Dear Friends,

It is with very heavy hearts that Jeff and I report that our dear, beloved old German Shepherd Dog, Piper (Rowland's Verdana Bold CGC) has gone on her final journey. I hoped that she would live to see her 12th birthday in February but fates are not always kind. She was blind, crippled, and starting to disconnect from reality. She had a very bad night last night (Thursday Jan.1, 2015), so Jeff and I made the decision to let her go. She had already outlived Miles, Cheerio, Hoss, and FluffyMax.

Piper wasn't a show dog, although she collected some ribbons as a puppy. She wasn't an obedience dog, but she did get the Canine Good Citizen title.She was my constant companion for the past 11+ years. She trained all the foster dogs and taught them appropriate pack manners. But what she did mostly was love me and Jeff. According to the animal communicator, her final words were, "Tell Mommy I love her."
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Piper is survived by her little brother Siegfried and foster brother Tsar. She will always be in our hearts.

b'shalom,
-Risa​

Polly was rescued from the Prince George's County MD animal shelter at the age of about 12 weeks by GSRMD in 2002. We think that she was a GSD x Schipperke mix.
She was fostered by Risa and then adopted by her friends Laura and Jonathan Jackel of Gaithersburg. Polly was the beloved companion of their sons, Isaac and Alex.
Polly liked playing soccer,romping in the snow, and playing hide-and-seek. She learned to live with the cats. Polly passed away in February of 2014 and she is greatly missed.

Raven Stewart  Born 3/17/2014, Adopted 3/10/2018, Crossed Over 6/18/2021. 

I adopted Raven from VGSR on March 10, 2018 when she was nearly 4 years old. She was my second adopted shepherd after losing my beloved Sammie after 13 years. Raven was a big, beautiful, confident girl. She was a bit stubborn at first, wanting to do things her way in her time, earning herself the nickname "Knucklehead". She did eventually come to trust me and the bond was strong.  We spent a lot of time walking and hiking in Lake Fairfax Park and the paths here in Reston.   She loved to play fetch but I discovered early on that she had a passion for sticks as well.  Not just fetching them but breaking them up into small pieces. This could go on for several minutes and then she would stop and look up at me, so proud of her work!  I also discovered that she liked to swim one day when we stopped for a drink at the creek. I had hoped to get her to a place where she could swim freely off leash but, alas, we ran out of time.   

She was a big hit with my elderly Mother, accompanying me always on my semi-weekly visits. Mom would get her howling, another talent that Raven frequently engaged in upon hearing sirens. Raven was always happy to oblige earning a share of Mom's meal (a big no-no but how do you say no to a 93 yr old?). 

Raven accompanied me on a few other trips and was liked by every person she met.  Other dogs, not so much, but that was okay because she was an only dog. Late last fall I started noticing her favoring her left leg and she was diagnosed with a CCL tear.  She had surgery Dec 31st and after 2 months of recovery she was good as new, back to running and playing fetch. 

Things were great until mid May when her appetite started waning.  She was never terribly food motivated and would occasionally skip meals, but this was becoming too regular.  I took her to the vet and received the devastating news that her chest was full of cancer.  Two weeks later I let her go to cross over the rainbow bridge. 

We made a good team and I have a lot of memories to cherish.  She was my salvation during this last year of social isolation and I am forever grateful for her companionship.  I miss her by my side but she has left indelible footprints on my heart . I look forward to the day when we will be reunited.   Paula

We had him for 4 years and he was a very much loved member of our family. He was such a sweet and gentle soul and he passed peacefully during the night of November 16, 2021. It was unexpected even though he had some health issues, I thought we still had more time. He is no longer in pain. Thanks VGSR for saving him and allowing us to adopt him.

RIP 6/18/16 - 2/27/21
Ramey was a good, beautiful dog who was rescued from the shelter, fostered and adopted, developed serious medical issues and came back into foster care. Sadly his medical problems caused him to lose his life too early, but he was given much love and care with the rescue.