She catches the scent
and slips into another world.
One no longer hers and mine,
but a simpler place
where all colors condense
to black and white,
where nothing exists
but the pure conflation
of dog and deer.

Abby freezes―
her body an unshot arrow―
crouches so low she could lock eyes
with a tumblebug,
then a redgold flash hurtles
through brambles, zigzags
across the long grass,
weightless
but for the certainty
that she could outrun time.

The deer levitates over the fence
and Abby ambles back
into another dimension―
a whisker away, yet far
from the lost quiver
of the wild―
back to where I, too, live.

-Lucy Aron

In memory of Benny. The best dog ever and mommy‘s entire world. We love and miss you so much.

I’m Khaleesi, aka Leesi.  My mom, Kelly, was the best in the world. She died way too early, at the age of 30, but I had the most amazing 9 years with her. We traveled all over, from North Carolina, to Hawaii, to Florida and Georgia. When I needed a major eye surgery, my mom took such good care of me so that I could recover well. Throughout my life, I needed routine medical care to help me keep my vision. More recently, I started needing treatments in my hip joint so that I could maintain my mobility. My mom made sure I got my treatments and I even would get pup cups. I love whipped cream and my mom treated me to it on occasion. I will miss my mom so much. Thank you for honoring her by helping out pups like me.The best dog ever and mommy‘s entire world. We love and miss you so much.

I’m Porsche and this is me with my Dad, David, in our younger years. My muzzle is peppered with gray hair these days. My Dad was the BEST! We had the most wonderful life and adventures together - long walks and dog parks; delectable meals and special treats; road trips and swims on the beach; and of course sailing as captain of my ship. Not only was he my best friend, but a friend to all dogs. He helped some of my dog-cousins with some unexpected vet bills because he lived the belief “someone’s best friend needs your help”. My Dad passed away recently leaving me and my Mom behind, missing him in every way. It is in his loving memory we ask friends and family to support The Pet Fund. As for me, I know we’ll meet again someday at the rainbow bridge for that overdue game of ball.
Love,
Porsche 

Dickens was a Yorkshire Terrier, but he was more than just a dog. He loved people, attention, snacks, prancing on his walks, and sleeping on the couch. He passed only two weeks before his thirteenth birthday, and we miss him every day. 

Our sweet Mayla passed away peacefully from cancer. Although she was only seven we miss her dearly......she remains in our hearts forever!! We thank The Pet Fund for their emotional and financial support as she went through chemo. The diagnosis hit our family like a bus and it was overwhelming and heart wrenching with many difficult decisions. We wanted the best for Mayla and for her to live the rest of life happy and pain free. Although the time was short, she lived life happy, playful and remains our trusty steed!! We miss her every day. Our prayers and love go out to every family who has a furry family member with cancer. Enjoy the times together, and remember the love that was given unconditionally. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️

Harley was our beautiful, sometimes silly, ever faithful Westie. He lived a long and very happy life, and loved every living being he ever met. He could disarm an unfriendly foe with kisses and a wag of his tail, and brought joy to friends and family with a delicate lick on the nose and a winning look that brought even the most determined "non-animal" person to their knees. He was loved by all that knew him. Harley was wise and gentle and had the most generous spirit. We want to honor his spirit with this fund and hope that other precious pets can be helped, and touched by Harley the way so many were throughout his wonderful life.

Kasha was connected to me in a unique and wonderfully loving way. She had a beautiful personality and was a loyal companion and I will miss her always. I was lucky to have her in my life. I hope I will join her one day over the rainbow bridge. She will be in my heart always.
- Helene

cloudy eyes more smudge
than impediment
the rocking horse gait
a quirky concession to the years
now we sit on the sand
and watch
the waves

yesterday you were a dolphin
today, the cool hug of the water
somewhere between dreaming
and memory
your legs creaky, irascible
from the hurt and muddle
yet opening, somehow,
to the noble freedom
of no-effort

and later, if for a twinkling,
front paws out, rump up,
tail a reed in a gale
married to the moment
as I wish I could be
oblivious
to the misty nearness
of tomorrow

-Lucy Aron

Pie Boy didn't start out in this world as mine. A friend, against my better judgment, adopted him from a puppy mill for her two sons at the height of the "Taco Bell dog" phenomenon. They never bonded, and to make matters worse, after a few months, Pie Boy began to show signs of a neurological disorder. 

After a seizure which caused a fall, knocking him completely unconscious, we rushed him to the emergency vet. The vet told my friends that she could either put him to sleep, or take him to a canine neurologist, which he stressed would be very expensive, and he probably wouldn't live very long anyway. My friend opted for euthanasia. She wasn't going to waste her time or money on a dog she didn't even like. She asked them to keep him alive until the next day, when her sons could say goodbye to him. I cried all night into his little blanket. It didn't seem fair. Pie Boy was just a baby. He hadn't even started life yet.

Then it occurred to me. Thank God he wasn't put down yet. I would take him and make him my little boy. I had bonded with him, I was even the one who named him "Pie Boy" (short for "my sweetie pie boy") and I would do whatever it took to give him a full and wonderful life. We went to that neurologist. I won't lie, the tests were costly, and the prognosis was never definite. He had a hydrocephalic condition, and a cyst on his brain. But we kept going back for check-ups, every three months, and I gave him his medicine and loved him every day as the months turned into years. Loved him so much that we were featured on an episode of Dr. Phil regarding the topic of people who spoil someone or something to excess. Pie Boy lived 11 and 1/2 years and passed away January 3rd, 2012.  

I rescued her as a kitten, from an abusive home. She was the best kitty I had ever known. She taught me "kitty language," we actually had our own conversations. I knew all of her sounds and she understood me too. She slept with me, woke me up in the morning, played with the family so much, liked meeting new people who came over. She was a character. She would go outside and bring us tiny flowers she had picked and lay them in front of us. She was amazing and very special. I took extra special care of her, but somehow she became ill suddenly. She passed away Dec. 22, 2007 at 8:15 p.m. I held her and sang to her my song I made up for her. I had her for 12 1/2 years, but it was not long enough! Having to let her go and losing her was probably the worst thing I have ever experienced in my life; she was like family; she was my baby. She is missed every day by our family and still loved very much. That is why I donated as a memorial to her. If I can help another pet owner from losing their beloved pet, I will.
-Ashleigh Lauren

Kaylee was the light of our life! She came to us almost 14 years ago and was what we called our “replacement baby!” God knew how much we needed a little one to give our love to, so instead of a child, He brought us Kayleebug! She had the sweetest personality and everyone who met her immediately fell in love with her. Her obsessions with squirrels, motorcycles, horse & buggies and the carwash were just a few of her little quirks that made her so special. She was not only a beautiful little girl on the outside, but she had a loving heart and inner beauty to match. She was always so excited to see a familiar face! Kaylee was a blessing to us and helped us through some of the darkest times as a family. Her love brought us so much comfort during the times that seemed almost unbearable! She was such a strong little girl and played with her toys right up until the night before God called her home. Some think that pets are just animals that we feed, water and care for, but to anyone who knew Kaylee knew that she was so much more than that…she was and always will be a part of our family!!! Thank you Carolla Family and The Pet Fund for showing so much love to our family in our time of need. 

How do you sum up the life of your best friend in a paragraph? I can say, with tear filled eyes, it isn't easy. I first locked eyes with my sweet girl, in October 2008, through the wire cage of an animal shelter in Nashville, Tennessee when I was 16 years old. She was scratching at my belly as if to say, "Take me home. I'm supposed to be with you." It was love at first sight. She was an abandoned 3 month old puppy with so much love to give; more than my 16 year old heart could fathom. Over the next almost 7 years, she was my constant companion. She was with me when I graduated high school, got married, and moved away from home. She licked the tears off my face and cuddled me on lonely nights when my husband was deployed with the military multiple times. She traveled with me everywhere I went. If I was coming, Isabel was too. On October 30, 2014, while my husband was deployed, I received the devastating news that she was positive for lymphoma. We fought, her and I, for her life. She had taken care of me for so many years, I had to do everything I could for her. The treatment she received gave us many extra months together and I will forever cherish those precious months. The loss of her precious soul, is a scar that will never heal. Her paw print, is forever engraved on my heart. It was an honor being her earthly guardian. There will never be another like my sweet, loving, Isabel. Thank you to the Carolla Family for your gift. 

I want to take the time to say thank you from my family from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity. We had our Sammie Girl since she was just a puppy and she was the light of our lives. She was my child and the only one I’ve had so she was my everything. There wasn’t much we didn’t do with her or many places we didn’t go without her. In the beginning of May we noticed what looked like a lump on her neck. Our vet said she recommended we see a specialist for cancer. That terrible word that we never expected and that filled us with dread. The surgery was done and we proceeded with chemo to kill any remaining cancer cells. We also had a diagnosis, she had Histiocytic Sarcoma. Four different chemotherapy treatments later Sammie had lumps that had grown and spread throughout her neck and body. Throughout this process we had a bucket list for Sammie so we would make sure she had the fullest life possible no matter how much time we had left with her. 

We said goodbye to Sammie in our home, where she knew she was with those who loved her and we could be assured she was not afraid. She was 4 ½ years old. Every day is still a struggle without her. There are so many reminders of her everywhere in our house. Sammie will never be forgotten, just as a child is never forgotten. She will forever hold a special place in our hearts and we still mourn for her almost everyday. I like to think she’s still with us, watching over us. There are many who can’t understand why we went through so much with Sammie. We know why. Because she was our child, our love, and she gave us as much unconditional love as we gave to her. She deserved everything we could provide for her and more. What you have done has touched us beyond words and came at a time that helped us immensely financially as it provided a large payment towards Sammie’s medical expenses. We cannot thank you enough. We wish you and the Carolla family only the very best and hope that you always know how much your generosity meant to us during this very painful time. 

To my best friend Otto—your companionship, your morning kisses, the wiggle of your tail as you greeted me, your nose in the rear to push me down the hall, your graceful jog along the river, the way you ran with head held high and legs outstretched as you chased a squirrel, the tilt of your head when trying to understand me, and your unconditional love will all be missed. So sorry you had to leave so soon. Your girlfriends Lucy, Rose, and Lilly miss you and so does your buddy Jack.

Teddie is one of the best dogs ever—and one of the most beautiful and loving. She is missed every minute, and will be forever.

We said good-bye to our precious Pearl this morning. She had been unwell for the past five months following a surgery to remove a growth from her hard palate. Even after consulting over a half a dozen vets and specialists, we didn’t get a true diagnosis until just a few weeks ago. Pearl was in good spirits most of this time but, in the end, the oral cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) moved quickly and it was time to let her go.

Eleven years and one month ago I picked out Pearl at the East Valley Shelter (which at the time was euthanizing 75% of the dogs entering their premises). She was about 18 months old then and the only information on her shelter card read “stray” and “thin”. I paid a pittance for her but she eventually became my “pearl of great price.” Two weeks after springing her from the shelter, while camping in the desert with us, she suddenly sat bolt upright staring at the moon. She shared eight or nine more spring camping trips to the desert with John and me, and as many Thanksgiving trips to the cabin in the mountains. The day she finished her ASCA-CD, I called it a miracle. There were very active gopher holes just behind the group stay area. While the judge was timing us, I could see Pearl’s ears twitching as she sat listening to gopher talk. I held my breath and she held her stays. We took the liberty of altering her CD certificate by adding a ribbon to it that says “With Gophers Present.”

Pearl has deeply enriched our lives with sweet and true companionship everyday. She will be missed terribly by her buddy, Bailey and us.

Gabrielle de Benedictis & John Caswell

Our beloved Bear 2009-2014. You were a joy. We miss you and will never forget you. Joy & Renae.

Raffaella and Burghley—owned by Anne and Malcolm McHenry. We will miss them forever.

In memory of my three angels in heaven—I am so proud of you and I miss you! Skibo, Sheba, and Snowflake, from Ms. Linda Segura.

My Sweet Baby Girl Kissy Face went to heaven on Nov. 18, 2008 at 11:50 p.m. She is playing with Skibo, Sheba, Snowflake and Fat Boy and waiting for me. I miss them all and love them so much! From Ms. Linda Segura.

Buddy and his friend Baxter—we miss you Baxter! From Kimberlee and Lars Thorson.

Chiwi is missed very much by Val, Keesa, and her family.

Bogy is very much missed by Jo Wardle and family.

Pugsly worked diligently as a Customer Care Representative at An Internet Store, the host of ThePetFund.com website. He will be missed by all his coworkers, friends and family.