Paws In Heaven

05/25/2026

05/14/2026

Foul-Mouthed Frankie (legal name) a Dudley yellow lab unlike any other, she left a mark on every person lucky enough to know her. With her striking yellow-green eyes, a soft pink nose and belly, and the most beautiful golden coat, Frankie was as stunning as she was unforgettable.

She never had enough pets and never met a toy she was willing to share, so don’t even think about it. When she had a tail, it never stopped wagging, and even after she lost it, her whole body carried on the job, wiggling with the same unstoppable joy. Frankie was, at her core, a happy girl.

She loved nothing more than being off leash, sniffing every inch of Scrivner Conservation Area, or diving into any body of water she could find. Personal space wasn’t her thing, and neither was timing, especially when it came to her unapologetic and often ill-timed farts, which she somehow found fascinating herself. Equal parts lady and goofball, she kept everyone laughing.

Frankie had a natural instinct for hunting and a love for birds, but her true calling was as a loyal companion and devoted house dog. In Frankie’s world, it was always dinner time. She never turned down a bite, but she was endlessly gentle with the nieces/nephews and especially with Hayes. The bond they shared brought nothing but smiles, giggles, and plenty of kisses. Frankie never stopped licking. Her love language was constant, enthusiastic affection.

She was a daddy’s girl through and through. Rob had her from just six weeks old, and the two of them shared a bond that ran deep and true. He gave her the very best life, and she gave him unwavering love in return.

Frankie was simply the best girl. Though her body failed her too soon, it never dimmed her spirit. We take comfort in knowing she is free from pain now, running, swimming, and soaking up all the belly rubs and love she could ever want. She will be deeply missed and never replaced.

04/28/2026

For as long as I can recall, I have thought Siberian huskies were the most beautiful of all dog breeds. One of the earliest ‘dreams’ I told Aaron I had was that I wanted to own one someday. 13 years ago, that happened. We found a litter of pups, went out to see them, and one of them fell asleep in Aaron’s hand. They are not wrong when they say the dog picks you, you don’t pick the dog.

The pups had been given temporary names, and ours was named Desoto. We couldn’t find a name that we liked any better, so it stuck. And oddly enough, the first home we bought together was in “Desoto’s addition” to the town in which we lived. It was fate!

We can confirm that everything they say about a husky is true! Well, almost. They howl. They are stubborn. They shed (twice a year for six months at a time). They are smart. And their blue eyes will stare directly into your soul until you give them that piece of cheese you are holding. They say they are very active and are expert escape artists, but we, fortunately, didn’t experience any of that with Desoto. What we did experience was 13 years of unconditional love.

Aaron had several surgeries on his ankles and ‘Dr. Desoto’ was his faithful companion. We were blessed with being owned by Desoto’s mom for a few years before she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Watching them together playing in the yard was one of our favorite past-times. He never met a tennis ball he didn’t want to destroy. And he knew without a doubt that every visitor that came to the house was there to see him. To our children, he was ‘buddy’. He made the house feel like a home.

The hardest thing about owning a husky, or any other breed of dog, is the goodbye at the end. He gave our lives so much love. He hasn’t left us. He has simply gone ahead to reunite with his mom, Di, and his brother, Kyzer. I know when the time comes, he will once again be waiting to greet us at the door, singing his song of joy and wagging his tail. A kind of love like that never dies.

04/21/2026

Cheetah🩵

I still remember the day my parents got you, I was in 5th grade and had fell asleep at my desk dreaming that they had gotten me a dog. At the end of the school day I was headed to the car and the window rolled down and your head popped out, I bolted to the car! We named you cheetah because when you were a pup you had spots like a cheetah. You were just 6 months old when they brought you home. Fast forward 13 years and what a life you’ve had in those years! From being an escape artist in your younger days, to loving and eating the snow, awoo’s if you weren’t being paid attention to and sunbathing on your back in the grass. You really loved your belly rubs! So much love, laughter & joy followed you everywhere🥰 you really were the best girl🐾

4/4/26… a day that won’t be forgotten for our family, we didn’t want you to go but we knew you were suffering and hurting and we didn’t want that for you. You had been to good to us for us to sit there and let you suffer❤️ we didn’t say goodbye, just a simple see you at the rainbow bridge! It was hard for us to watch you go, but we knew that you’d be happy and pain free, running your heart out up there! We are grateful for the 13 years of happiness and life you gave to all of us. We wouldn’t change any of it! We miss you and love you Miss petah, until we meet again sweet girl🕊️🩵

04/20/2026

Abe
(12/01/2017 to 03/30/2026)

My Abe, my precious boy, my sweet boy. Goodbye was so hard. When you took your last breath and Dr. Randazzo said that you were gone, my heart ripped into pieces. You were my cuddler and my shadow boy. You followed me everywhere, especially to the kitchen! LOL! I miss waking up with you next to my bed, I miss seeing you everywhere I go. My heart hurts so much as I am writing this memorial of you 💔
We first saw you at the shelter in March 2023, when the rescue Lucky K9 said that you needed help. You were wasting away in the shelter, losing weight and hope, since your previous owner decided to give you up after 5 years with them. We still can’t believe they wanted to put you down! Well their loss is our gain! We were so lucky to meet you and even more fortunate when you became part of our family. You acted like one of ours so quickly and you loved us so much with your loyalty and devotion! You went from a skinny boy in skin and bones to a chunky 65 pounds boy within weeks. We chuckled when the vet said we needed to slow down with your weight gain. You became chunky Abe pretty fast! 😂

Thank you Abe for loving us. 3 years with you was so so short! Lymphoma has no mercy, and it took you away from us. We are so grateful for the 5 months you gave us after treatment. We miss you like crazy and still see images of you everywhere we go 😢 My dear boy, the first day when I come home from work and not see you waiting at the door almost killed me. The void you left is devastating but I will try to only focus on all the good memories we have of you. We love you the day we met you and will always love you, ALWAYS!
Dr. Randazzo, we are grateful for your compassion and gentleness during the euthanasia. Thank you for making an extremely difficult moment easier to bear. It brings us comfort to know that Abe was able to maintain his dignity to the end, and was still our happy boy till his last breath.

04/14/2026

When I was 19 years old, I decided I wanted a dog to keep me company, so I started going to the Humane Society every few days to find one that matched my personality. I wanted a dog who would be happy just snuggling and relaxing with me.
After a few weeks, I found Coco. She came out to the play yard with me and simply sat by my side instead of trying to play with toys like most of the other dogs. I went back a couple of days later to visit her again, and then continued visiting her every few days for two or three weeks. I told myself that if she kept choosing to just sit with me, and she was still available, then it was meant to be, and it was.
Coco has been with us for the past 10 years and has seen me through so much…starting my relationship with Luke, getting married, moving, and having babies. She even came to work with me every day for years. When my dad asked me to come work at Wingate, I told him my one condition was that I could bring my dog with me every day. She also won cutest pet in Columbia one year.
After all the love she gave us over the years, Sawyer said to me a week or two ago that it was time for us to give Coco to Jesus. Within days of her saying that, I started noticing changes in Coco that made those words feel true. By this week, we knew it was time to say goodbye.
Everyone says they have the best dog, but we truly did.
We will miss our sweet Coco so much until we see her again 🤍

04/06/2026

“Nala was born April 17, 2013. She was a wonderful dog. She was able to get along with any animal and any person. She was more than an animal to us, she was family. She made bad days great, she loved everyone, and when it was time for her to go, she made sure she gave us her good bye and to know she will be looking over us. She finally gets to be with her sister Babette, our Beagle we had to say good bye to in 2024.

It’s hard writing about Nala because there is just not enough room to say how much she meant to us and how great of a pup she was. I know we all miss her, including our other pups Duke and Kelce, along with her favorite cat Okie.

She was truly a special dog and like Chase Mathews said “ A good old dog never did no wrong, And sure as hell taught this old boy a lesson, Lord, I know You get a lot, but I've got one question, Do all dogs go to Heaven?

We love an miss you Nally Wally 🥺

Thank you Paws In Heaven for making this as easy and as special for us as it can be.”

04/03/2026

On March 23, my husband and I said goodbye to the best boy in the world and my best friend, Mr. Fuzzy. He came into my life back in 2009 when I was just 12 years old and he was only a year old. The shelter said he was found at Taco Bell and that he was a sweet, little girl they had named Deja. We quickly learned that he was, in fact, a very big boy and he then became Mr. Fuzzy.

In his younger years, Mr. Fuzzy was the best mouser and would often bring me mice if I was home alone or if I had friends over (I guess he didn’t want me/us to go hungry). Even though he was a good hunter, he was always more of a lover than a fighter. He liked to play, but preferred a good nap in the sunshine. He didn’t like to sit on laps, but would be curled up right next to you instead. He liked being pet, but loved his brush more, especially if you held it in place for him to brush his own face. His love was quiet and gentle, but always constant and strong.

Mr. Fuzzy and I experienced every season of life together. From my awkward middle school years to my high school and college graduations. From him first meeting my husband when we started dating to him becoming the inspector of the engagement ring. From living in college apartments to buying our first home and his golden retirement years being spent in that home. Mr. Fuzzy was there for all the joy, grief, excitement, and hardship, and he was the best companion through it all.

At the beginning of December, Mr. Fuzzy was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of bladder cancer. He was already on daily medication to manage his hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, but there was no cure for this. We made his last months as comfortable and as full of love as possible. We took him on “fuzz walks” around the neighborhood in his stroller when the weather was nice to deliver food to the street cats and to give him some new smells to smell and new things to see. We got more time together than expected, and for that we are forever grateful.

Fuzzy and I had the privilege of spending the past 16 years together and I don’t think that amount of time, love, and friendship can truly be summarized. Through everything, he saved my life just as much as I saved his. Rest easy Fuzzy boy. You are loved and missed more than words can say.

03/31/2026

Pumpkin,

The house feels quieter without you, and there’s an emptiness that can’t quite be put into words. But even in this heartbreak, we’re so grateful—for every wag of your tail, every happy greeting, every moment we got to share with you. Love you, sweet girl.'