Last night Bernd an 11-month-old GSD crossed the rainbow bridge. He was formerly known as Wolfie who from the age of about 12 weeks spent his entire life at the end of and 8-foot chain, chained to a carport with a leaky roof, with only rocks for a bed. His life was hard, as most days he had no water, some days he might eat twice a day, some days he was lucky to eat at all. He was forgotten, and a nuisance to his owners who had him for the sole purpose of alerting them should anyone attempts to enter the back door.
I met him for the first time a couple of months ago. While visiting someone that had been in the hospital I stepped outside to smoke and saw Wolfie. He had the most expressive eyes I have ever seen on a dog, and his gaze broke my heart. He allowed me to pet him, where I noticed that his collar was very tight about his neck, I adjusted this as best I could and sat and spoke with him awhile. His behavior was impeccable, gentle and soft and he would nudge me with his head if I paused in my stroking. I noticed that he had no water, no toys and no place to lay other than the gravel that covered the carport where he was chained.
I stepped back inside and there began my crusade to free Wolfie. It took weeks, during which we visited and brought a new collar, a water container that could not be turned over and some chew toys. I was so happy the day they called me that and told me I could come and pick him up. I began networking to find a place for Wolfie. My first intention was to foster him myself but due to conflict with one of my dogs I began to seek a place for him. He was with me three days and was a perfect gentleman the entire time. One would never guess by interacting with him that he had ever had to live the life he had lived.
Since Hektor was being rude I was excited to have an opportunity to take Wolfie to a lady in Colorado that does rescue work. She is the most wonderful lady and as I write this I know that her heart is also broken for this wonderful sweet dog that never had any reason to believe but yet in his huge heart he still held out hope for humanity.
We drove him up and he was such a gentleman on the ride. We left him in a glorious place, surrounded by the Rockie Mountains and other GSD’s. The lady who took him was happy to have him and her intentions were to work with him and prepare him for the forever home that both of us just knew was waiting for him. She named him Bernd and he settled right in. Other rescue’s arrive there often as this is a lady who works hard to save cast off dogs, unbeknownst to us all two would arrive and would immediately fall ill with a sickness and soon Bernd was also sick. The other dogs soon recovered but Bernd did not, he was taken to the hospital where he stayed for four days. He was visited and fussed over, as he had touched the heart of this lady and she was in despair that he was not getting better.
He passed last night. He has gone to what I hope will be a better place. I cannot help but question all that I did to help him. It seems it was for naught. I know the lady in Colorado is also heartbroken and asking what if........
Rest in peace Bernd.
You deserved so much more out of life, what a wonderful dog you were, and yet no one ever noticed it except two old ladies who tried and failed to save you. But we saw you and we knew and you touched our hearts with your heart that was so much bigger than everything the world had thrown at you.
Run free