The Heart of the Pack

Luna was the sweetest and most loving companion, and was truly the heart of our family.  She was raised like a sibling to our two sons. Luna went everywhere with us, with countless trips to the OBX of NC and the NC mountains.  She never tired of walks around our neighborhood, daily sunrise walks when at the beach, mountain hikes, and playing fetch as often as anyone was willing!  When walking on the beach, she would always, every single walk, find a shell to carry in her mouth.  It had to be a big shell.  Once she found her shell, she would carry it the entire way, stopping ever so often to try to bury it, but would pick it back up to continue on our walk.  She received lots of attention from people we passed by and would eventually carry the shell all the way back to the house,  usually dropping it at the end of the driveway. Luna will forever hold a prominent space in all our hearts.  We will cherish our memories of her and are so grateful for all the love and joy she brought to our family.

Beamish the Mastador is quite the dog to adore. Black with an undercoat of brown, weighing in at 125 pounds, Is probably one of the more famous dogs around. Big head, ears, and jowls attract most of his calls, And when he walks away, you can’t miss his giant balls. Unaware of his size, he will use your lap as his seat, He is able to charm any man, woman, or child with a heartbeat. He loves to stand in water, as he cannot swim without a life vest, And will drown you even while swimming your best. Every dirty pond, lake, river, or creek— It’s a weekly bath because of his constant stink. He will dig holes and destroy the garden in the yard, And is too slow to catch the rabbits, bumbling like a goofball guard. He gets joy out of scaring other dogs and their folk, As he will sneak up and bark just once, as if it's a big joke. He takes large sh**s, sometimes five or six a day, Eats fifty pounds a month—a shit-making machine, I say. He also sheds a lot, drools, slobbers, and leaks. Cleaning the house every day is a chore, And it's dirty again seven days a week. He is now twelve years old and has started slowing down. Thinking about him leaving us is a bummer and really makes me frown. As there are never any bad days with Beamish— None. Zilch. Zero. Beamish is the best dog, and will forever be my hero.

Arabella was my hiking buddy and then she broke her leg. She had multiple surgeries to repair it but nothing took. The surgeon said amputation was the only option. I was so afraid we would never hike again. That was 5 years ago and we are still hiking at age 9. She just loves it. And through all those surgeries she never complained and just carried on. Dogs are so resilient.

My mother found Beaujohn when he was just a pup wandering around the apartment beaujohncomplex they lived in. Beau has been with her for 17 years, lived the majority of them in California. Unfortunately he was not home when my dad passed, he had had emergency surgery and was still in the hospital. I was so glad he was there for my mother during her grieving time. Him and my mom are now living in Texas with me. Beaujohn has had his health problems that most Dalmatians face, including kidney stones and Pancreatitis. He has a third lid problem with his eyes, but until recently this was never a problem. I! know make sure he is on the bed with his mom, and come home at lunch to take him down for him to go outside for a short period then back up on the bed. He is deaf and blind now and dealing with arthritis. He has always been a gentle dog, tolerating the other critters in the family. – Katy Waterman

Duke is our rescue dog from second chance adoptions. we have had him for 7 years. He is the most awesome dog a human could ever ask for! He loves his Pet pantry food and his peanut butter dog treats and his favorite spot in the house “his leather loveseat!! – Jack and Kim Legault

This is Finn & Ford and they are our furry heroes because they love and protect our 9 month old daughter Sutton! they love to just sit and watch her play, eat the food she drops, and sneak in a giant lick across the face. They are obsessed with her and she loves them so much.