As 2023 draws to a close, we’d like to remember the dear friends and members of our extended family who crossed Rainbow Bridge this year. Some dogs we have known all of our lives, while others we were just beginning to know. Many we never met in person, but yet by welcoming us into your lives through your posts and comments we have come to consider dear friends. And yes, some were cats who we were honored to call friends. So today we thank them for leaving paw prints on our heart.

No matter how long, time together is never enough, even if it is remarkably long lives like these precious pups enjoyed. Mr. Peabody as a puppy was only given six months to live due to a heart defect, yet proved everyone wrong and lived 20 amazing years. Einstein blessed not one but two families in his 18 years. He is now over Rainbow Bridge playing ball with his first Mom again. Abe E. Baby also lost his first Mom, and at nearly 14 years old was welcomed over Rainbow Bridge not only by her, but also by his loving sister, Trillium. Lily passed away this December just shy of her 17th birthday. Her Dad’s “Daily Sheepie” posts were always the highpoint of our day. Lily was greeted over Rainbow Bridge by Joey, who joined her family for approximately a year after his first Mom had passed away. Our friend Ernie also bid farewell just before Christmas at the age of 15. Ernie was rescued 7 years ago, and went on to beat cancer and become a therapy dog. His presence in our online shenanigans will be deeply missed.

Speaking of shenanigans, our Angel Lemmy’s best friend, Remy joined him over Rainbow Bridge after spending 16 wonderful years with his family. They have a lot of catching up to do after being apart for 9 years, but I’m sure they are back to wrestling and playing chase like in their younger days. Bailey passed last December at 15.5 years, and sent angel feathers to let her family know that she arrived safely over the bridge. Asa had great admiration for Bailey, who trained her Mom to give her a treat in exchange for the socks she “found.” For many years Haley-Jean reigned as Queen, as an only pup enjoying adventures with her Dad in Vermont, but when her dog siblings and a cat joined her pack, she lovingly welcomed them into her kingdom. She passed at 13 years. Oakley was also a loving brother, who will be dearly missed by his family, but went on at just shy of 14 years old to join other loved ones over the bridge. After 13.5 years, Henry said goodbye surrounded by those he loved, under a tree in his yard that “he knew every inch of.” Max would have turned 14 this year, but on Easter Monday set off for his next grand adventure over Rainbow Bridge. Shelby and Finn, two Collie siblings who loved walks on the beaches of Maine, strolled over the bridge together at age 14 and 16. Duke, who was known by many names including Dukester, Sir Duke, and Duck Duck, passed away at 13.5 years old. He was just 5 years old when they rescued him, and he “changed their lives for the better.”

We had many cat friends who were also blessed with long lives. Our neighbor Callie spent 20 years with her Mom, and was right by her side for many milestones and watched as their two member team blossomed into a family with Dad and human brothers. Cass also enjoyed two decades, most of which were spent with her loving Dad, who she went to live with at 4 years old. They say cats have a six sense, so perhaps that’s why she crossed when she did. Maybe Cass knew that her human grandmother would be suddenly crossing a short time later and wanted to be there for her. Nemo was almost 20 years old, as well. A constant companion to his Mom, he was her self-proclaimed therapy cat. Ike’s life wasn’t easy facing many health issues, but waited until after his Mom’s birthday, before quietly saying goodbye to her on the couch at 16 years old. And Jetta At 17.5 years old, waited for Mom and Dad to return home from a trip, before saying goodbye. Jag was a little shadow, always there for his family for 17.5 years. And Freckles’ family was blessed with almost 17 years together.

Others left their families far too young. Waffles’ “challenges were bigger than his little spirit could overcome.” But in his brief time here, his foster family made sure this kitten knew that he was loved. John Rasmussen, who is known for his drawings of his Angel Jack welcoming pets over Rainbow Bridge, sadly had to draw one for his 5 month old kitten, Little Man. Spaz quietly crossed in the night on cat paws at the tender age of 5.

In his two short years, Stirling explored Scotland preparing for his role as a tour guide with Wee Walking Tours. But sadly, his zest for life was could not overcome a serious illness that he was hiding from his family. It wasn’t long after that his brother Finn also crossed Rainbow Bridge to look after him. Finn was the quiet, behind the scenes manager of their family business. Whereas his younger brothers enjoyed the spotlight of giving tours, he preferred the peaceful countryside. Sadly, their brother Sawyer also bravely faced illness that he could not overcome, and joined his two brothers. Sawyer was a celebrity in Edinburgh, leading tours with his Dad for Wee Walking Tours. Everywhere he went he would be greeted by adoring fans, and often could hear people saying, “There’s Sawyer! I can’t believe it is him – I follow him online!” Yet Sawyer didn’t let celebrity go to his head. He could sense the needs of the people on his tours, especially those who got anxious in the bustling streets of the city and needed his quiet reassuring presence by their side. Our hearts got out to Wee Walking Tours as they honor the memories of their three precious angels by continuing their tours and sharing Sawyer, Stirling, and Finn’s adventures in their blog.

This isn’t the only family to gain three angels in one year. In less than 12 weeks Albert (9), Teddy (13) and Opal (9) all gained their angel wings. Two crossed due to the cancer Hemangiosarcoma, and their Mom urges for continued support of the research to end this awful disease. Speaking of research, our dear friend Chompski, Hero #59 in the Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, gave all of us the greatest gift of life by being a part of this groundbreaking study following the health of dogs throughout their lifetime. Chompski (12) was a fighter on her terms, bravely facing the each diagnosis. She loved being out in the snow, was a ball fanatic and connoisseur preferring her favorite ball to greet her family when they came home, and a pack leader. As the leader, Chompski was there to greet her cat sibling Millicent and goose sibling when they crossed at the ages of just shy of sweet 16 and 15. But to us, Chompski will always be the sweet pup who flirted with Asa at the New England Golden Jubilee.

CWD Patriot MDD, served 7 years as an explosives detection dog in Baghdad and Basra, Iraq, before enjoying retirement life. He is now standing guard at Rainbow Bridge with adopted sibling CWD Bleck, who crossed last year. They were also recently joined by another adopted sibling this year, CWD Google EDD, who served in Kuwait as an explosives detection dog, before enjoying retirement with his loving Mom. A special thank you goes out to their Mom, for adopting these military working dogs, and giving them the retirement life they so richly earned.

Other families also sadly had to say goodbye to siblings. Sampson the Service Dog’s family lost Ariel and Charlie Law Dog, when they crossed the bridge this year. Atlas the cat passed away “wrapped in love.” Perhaps it was that deep sense of love that led Atlas to leave his No Bowl Empty 2 family to be with his kitty sibling who crossed just two weeks earlier. Bond left far too soon at the age of 7, but was greeted by his brother Conner who passed a few months earlier. And Charlie joined his brother Gritty over Rainbow Bridge, so that they could continue “having a ball” together. Early this year Skipper, who loved playing with his blue ball, went to be with brother Tucker, who crossed not long before in 2022. These two will forever hold a special place in our hearts for their beautiful photos together. They would patiently pose for their Mom’s photography, so as one last gift, they sent to her a rescue puppy who absolutely loves being photographed. Another pair of siblings that crossed this year were our dear friends Potsie and Squiggy. Potsie, a bulldog, lived to the senior age of 11, and was a patient big brother to his enthusiastic little brother Thurston. Squiggy the cat was 12, and bravely faced health issues, while tolerating sibling Sgt Pepper. They are now being cared for by their Great Nana, who also said goodbye this year at the amazing age of 102!

Speaking of family, members of our extended family left us far too soon. Dexter had a wonderful zest for life, and loved swimming, wrestling with his siblings, and going on special car rides to Dunkin’s for blueberry muffin tops. When not on the go with his family, his happy place at home was on the fireplace hearth, which he claimed as his spot early on as a puppy. Rosemary, Dexter’s Mom and younger sibling to Chuck Billy, left at just shy of her 10th birthday. I’m sure Dexter and Rosemary are happily enjoying dock diving and swimming over Rainbow Bridge. Hazel also left her family far too soon, but packed a lot of living into her 7 years, as the devoted sister to Nottie, doting Mom to Quince and Jonnie, and shadow who lovingly watched over all the members of her family, all while sneaking a pear or two along the way. Cousin Casey passed away this year. But we know she will be joyfully welcomed by our Grandpa. For you see when Asa and I could not be with Grandpa, Casey happily filled in. Waiting at her window to watch for him on his daily walk, she barked a cheery hello, to which Grandpa would bark back much to Grandma’s embarrassment, and she would sit on his lap to be petted during many family gatherings. Thank you Casey for taking such good care of our Grandpa. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Grandpa’s neighbor Maddie, who also crossed Rainbow Bridge this year. In his final years Grandpa would sometimes wander. But he didn’t go far. He could be found next door with Maddie, keeping her company in her yard. They also shared lively barking conversations over the fence together, again much to Grandma’s embarrassment and amusement. Thank you Maddie for being such a kind and caring neighbor to our Grandpa. Our kitty cousin, DeNiro also said goodbye to us this year, after a wonderful long life. DeNiro will always be remembered for his fashionable wardrobe of sweaters and sweatshirts to keep him warm, and cuddling with our Pepere, when he visited his home.

Our condolences also go out to the families touched by Reg, who sired over 50 liters, including Loabi and her siblings. Liv who was the Mom to our friend Cece. And Grizzly, who was the littermate brother to Crimson. We’d also like to take this moment to give our deepest condolences to all of the families who lost pets in the Lahaina wildfire, as well as other natural disasters. Our hearts go out to you all.

We could always count on our pal Inky to keep watch over his end of the neighborhood. And when not on patrol here, he traveled across the country many times as the copilot for his family. His final trip was this past fall when he traveled 8,000+ miles to visit family and to see all the amazing sights of this country. I sure do hope Inky meets our friends Sawyer, Stirling and Finn over the bridge, because with his navigation skills and their tour guide abilities, everyone at Rainbow Bridge is bound to enjoy grand adventures! As for grand adventures, thank you Ben for always coming along virtually on ours wherever they led. We never met Ben in person, because he lived across the pond in the UK. But he was a key member of social media band of friends, whose joyful banter is dearly missed. Ben enjoyed nature especially trips to the beach and arboretum, with his brother Finn. Another UK friend named Ben also enjoyed nature including one last snowfall before unexpectedly crossing the bridge. Honey was our bushy blonde beach girl. Although she never achieved her goal of being named America’s Hometown Hound, I can guarantee she won hearts everywhere she went in Plymouth with her beautiful smile and kind eyes. Another dear friend from Cape Cod, Buddy the cat, meowed and peacefully went to sleep, to be joined on the other side by his loving Mom and two Golden brothers, Lennon and Arwen. Keeva also understood the importance of family. Despite her increasing health issues, she celebrated her sister Poppi’s birthday, before going on to be with dear siblings over Rainbow Bridge.

Nermal, the cat, at 13 years old was the senior member of his family presiding over dogs and a bird. He joined the family when as a foundling fell out of the fender of a moving car! Thankfully his Dad was right there to rescue him. His quiet presence, often blending into the background of photos, is dearly missed. Another whose presence is missed is Maggie’s cuddle companion Luna. And Figaro would take over Huckleberry and Holly-berry’s social media account to post every “CATurday.” Figaro was joined at Rainbow Bridge by his cousin Kobe. Teagan crossed just before Christmas to be with his buddy, Dexter. Grayson will always be lovingly remembered as a “character,” which is truly saying something for a cat!

Some dogs answered the call of service. K9 Trigger served 10 years with the South Portland, Maine police department, before retiring with a “legendary reputation for his loyalty, courage, and intelligence.” K9 Sampson of the Bath, Maine police department in his 10 years of service to his community apprehended criminals, found lost children, and located evidence. But as noted in his online tribute, there was one crime he could not fight, cancer.

Sadly illness took far too many dear friends this year. Heidi was just 5 years old and full of life, before “something sinister” led her away. Nasal cancer took Athena away from her loving Mom. Ferris went from playing ball to gone within two days, due to a blood disease. Shadow spent his final days on the beach basking in the sun, before his battle with cancer ended. Flynn Bear spent one last epic day doing his favorite things, before gaining his angel wings. Daisy also enjoyed swimming in the river before cancer took her away. At 12 years old, Lush had many adventures, many of which included porcupines, but sadly Hemangiosarcoma ended those romps in the woods. Ridley documented his journey with cancer to “create awareness about canine cancer.” Speaking of awareness, far too many Heroes in the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study crossed over the bridge this year to list in this post. However, we thank each and every one of you for your participation in the study, in the hopes that someday all dogs can live longer healthier lives. You may be gone, but the legacy of each Hero lives on this study. Thank You! Speaking of lasting legacy, Spencer and Penny, the dogs known around the world as the “Boston Marathon Dogs,” for holding flags to cheer on the runners, used their fame as one last parting gift to the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. They asked that donations be made in their memory to the study, and raised thousands of dollars for continued research.

Spencer and Penny weren’t the only celebrity dogs to pass this year. Mr. Trebus, made a big impact on the world and his 22.4K friends who followed his adventures as a blind, diabetic rescue pup, and sergeant of the Zombie Squad. Another dog with friends around the world, and the heart of the Golden Ratio, Hopper crossed Rainbow Bridge this year too. You may not know his name, but Auggie, the original Papa Barkley in the Subaru ads, drove into the sunset this year. Two dogs that partied not like rock stars, but with rock stars also left their families this year. At 17 years old, Pozie’s life on the road as the companion to Phil X of Bon Jovi came to a close. One of Bret Michaels’ German Shepherds also crossed to party on the other side this year. But knowing his Dad needed nothing but a good time, made sure he heard a couple weeks later about a lifesaving Husky with the same name as his Dad who needed a home. So yes, this year Bret Michaels adopted a dog named Bret Michaels, clearly his German Shepherd who passed had a sense of humor to make sure these two crossed paths. Bobi may not have partied with rock stars or had thousands of followers, but he died with the Guinness World Record of “World’s Oldest Dog” at the age of 31. May we all be as blessed as Bobi’s family.

Many friends didn’t live in the spotlight, but lived quiet lives surrounded by their family and friends. Some were a little too quiet, like Sadie who was known for falling asleep during her obedience classes with her friend Daisy. Liberty may not have passed her classes to be a service dog, but went on to find her calling as a therapy dog bringing smiles wherever they were needed. Esther spent her life as a reassuring presence to her Mom, but joined her Dad and sibling earlier this year. Nitro reminded his family to stop and smell the flowers, which he could water on his own thanks to his neat trick of being able to turn on the kitchen faucet for a drink! Chevy also enjoyed the simple joys of being with family, happily accompanying them to work and patiently waiting by their desk, but always ready to play at a moment’s notice! Zippy was a small dog, who brought a lot of love to her family. Mouse was a big fluffy dog, who was kind to his neighbor Outlaw. I’m sure Outlaw returned the favor by greeting him at the bridge this year. Bentley was one of our first friends on Facebook, and crossed just shy of his 11th birthday. Iris had the notoriety of being the well-behaved member of the Madcap Spaniels’ “Norty Squad.” But of course she did, because Iris was a Golden. Being a thoughtful pup, Briar sent a rainbow to let her family know she arrived safely. As the founding member of the Tribute Ride on X (formerly Twitter), Otis made sure everyone who crossed Rainbow Bridge had a proper sendoff. I’m sure they returned the favor when he rode over the bridge this year. Casey wanted to do one last act of kindness by donating unused treats, food and toys to his friends at No Bowl Empty 2 Pet Food Pantry. Finally there were our fetch obsessed friends! Cheers to Zoey and Finnegan Murphy for always being ready to play their favorite game!

We lost so many dear friends this year, that it is impossible to include them all in one post. However, to everyone who experienced a loss, please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you dear friends for sharing your adventures with us, we’ll always treasure your paw prints on our hearts.