All of my fur-children are special to me but "Boomer" holds the title of the Design Model for the Doggie Kamp logo. I took him, and his 7 littermates at the age of 8 wks from the Allen Animal Shelter in 1990. They were cute Springer mixes and he looked to have Bassett in him. He was always active and happy and the clown of my family of doggies. He went to the Rainbows Bridge 11-17-02 where he is watching over Doggie Kamp from above. Bye Bye Boomer, 'til we meet again.

Jan Rosen

Sunday, April 4, 2005 at 10:40 AM, My Happy Rosen passed to the Rainbows’ Bridge. He really didn’t want to go and leave me, but his body had done it’s time on earth and had ceased to function properly.Happy was a little Red Chow and Sheltie cross and lived all but 6 months of his life with me and the Doggie Kamp Kids.

One early September morning of 1990, at my home in Allen, I walked outside to be greeted by this small ball of red fur with a painted smile on his face. That is to say his upper-lip was outlined in the formation of a perfect smile. I couldn’t resist naming him Happy. I think Happy made me really try to accomplish unconditional love as he put me through the paces of forgiveness on a regular basis.

By now he has reunited with Boz, Boomer, Hawk, Arnie, Falcon, Blizzard, Omar, Pumpkin and has been introduced to the Jan’s dogs he never knew. Gee the Doggie Kamp Kounselor force is as big at the Bridge as it is at the Kamp. Yes God, We are taking care of them here and sending them to you when you want them.

Farewell little buddy. Go and do good and we’ll feel your everlasting presence around Kamp.

"Chelsey" came into our lives at a time when we needed the unconditional love of a dog. We wanted the personality of a Springer Spaniel - fun, active, loving, and absolutely faithful. She was certainly all of that. Her favorite pastime was sitting on top of the hot tub surveying the world of the creek behind the house. She was our protector dog. We thought we could never have another dog after she left us for the bridge, but the legacy that she left us was our need to always have dogs in our life. We now have two Springer spaniels. What a world we would have missed without first knowing our "Chelsey" girl! Windle and Donna Ewing

"Autumn" was an AKC Golden Retriever our first dog in Oregon. She was a happy and loyal companion with lots of love and spirit. She loved swimming in the Pacific Ocean and her move to North Texas was traumatic, she missed her beach. She loved her rides in the old Buick. She would sit in the middle of the back seat and it looked like Miss Daisy was being driven around the block. She enjoyed popcorn and when I came in from a road trip. She would drag me into the kitchen and sit by the cupboard where the popcorn pan was, until I relented! The day before she went to meet her creator we had a difficult night. She shared her love and devotion for 15+ years. It will be good to spend time with her when one day I pass through the veil. I am sure she and the rest of my furry friends will be there to greet me. She is here with the kitten she raised, "Suki" who loved her protector.

Craig Huls

Isis came to me in Hong Kong, thirteen long years ago, that passed so quickly. I was working as a veterinarian in a small clinic there, and it was her last stop before the pound, where she had little chance of ever leaving; she never made it to the pound. She looked deep into my soul and she stayed. She came to be my teacher and lived her lesson well. It was her birthday in May which seemed to suit her wise and wiley personality. The long and magical years Isis was by my side went in the blink of an eye, she moved through three continents, many other animals came and went, and there were other countless changes, she was the only constant, loyal in her love. All our animal companions are special, but some are more special than others, leaving indelible paw prints on our hearts. Isis was one of these dogs.

In loving memory of Isis, 1990-2003. She is sadly missed.

OZZIE

Isis had a loyal companion Ozzy above who departed just before she did, and I know they waited until I was happily settled in a wonderful new life, then elegantly left, though their love and presence will always be there, and they live on in my heart.

Anna Maria Gardner MA Vet.MB MRCVS

OZZY

Ozzy was a special dog
A very gentle soul
His heart was filled with love and peace
His soul was filled with joy
He taught his job of loving well
And was never cruel or bold
All he wanted was to be loved
A true friend to behold
Loyal and patient, sometimes sad
Just wanting all to love
His lessons were of love and joy
Of loving all as one
A truly unconditional love
A gap felt now he's gone
Was sad the day he left to die
He let go with a sigh
But all our lives were blessed with love
The day Ozzy stopped by

In Loving Memory of Ozzy

10.16.1990-12.18.2002

Ony….~1992, April 19, 2004

Our sweet, gentle girl is no more, gone quietly and bravely, though not willingly, into that good night. The cancer destroyed her body, but never her spirit. We literally captured her off the street July 4, 1994, an abused creature with the aura of the abandoned, forgotten, forsaken soul. We could not turn away.

God rewarded us beyond imagining: her soul healed, revealing a sparkling, loving, gentle personality. This was a dog I would never hesitate to leave alone with a small child. For all her gentleness with people, she was a "boss doggie." I've seen her walk up to a dog twice her size, get right in its face and give it "The Look." The other dog knew she was the boss.

Even when she was dying, she would not quit. Her body would have to completely give out and she would not quit. For such a gentle, loving creature, she was incredibly brave and tough. She would never admit it was "time." We had to make the decision for her. To allow her to live longer, to suffer, would be selfish and cruel. We loved her enough to let her go. On Monday morning we took her to the vet's, they administered the drugs. She died quickly, painlessly in our arms.

She was a beautiful, brave, gallant creature. We miss her terribly.

Jo Byrd, Roy Deborah, Sarah, Loki and Dingo.

Loki: July 7, 1994 - July 21, 2005

Fate has, once again, forced me to dispatch a "furry baby" prematurely to the Rainbow Bridge. Like Ony last year, Loki went quietly and bravely, but not willingly. Despite his suffering, he wasn't ready to quit. He was a gallant, brave, stubborn little fighter, had already beaten impossible odds. But his time was over.

Loki came into our lives in September 1994 when we adopted him at ten weeks old as a companion for Ony. Loki earned his name, he WAS a Loki, especially as a puppy. Thunderstorms always terrified him. Even the slightest rumbling sent him scurrying to a hidey hole, his favorite my closet. He wanted a nest in there among all the shoes. He had sensitive ears; the telephone, especially the answering machine had him whining and howling. He always howled at sirens. Like most dogs, he had great people skills, knew the mannerisms to get his way.

On Friday, June 24th, at 8:30 PM, he suddenly collapsed with a stroke-type event from blood loss caused by internal hemorrhaging. Emergency surgery discovered cancer. The stroke-type event did not impair any of his cognitive functions, didn't paralyze him, but he could not get up and walk. The vets told us that if there is improvement for those sorts of things, it happens within four days. We were looking at a hard decision; if you're a dog and can't do what's in a dog's job description....

Almost 96 hours to the minute, Loki managed to get to all four feet and lurch forward to where he wanted to be. His improvement from that point on was astonishing, unbelievable. He was a brave, stubborn little doggie. He learned to walk with the permanent impairment. We'd have him for a little while longer; we could mutually enjoy ear massages. We had good days, bad days, but underlying it all, the sense of impending loss. "Time" came too soon as it always does: one day shy of four weeks. The cancer had spread - rapidly - and he was bleeding internally again. He was beginning to suffer, his expression sad and bewildered. Because we loved him, we refused to let him suffer longer and "did the right thing." He went quickly and quietly - less than a minute, dying in my arms.

We will miss our "little doggie." He was sweet and charmed us with his endearing mannerisms. He was the "spokesdog," the "speaker of the house." He has joined Ony at the Rainbow Bridge and they will wait for us together.

Jo, Roy, Deborah, Sarah, Dingo

My big, beautiful Blizzard passed on to the Rainbow's Bridge at 4 P.M. on July 30, 2004. For those that didn't get to know the Blizman, he was a giant in every way at Doggie Kamp. A beautiful Great Pyrenees that enjoyed being admired by everyone who came through the gate as he presented his paw to shake hands and welcome the visitors.

For the last two months he suffered with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) of that same leg he proffered all who came to Kamp. I am sad and I will miss him but I am so thankful he didn't have to suffer through a lengthy period of painful agony with no quality of life.

I know the truck drivers and school bus drivers in the area have missed the the great white dog racing with them along the front fence line at Doggie Kamp.

Another special friend leaves the earthly plain and Doggie Kamp. I will miss him as will his brother and sister Kampers and friends. I don't have to worry though, I am sure Boomer met him and introduced him to all of the former doggies loved by me.

Thank you "Blizman" for sharing the last 5 of your 8 years with me and your fellow Kampers!

Update 10/29/2004
Little Pumpkin passed to the Rainbow's Bridge today 10/29/04 at 12:30 P.M. at the great age of 15. She was a happy, kamper customer before she became a resident kamper in May of 2003. I will always remember her trekking down the fence line to the pond with the big dogs. She was a big dog at heart and they treated her with the respect she deserved. All of us will miss the little sister but Maddie told her before she left that Cassie, Boomer, Hawk and Blizzard will be there to greet her. Smooches little Pooch and so long.

"Doggie Lady"---Jan Rosen

Sweet "Lucy" passed away on Jan. 7, 2005. Lucy was 11 years old and was the greatest dog I have ever had. Everyone who met Lucy loved her as I did. She was gentle, playful, very intelligent and her personality was so precious-we could read each other's minds. Lucy was my best friend and companion for all of the years we were together. She was a mix of Scottie, Terrier, and Lab, but it was up for debate! She was a frequent visitor to Doggie Kamp when we went on vacation, and she only wanted to sleep with Jan when she was there. Lucy loved other dogs but loved people more. She was our "Lucita." She loved to go anywhere in the car and especially her vacations to New Braunfels at Camp Nanna (her grandmother's house).
Lucy was never sick, but she had an enormous tumor in her spleen which was not discovered until the day we put her to sleep. Gus, her black lab companion, and Nicholas, her cat, miss her very much. We will have Lucy in our hearts and minds constantly. We love you, Lucy girl!

Carol, Martha, Hank, and Bo Glasgow and Nanna

“Colonel”

Colonel was a handsome black Labrador, 9 ½ years old, but still a puppy at heart when he left our earthly world on Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday in January, 2005. He was the baby of the family, part of a pack of three dogs, and we called him “Baby C”. His brother and sister, Biko and Sukie, a shepard mix and German Shepard respectively, are much more serious in nature, not to mention they are senior citizens in age and appearance at 12 and 11 years. Colonel was the playful, rambunctious, energetic, loving and snuggling one. I bragged on our trips to the dog park that he was nine years and no one could believe it. His lean, muscular frame was complimented by a shiny black coat, further convincing strangers that he must have been only one or two years of age. He seemed to be a puppy his whole life, and the nine years went by so fast that I often had to remind myself of the year I met him to convince myself he had really been with me that long. He was running at Fort Woof Dog Park in Fort Worth, where he played almost daily with his friends and family, when he suddenly collapsed and his gentle spirit left his body almost immediately. There was no time spent suffering, and he never had to endure aging or illness. Colonel’s loud barking voice and powerful wagging tail created a constant, noisy, wonderful commotion every morning and every night and every where we went together, and we will miss him every day of our lives.

Hope Kahan

It is amazing how animals seem to go so close together. Sukie followed her brother Colonel, almost nine months after he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Sukie was a confident, beautiful and loving 11 year old German Shepard. She died just like her brother, suddenly, with no prolonged suffering. Sukie was the leader of the pack, the female amongst two boys. She was kind, gentle, and protective. The timing of Sukie’s departure was miraculous – the night before her cousin Daisy went into surgery. We have been comforted by the guidance of her spirit as she leads Daisy through a transition to the other side. We know Sukie is with her brother Colonel, and making a place for others whom we love. I am a stronger, happier, better person because of the blessing in my life that was Sukie. She was a brave, intelligent, mature, and generous spirit and I will celebrate her life with happiness.

Hope Kahan

Lucy and Ricky Bickford were two of the original Kampers when Doggie Kamp came into being in 1992. The Bickfords moved to McKinney about the time Doggie Kamp moved to McKinney and Lucy and Ricky were frequent Kampers.
When the Bickford children started coming on the scene they were the safest kids in town under the watchful eye of the Boxer kids. The Bickfords left Texas for awhile and when they came back, sadly, Lucy didn't come with them in the physical sense. She was always around though, in spirit. Ricky came to Doggie Kamp a few times alone before another Boxer sister, Katy, came to live with the Bickfords. I recently learned Ricky went to the Rainbow's Bridge. Though it will be as sad not seeing Ricky as it was, not seeing Lucy, I know they are taking care of business with the rest of the Kampers enjoying the serenity and ambiance of the Rainbow's Bridge.

We aren’t sure when Roscoe Neel entered this world, but we do know that when he arrived, the world became a better place. Roscoe was an amazing creation. We say “creation” because although he was a dog, he had so many human-like qualities. The word “animal” just cannot do him justice.

We adopted Roscoe from the Weimaraner Rescue of North Texas (a fantastic organization), in the summer of 2000. We already had one Weimaraner (Dolce) and he was just a pup. Although we weren’t really looking for a playmate for him somehow we came across the Weimaraner Rescue website and looked through the photos of the dogs in need of a good home. Roscoe’s photo was shocking. He was a very large-boned Weimaraner, but was deathly skinny and sad looking. Roscoe had been brought to Dallas from Corpus Christi where he was found roaming on the beach looking for food – there is no telling how long he had been abandoned, but it was certain that he was on his last leg and needed lots of love and care.

Immediately our hearts went out to him. We decided that since he was in such bad shape, if we didn’t adopt him, it was possible that no one else would. So, we went to visit him at the veterinarian office where he was being housed and treated until a home was found for him. It’s amazing how smart animals are. Roscoe must have known that we were his ticket to a better life and lots of love, because as weak and sad as he was, he turned on the charm when we took him outside to see if we could “bond”. He jumped around and leaned his head on our legs and showed so much interest in us and the attention we were giving him. We then put him on a leash and he headed to the front door. He was determined to go home with us.

Falling in love with Roscoe was easy. He was so frail and sick and had been so mistreated, yet he always had the sweetest spirit. It was so great to see him become healthy and to receive the love he deserved so much. We will fondly remember the way he would stand up in the back of the Jeep the entire two hour drive to East Texas, and the way he would lay his head in your lap, the grunts and moans he would make when he was standing up in the mornings [what is this? I do not understand.] and a thousand other things that made Roscoe such a treasure.

Roscoe left his earthly body on December 10, 2005 after bringing so much joy to so many people. We look back fondly and look forward with great anticipation to be reunited with our beloved “creation” and we thank God for the opportunity to have Roscoe enrich our lives.

All our love,

Steven Neel and Wendy Stewart

Our beloved duke was 10 years old we he left us to go to a better place, I remember when he was just a puppy and he would dig holes all over my mom front yard and his face would be full of dirt. He would come up to up and put his head in between your legs to be petted. I'm glad he left in his sleep. We will miss you duke. Love you Honey !!!!! see you up in Heaven.-----Tony and Jessica Vasquez