Brady
Brady was an amazing Doxie. He was the first double dapple deaf dachshund we had seen. He was such a puppy when he first came into our home with Gus and Bernie in 2007. He was adopted for many years but returned to us this year as he had developed bladder cancer. We tried so hard to save him, one thing God has taught us in rescue is you can take great care of a lot of dogs but you can't save them all :( Brady so loved his been by the back patio door so he could bask in the sunshine and look outside, when he was feeling better he loved being outside with us. Yet another boy that took a big piece of our hearts. Rest in peace our furry friend.

Jessie
Jessie was our first foster from DDR and was such a blessing. I believe in love at first sight and that was surely true with her. She was my constant companion in the kitchen and I would sing to her while cooking. Jessie loved her outings to the city park with us and she made a couple trips to WA with us. I miss you Jessie and you'll have a place in my heart forever.

Frank
Frank, also known as Frankie, Franklin and Frank-the-Tank, came to us from the Sioux Falls Humane Society in 2007. We were looking for a companion for our older Dachshund Molly who suffered from high anxiety. When we arrived at the Humane Society and started to look at all the dogs needing homes, Frank instantly stood out from the rest. He was sitting very quietly in his kennel and I instantly noticed that his kennel was clean and his bed was intact; the opposite was something we dealt with on a daily basis with Molly’s anxiety. He seemed very calm and kind given the circumstances he was found in on a cold winter’s night in Sioux Falls. Frank had been abandoned and tied to a pole in the middle of February and was extremely underweight and frightened when he was rescued. We are not sure what kind of life Frank lived prior to his abandonment since he came to us well trained. Frank hardly ever barked, was potty trained and was trained to never get on the furniture (something we changed right away). From the start, he was perfect in every way. When Frank met Molly, there was an instant bond. He was able to calm her anxiety during night and day. He kept her emotionally grounded during life’s different transitions. Frank was more than just a companion to Molly; he became a best friend, cuddle buddy, fishing copilot, momma’s shadow, mouse and vole hunter, a so fast but yet so slow rabbit and squirrel wrangler, entertainer and master snack stealer. Frank radiated a sense of innocence and never ending kindness. Partly due to the mental slowness he received from his seizures going untreated before his adoption and his slightly chucky figure that he carried so well. Frank may not have been the sharpest dog on the block, but he excelled at loving his family and creating happiness wherever he went. Frank enjoyed many aspects in life; cuddling and burrowing in a blanket with someone was priority number one. He also enjoyed early morning fishing adventures on the boat with his dad. One of Franks many talents that will be forever remembered was when he would sit up on his bum and pump his front little legs in anticipation of that little piece of whatever we were eating. Frank will be greatly missed by all that were blessed to have known him. Saying his passing shocked us is an understatement. Frank was a one of a kind dog- “a diamond in the rough” kind of dog. He took the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” to a completely new level. He was a selfless dog that lived his life pleasing and loving his family immensely until the very end. RIP good friend, you are sorely missed every day.

Mimi
Mimi joined our family after one of our beloved dogs, Duchess, passed away and our remaining dog, JJ was so lonely as he was not used to being the only dog. We got Mimi as a foster dog to “test drive” her and see how she and JJ would get along. When it appeared she was the balm to JJ’s wounded heart, we made her an official member of the family. Mimi earned the nickname Mimi Houdini after escaping from our fenced in backyard (only once) and multiple times from my mom’s fenced in yard. Her description on the DDR site said “I love to give kisses”. We had no idea how true a statement that was. Mimi was an equal opportunity licker – anyone, anything, any dog – it had to be taste tested. She was the best little barrel roller ever! She could get her ear to stand straight up. When she got too hot from lying under the covers, she would get out and just flop over on the floor. She was a special pup and we will miss her very much.

Lulu
Lulu came to DDR in January of 2010. Pat and I were lucky enough to get to foster her since that time. The word that best describes Lulu is happy. She trotted along her way having been through every nasty thing in her past, developing extreme dry eye and then bladder cancer. Every day - no matter what - her footsteps were happy and her tail was wagging. She was truly an amazing foster. I wish that I was better at following in the way she lived. The day she passed away her steps were still happy and her tail wagging. I got to hold her and rock her that day until she passed away. She was a true blessing in our lives.