I cannot start today without a special note to all the Dogsters out there.

Losing Logan was obviously devastating to us, he was such a special boy.  I posted the tribute because I was so overcome with sadness I needed to get the words out, I never expected the overwhelming response I received.  Horst and I cannot thank you all enough for the wonderful and heartfelt comments that were left. The poems, stories, and words of sympathy are appreciated more than I could possibly express. Dogsters truly are the best, you guys are amazing.

Anyone who has loved and lost a dog knows the heartache, the devastating feeling of loss. Logan only started having issues a few weeks earlier, we had been running every conceivable test but nothing was coming back conclusive, until that final day.  From start to finish, two weeks, never even saw it coming.  The hardest part, as I’ve expressed, is losing a dog who had finally overcome so much and had learned to enjoy life.

Over the weekend we had our ups and downs, but ultimately we have decided to move forward. After all, without sorrow there can be no joy. We are looking at a 5-year-old Berner girl who is in exactly the same place as Logan was when we got him, scared of everyone and everything.  This time going forward we know what we’re getting into, what it will take to try and save her.  It won’t be easy but we think this is the best way of honoring Logan.

So, the journey begins again.

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I had some posts planned for today but sadly our beloved rescue Berner, Logan, passed yesterday. At the moment it’s hard to focus on much else so my last post of the day will be a tribute to our boy.

Logan lived at a puppy mill for 4 years, he was the stud dog. He had no name, was kept caged, used and abused.

Eventually when the owner of the puppy mill thought he no longer fit the bill as a stud dog he was put up for auction. Yes, auction, so possibly another breeder could come along to buy him and continue his life of abuse. Or,  if he wasn’t bought he probably would have been put down.

This is where a wonderful organization called the Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition comes in. They bought him, got him medical attention, and put him in a wonderful foster home until he got adopted. On June 6, 2008  Horst and I went to pick up our new family member.  When I saw him I had tears in my eyes, he was so beautiful, and so scared.

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary in June, I left a message on his page because it truly was a celebration. Logan had overcome so much in a year, he was a different dog.

When we first got Logan, I’m not going to lie, it was hard. He barely moved, spent most of his days in our 1/2 bath where he was comfortable. We never pushed him, always let him do things on his own time schedule. Every day we spent quiet time laying with him and petting him. We started taking him for walks everyday and that was when we got our first glimpse at the dog who was waiting to come out. Read the rest of this entry »

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No it’s not a mistake. The name at the top of this post is correct. That’s right, this is Lisa, Horst’s wife. I figure since you hear from him everyday, and Bo occasionally, maybe it’s time to stick in a female perspective every so often.

I thought I would post some cute stuff, feature a Dogster dog of the week, and give you a behind the scenes look at life in the Hoefinger household where the pets outnumber humans 2 to 1.

So…last Thursday Horst took the dogs for a walk down to the nature trail in our neighborhood.  It’s a mile walk through the woods with a creek for the “kids” to play in. Not surprisingly it’s their favorite part of our subdivision. When the crew made it back home I noticed Logan, our beautiful rescue Berner, stinks.  I’m not talking about regular dog stink. No, I’m talking hold your breath or you’ll be sick stink.

I mention this issue to Horst who doesn’t notice anything is off. Of course, this is the guy who forgot to change the kitty litter for a week while I was away. After all these years, I guess my expectations are still too high. A couple hours go by and I tell Horst he’s got to take Logan outside to bathe him because I can’t take the wafts of odor coming my way anymore.

After much prodding, Logan finally got his much needed bath, but to my dismay he now reeks worse than before. Not only is the original odor coming from him, but now it’s infused with that wet dog smell. Not a good combo, especially for someone with a sensitive nose. I hoped that when Logan dried, the smell would go away. It didn’t.

Read the rest of this entry »

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If only the firefighter who shot his dogs owned the one in this story. Now that would have been poetic justice at its best.

Berlin, June 23: A dog in Germany shot by a drunken man with a gun took swift revenge by biting off the end of the man’s nose, authorities said on Monday.

Police said the armed man was snooping at night in the yard of a house in Stadtlauringen in northern Bavaria when he shot the Bernese mountain dog from point-blank range.

Before collapsing, the dog leapt at the 39-year-old man and bit off the end of his nose, a local police spokesman said.

Bleeding profusely, the man called police and was taken for treatment in a nearby hospital. His motives for being in the yard were unclear, police said.

Doctors removed a bullet from the dog’s shoulder and discharged it from a clinic after an operation lasting several hours.

Someone give that boy a bratwurst.

* No pic of the dog hero so this is Dogster member Bonnie representing Berners everywhere.

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There’s nothing better than a hero dog story, and this girl is definitely a hero. Kenai, a 14-year-old Bernese mix, saved nine people and four dogs from carbon monoxide poisoning.

It all happened when her owners were on a weekend getaway visiting friends in New Castle, CO.

Michelle and I were sleeping in the bedroom of the basement and Kenai was sleeping in the common area on the same floor, said Todd. I heard her whimpering through the door. I’m pretty tuned to her sounds so I knew something was up. Karen (the couple’s friend) and Michelle ended up passing out in the basement and I ran upstairs to wake the others. I don’t want to think what would have happened without her (Kenai).

After the initial confusion of the situation, the group quickly got online to research some of the symptoms and discovered they were synonymous with carbon monoxide poisoning. By 5:30 a.m., they were at the hospital seeking help and had called the fire department to investigate.

Investigators said the source of the carbon monoxide was the kitchen stove, a normal range top, according to Todd. The group had used the stove Saturday night to make pizza but nothing was out of the ordinary.

The mountain getaway home didn’t have any detectors, Kenai was their lifesaver. Because of her heroic actions she received the Golden Paw Award, from the American Humane Association. The AHA is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting children and animals.

We have a hero among us today, said AHA’s chief operating officer Dick Austin. This award celebrates the importance of the connection between animals and humans, and we give it during the times that an animal does extraordinary things.

What a great story, Kenai’s family has a lot to be grateful for.

* Photo Todd Smarr/Special To The Denver Post

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There is a wonderful organization, Bernese Rescue Auction Coalition (BARC), that rescues Bernese Mountain dogs from puppy mills and auctions. We adopted our gorgeous boy Logan from them on June 7, 2008.

I just received a Christmas card from them and enclosed was a story from Courtney Erickson, one of the foster moms.  I read it and knew I had to share, it’s dedicated to all the Dogsters that have ever lost a dog or had one stolen.

Elizabeth’s story is one of faith, hope, courage, and love. It reinforced what I’ve always believed, we don’t choose the dogs that come into our lives, they choose us. For all those waiting for the return of their beloved friend this story will inspire you, it will make you realize that thanks to some truly amazing people there are guardian angels here on earth, making anything possible.

ELIZABETH’S STORY

We named her Elizabeth. She was a wee bit of a girl who sat and watched our every move.  She sat just a queen, regal and beautiful.  Queen Elizabeth,Elizabeth for short.

She was adopted immediately and went to a couple in southern Kansas City.  She was a timid girl and apparently, this couple didn’t understand her needs. They sent her to a “trainer” to make her more “normal”.  This “trainer” abused her and being the smart girl she is, she escaped. They waited a couple of weeks to let us know.  We began searching, every day. About a year later, a woman contacted us saying that she had a Bernese Mountain Dog that was coming to her property and eating every night.  We went to see her and immediately, we looked at each other and knew it was Elizabeth.  Slowly, we lured her into a pen where the woman could close the door and call us to come for her.

I went to get her and brought her home.  She needed to be shave and bathed (quite a few times). It was excruciating for her. She was with us for eight months as she slowly came out of her shell. She began to tease me and be silly.  She wanted to sleep on the bed with me.  She was finally comfortable.

At this point, a man expressed interest in her.  After prodding, I agreed to let this man adopt her.  Of course being the over-attached foster mom, I gave him explicit instructions and held my breath.  Six days later, she was gone again.

We immediately went to Des Moines, hoping that she would respond to my voice.  No luck.  Her feral instincts kicked back in.  A year later, an amazing woman was determined to catch her.  She bought surveillance cameras and rigged a pen that Inspector Gadget would be proud of.  She finally caught her after 18 months in the wild. When I saw her, she locked eyes with me.  I laid down next to her crate and leaned my head on the crate.  She reached her head over to mine and briefly rested.

I brought Elizabeth home again and she said, “Finally! Where is my bed?”   She jumped right in where she left off two years ago.  She is now my silly little girl who teases me again outside, takes naps with me on the bed, spends cold days wrapped up on her favorite purple couch, and relished in bits of leftover turkey and an occasional sugar cookie.

Elizabeth is at peace.  I no longer worry if she is cold, hungry, or hurt.  We have been brought together for a reason.  She was meant to be with me.  All my four legged angels helped her get back to her home.  She is now Home for the Holidays, and Home for good.

-Courtney Erickson

I want to thank Courtney for allowing us to share her story.  We are so happy that Elizabeth is finally where she always belonged.

The beauty pictured above is Joy, a 7-year-old rescue. She is one of the many Berners that BARC has available for adoption. Anyone thinking about an older dog please consider her, she is beautiful and loving, and could bring much Joy to your home.

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My wife and I were out walking the dogs at the park earlier this evening when something interesting happened. Well, it wasn’t the most interesting thing that’s ever happened but I’ll mention it anyway.

Logan, our berner, sneezed. After he did, my wife and I both said, “Bless you” simultaneously.  This happened as if on cue without either of us thinking anything of it.

That got me to wondering on the car ride home, do other owners out there also say “Bless you” (or if you’re a Seinfeld fan,  “You’re so good-looking!”) when their dog sneezes?

So give it up…what do you do when your dog sneezes?

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