to say that he and all the residents of Woody's Place enjoyed the doggie cake and had a great time at the party. Disclaimer: Some ingredients may not be suitable for dogs with certain allergies.

Our senior German Shepherds LOVE home-cooked food and treats, and we love knowing exactly what is going into what they are eating! We use a lot of turkey here at the sanctuary because that is a protein that most of our residents can handle without it causing ear infections, yucky skin, or upset tummies, so of course, we try to integrate it into our homemade treats as well. This week we made homemade turkey meatball treats, and what's so nice about this recipe is A) you can form the mixture into balls, patties or even use silicone molds! You can shape it into the Easter Bunny if you want because the mixture is that flexible.....think meatloaf mixture. B) You can make the treats any size you'd like too, so if you have a small fur kid and need tiny treats for him, you can do it. And C) you can alter the recipe, and it really won't matter. For instance, if your fur kid can't have carrots, switch them out for peas instead. If your fur kid can't have turkey, use ground meat as an alternative. Gotta love the flexibility, right?! Here are the ingredients you will need. 1 pound of ground turkey 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons of plain greek or regular yogurt 1 cup of carrots 1/2 cup of parsley 1/2 tsp of turmeric a pinch of salt (PS. I doubled the recipe in the video below) Make sure to brown the turkey well and drain most of the fat, but be sure to leave some fat with the meat. To learn how to make the rest of the mixture, click on the video. Be sure to heat your oven to 400 degrees and then bake the turkey meatball treats for 25 minutes or until they are lightly browned on the outside. If you are making smaller treats, they may cook faster. I made the meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball because, hey...we have 100-pound fur kids. ;) After you have shared some of this yummy goodness with your furkid, be sure to store the rest of the treats in the refrigerator as you would any meats you would eat. Later, you can heat up a treat before giving it to your fur kid or give it to him cold. I bet, either way, he will be happy. :) Disclaimer: Not recommended for dogs with egg or turkey allergies. Also, this is not intended to be a meal for your dog....only a treat.

Several times throughout the year, we host doggy birthday parties here at the sanctuary for our resident senior German Shepherds. And anyone who knows me knows I'm constantly cooking all-natural, wholesome food for our residents, so there's no way I'm running out to buy a boxed mix for a doggy birthday cake when I can make it right here in my kitchen with many of the ingredients I have harvested from our gardens and orchards on the sanctuary grounds. The result is that I know exactly what our senior German Shepherd residents are eating, and they love it! Check out this short video to see how quick and easy doggy cake is made. => => => => You can make your fur friend his own cake with these few ingredients. Ingredients * 1 cup flour * 1/2 tsp. baking soda * 1 large egg * 1/4 cup peanut butter (no xylitol) *1/8 cup coconut nut oil melted * 1/3 cup applesauce * 1/2 cup pumpkin Mix flour and baking soda and set aside. Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. When thoroughly blended, mix in the flour and baking soda. Mix until all ingredients are blended well. Transfer the cake mixture into a 7 x 9 glass bakeware dish greased with coconut oil. Spread the mixture evenly. Place in preheated oven at 350 Degrees for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick to determine if the cake is done. (if the toothpick comes out clean, that cake is finished). Allow the cake to cool on a rack. Once the cake is cooled, cut the cake in half. Cover one half in frosting, then place the other half on top of the frosted half and continue to frost the remaining half. Once the cake is frosted, sprinkle crushed dog treats on the cake for effect. For the frosting: * 1/2 cup plain yogurt * 1/3 cup peanut butter * 1 tablespoon maple syrup *****Place cake in refrigerator for storage.******* Disclaimer: Some ingredients may not be suitable for dogs with certain allergies.

With only a few simple ingredients, you can make your dog a delightful, nutritious meal and use it as a meal topper or a whole meal with a multivitamin. Either way, your fur friend is gonna love it! Our Ground Beef Casserole For Dogs is an easy recipe to make and one you can feel good about giving to your dog. It's also a flexible recipe, so if ground beef doesn't work for your doggo, make it with ground turkey instead! Not only will your dog benefit from having natural beef, but the other ingredients are super beneficial as well! For instance, carrots are high in fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamin A. Green beans are also loaded with fiber and protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins B6, A, C, and K. Likewise, apples are also high in fiber and are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and antioxidants. And there's more! Quinoa is rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamins B1 & E, and amino acids, and brown rice is an excellent source of natural fiber. It contains B and D vitamins, which are essential to heart health. And last, but certainly not least, is golden paste. I did a whole other blog post on golden paste, its benefits, and how to make it, and you can check that out here>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://www.wpsgss.org/post/goldenpastrecipe Pro Tip: Put the veggies and apple in a food processor or high-powered blender to mix up well. This part is optional, but if you have an older dog whose teeth aren't so great, this part can prevent them from choking. To see how to make my quick and easy Ground Beef Dog Casserole, check out our YouTube channel: Notes: * Serving size for a dog weighing between 90 and 100 lbs. is 4 - 4 1/2 cups a day. This should be divided up into two smaller meals.

The other day I mentioned in a video something about Brandi not eating her food and giving her chicken nuggets instead, and I got some comments about that. Again, it's no secret that Brandi is our super senior (14+ years old), and sometimes once a dog reaches old age, getting them to eat regularly can become a challenge. Really, it's no different than us as we age, and Miss Brandi can be pretty picky! Sometimes I put two or three high-value food down in front of her and feed her from my hand to get her to eat, which can be both concerning and frustrating. But I have a solution for that! Enter my homemade chicken nugget snacks. These snacks are both easy to make, and you'll find that most picky eaters will want to munch on these convenient and healthy snacks. Heck! Sometimes when Brandi is giving me a hard time, I just break up a few of these on a plate for her, and she eats them all. Is it a nutritionally balanced meal? No. But it's not bad for her? Not at all, because she is getting something substantial in her tummy. Let's break down what's in it and why it will do when you are trying to get your old dog to eat something healthy if they don't eat their regular food. First, the main ingredient is chicken which, provided your dog is not allergic to chicken, is an excellent protein source loaded with several B vitamins, including Niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), B6, and B12, vitamins E, K, and A, Omega 3 & 6, and lots of minerals too. Next up is oats. Oats are also a great source of B vitamins, fiber, and fatty acids, as well as other vitamins and minerals that help keep an older dog's coat thick and shiny as well as aid with digestion, and it also has proven immune-enhancing properties. And let's not forget about the ground flax in this recipe. Flaxseed, which just happens to be one of our oldest crops, dating back some 5000 years ago, is a fiber and omega 3 & 6 powerhouse. Most notably, the omega-3 fatty acid in flaxseed is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is terrific for dogs with atopic dermatitis. Whatsmore, flaxseed also aids in keeping the immune system strong, which, as we know, can become a growing concern with our older dogs. And last but certainly not least, the incredible, edible egg. I used to love that commercial when I was younger, and now I have a whole flock of my very own chickens pumping out fresh, organic, free-range eggs from happy chickens every single day for me, my family, and the Woody's Place residents, and boy do we use them up! Eggs are a great source of vitamins and minerals for our older furry companions. They are high in protein, vitamins, and fatty acids that help support your dog outside and in. You can even throw in the shell if you want because that's an extra boost of calcium. Just be sure the egg is clean. Oh, and I want to add that not all eggs are great, as I mentioned. Our eggs are fresh daily because we have a little homestead here at Woody's Place Senior German Shepherd Sanctuary. But if you are getting your eggs at the store or elsewhere and want to know if they are fresh. Do a float test. Don't know what a float test is? Fill a jar with glass and take an egg and gently drop it in the water. If it sinks, it's fresh. If it floats toward the middle, it's old. If it floats toward the top, trash it. Pro Tip: When mixing the ingredients, mix two eggs and see if you can form a nugget or ball. If the ingredients are too dry, add a third egg. If you have an older dog who is not eating like he used to, know that you are not alone. It is common for our older fur friends not to want to eat every meal every day like they did when they were younger. That being said, it is still essential to visit your vet regularly to make sure the cause of his lack of appetite doesn't have a medical basis. If everything checks out medically, it could just mean he needs something different regarding food and snacks, like homemade chicken nuggets. :) Have fun with this, and remember, your fur friend isn't going to be here forever, so make the most of it now. To see how to make my Chicken Nuggets for dogs homemade recipe, check out our YouTube channel: Disclaimer: Not recommended for dogs with known chicken allergies.

And what a delight it is! Cook up this delicious meal for your doggie, and watch him lick his bowl clean! Our Chopped Sirloin Doggie Delight recipe is a recipe you can feel good about giving to your dog, whether you use this as a meal topper or a whole meal with a multivitamin. Either way, your fur friend will love it, and you will feel good serving it! As with our other recipes, this is flexible, so if sirloin doesn't work for your do, make it with another meat source instead. Not only will your dog benefit from having natural beef, but the other ingredients are also super beneficial. For instance, did you know green beans are also loaded with fiber and protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins B6, A, C, and K? They are! Furthermore, brown rice (no salt, please) is a rich carbohydrate that can help settle an upset tummy and diarrhea....just be sure not to overdo the rice. And lastly, bone broth is excellent for everything, from joint rejuvenation to better digestion and increased appetite, to a shiny coat and healthy skin, and increased hydration! I can't think of any way to go wrong with bone broth. That's for sure. We have a recipe for that as well. Wanna check it out? Just click on the link below. https://www.wpsgss.org/post/woody-s-place-quick-and-easy-bone-broth-recipe Pro Tip: Be sure to use the correct suggested portion size for a complete meal (Not as a topper). Check out the chart above for guidelines. If you are using it as a topper, be sure to reduce the amount of kibble for every portion of this recipe you add. For instance, if your dog eats two cups of kibble per meal, offer one cup of kibble and one cup of this recipe. Too much is not a good thing, so be sure to follow the guidelines. To see how to make my Chopped Sirlion Doggie Delight homemade dog food recipe, check out our YouTube channel: Disclaimer: Not recommended for dogs with known beef allergies. Start with the same ingredients each time to see if a reaction develops.

It's hard to adjust after a fur-friend passes. If you’re anything like me, you find yourself muddling through the day, going about your routine, a routine that once included your fur-friend, but then the harsh reality sets in. You don't need to fill that bowl with water or food anymore because he's not there to eat or drink out of it. And those toys that you were constantly tripping over because he would drag them all out of his toy box and leave them lying everywhere are now neatly placed in his toy box right where you put them last, never to be touched again. And that well-worn leash hanging on the hook by the front door that has not moved since that dreadful day you said goodbye is a constant reminder that you and your fur-friend took your last walk together, maybe not even knowing it would be the last. All these reminders hurt. It's an affliction that you know will lessen in time, but you just don’t know when? For some, adjusting to a fur-friend passing is easier than for others, whether it be because they see no sense in dwelling over what they can’t change or perhaps because they only saw their dog as “just a dog”. But for others, their fur-friend was family, and the loss is so profound that there is no bottling up their emotions because it’s all they can think about. Regardless, there’s no set length of time or style of mourning because everyone’s experience is unique to them. Therefore, there is no correct way or incorrect way to mourn the passing of a fur-friend. Here at Woody’s Place, like it or not, the passing of a fur-friend is inevitable and part of the process. After all, we work solely with German Shepherds eight years and older, so it’s clear that their life span has been mostly spent by the time they arrive here at the sanctuary. Still, we get to know the senior German Shepherds that reside at Woody’s Place like they were our own, and we mourn their passing like they were our own. And regardless of how many times we’ve been down that road, it never gets easy. Last year was a particularly hard year with the passing of many fur-friends, not only Woody’s Place dogs, but several of us on the board lost our own personal fur-friends, some expectantly and some out of the blue, and we all mourned their passing differently. This year, we’ve already had one loss. Our Mr. Rock, who came to the sanctuary in August of 2016, finally succumbed to his cancer, which he’d been living with since November 2017. The decision to have him euthanized was not easy to make, but there was no doubt he was declining and declining quickly, so giving him peace was the last act of love that we could give our fur-friend as much as it hurt us to make that decision. On the day of Rock’s appointment, a few of us got together to spend time on the kitchen floor (Rock’s favorite spot) with him. We talked with him, pet him, and gave him all the comfort and love we had to give. As an added bonus, for breakfast, Rock had two eggs (sunny side up), toast, and bacon, and right before his appointment, he had his favorite chicken sandwich and french fry meal, all of which he ate, except the lettuce, of course. :) At his appointment, everything went as smoothly as possible, and Rock passed peacefully in my arms. Still, even though he was ready to leave us, we weren’t ready for him to leave and now have to adjust to him being gone. The days are passing by, and it’s still hard to walk by his favorite spot in the kitchen and not see him there or see his bowl with his name on it in the cabinet not being used. It’s hard not being able to listen to him breathing as he slept right next to my side of the bed at night and touching his soft fur first thing in the morning. It’s hard to get through feeding the dogs twice a day and not having Rock be front and center because he knew what I was doing, like clockwork. It’s hard not having to go through the process of leaving the house without Rock blocking the door because he didn’t want me to go. And It’s especially hard having to adjust to something we didn’t want to happen in the first place, but we manage with our fur-friends forever in our hearts and memories.