A Place to Honor
Your BelovedPet
FOREVER
REMEMBERED
THEY STOOD BY OUR
SIDE WITH
UNWAVERING
DEVOTION.
THEY WERE ANGELS
THAT BROUGHT THE
GIFT OF LOVE AND
ENRICHED OUR LIVES
IN COUNTLESS WAYS.
Meet Lily
FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
My Lily Story
3.26.2010 - 3.7.2025
Lily was a customer at my boarding kennel that I had the honor of caring when her owner was away.
It didn't take long before Lily made her way straight into my heart.
During Lily's last stay, she made a beautiful snow angel while out for her morning walk.
When Lily left here the next day, I said goodbye knowing I would not be seeing her again.
I belive the snow angel was Lily's way of saying goodbye
Honoring the Service and Sacrifice of Service Dogs
Loyal Beyond Duty, Courageous Beyond Measure
These cards celebrate the extraordinary service animals who worked with love, courage, and devotion. Each card below represents a hero who stood guard.
My Scout Story
8-15-2018 - 4-10-2025
Scout came into our lives in the fall of 2018, a bright-eyed, golden blur of energy just over a year old, in need of a home and, as we were told, “a job.” That statement couldn’t have been more true. Scout was a dog born with a purpose, and with Jeff by his side, he found it. From day one, Scout was much more than a pet. He was a partner, a teammate, and a cherished member of our family. He became certified in live find and human remains detection and proudly served with the Sawyer County Search and Rescue Team. Scout and Jeff traveled countless miles together, training and responding to calls, forging an unbreakable bond through every challenge they faced. Scout’s energy was unmatched, his enthusiasm contagious, and his dedication unwavering. He was a working dog who loved his job as much as his partner loved him. But Scout’s impact went far beyond the field. At home, he was a beloved companion, running trails with us daily, camping under the stars, chasing balls with the grandkids, and hanging out on our land in northern Wisconsin. He had boundless energy and an undeniable zest for life. He adored the water, especially Lake Superior, where he would dive joyfully, chasing sticks into the waves like it was his life’s mission. He loved a good dig, burying his toys only to unearth them minutes later in a flurry of flying dirt. He was smart—so incredibly smart—and thrived when he had a job to do, relishing every opportunity to put his nose and mind to work. Whether finding a lost ball, tracking a scent, or discovering leftover treats in one of our pockets, he approached every task with the same determination. He took his role in our family seriously too, as a companion to us and a teacher to his little brother, Jack, showing him the ropes with patience (mostly) and playfulness. Their bond was something special, and Jack still looks out the window, tail wagging, waiting for his best friend to come bounding back home. We all miss him deeply. We lost Scout in a tragic accident, and not a day goes by that we don’t mourn him. Rest well, sweet boy. You gave us everything you had, and more. Jeff and Ellie Holte
My Timber Story
2002-2011
Dog chapters At the age of 13 I discovered my love for furry friends when I learned how to move one board in our neighbor’s fence, allowing their two golden retrievers to enter our backyard. Life was never the same after that. My wonderful mother rewarded me reluctantly with my own golden retriever whom I named Magnum P.I. (it was the 80’s). In looking back now I realize it was just to avoid me getting into trouble with the neighbors … my life quickly became defined by my connections with dogs and animals in general. I have had so many loving loyal sweet naughty funny regal muddy silly smart precocious adorable doggos which for me have always been my version of kids. Each one of them unique and starkly different from one another. Big, small, short hair, long hair, never two the same. Somewhere along the way my “herd” involved some physical challenges, and I learned right away they knew how to overcome I just needed to keep up. I got the shot in life I dreamt of in working as a police officer in the K-9 unit. My working dog was amazing, and I knew then I would have done that job for free. I felt guilty getting paid. So many blessings, so many years of unconditional love and support. I have grown up with dogs. And now I’m starting to grow old with dogs. I have lost almost every dog with whom I shared my life to old age. That profound sense of loss the hole left in your chest is unbearable… but could you have missed that kind of love and connection just to avoid the loss? Well, that’s why this is titled dog chapters… because I am not someone a memoir will be written about. I am someone who, if I wrote a book, would be mostly about all the dogs in my life and an occasional human who made the cut. Dogs define me. They teach me. They wait for me to catch up. I couldn’t just write about 1 of my pals over the years they all shaped my outlook on life and my future. I have always wanted to pay tribute to each of my special pups but never knew where to look. Now this incredible site exists to honor your animal friends. To share stories and find others healing words. This is an incredible idea created by one of the most talented giant hearted humans I have ever known. I am so grateful to post my inner feelings of love for all my animal pals ~ Magnum, Rookie, Chance, Koho, Timber, Scout and of course my old lady pup Carly. Thank you for creating this space for us to share our happiness and our loss with one another to keep our animals alive in our hearts forever ~ Michelle Rafferty
Our Recent Memorials
My Doodlebug Story
August 2010-December 2021
Doodlebug came to us weighing just nine ounces. Fully grown she was just four pounds. She was small but mighty. She was the leader of our pack including two other chihuahuas and a golden retriever. Once our 84 pound Golden walked into the bedroom to lay in HIS bed and he saw Doodle laying there and he turned around and walked out. He knew not to mess with her. She also was very stubborn. She had a certain routine for potty time walking the entire perimeter of the yard to get to her "spot". Rain or shine, hot or cold, and even in a rare snow event, she wasn't going to be rushed. Nail trims were an adventure (for me) as well. She looked like a monkey on a cupcake going after my hands while trying to bite me during the process. Fortunately her bite force wasn't enough to even break the skin. But I admired her tenacity and it was quite funny to see. She wasn't the biggest fan of traveling but has been on a few trips with us traveling as far north as Washington D.C. and as far south as Orlando, Florida. Growling, nipping, and biting were her favorite things. I believe she used them as a defense mechanism being so small. Most of her life she had heart issues which were kept under control with medication. She would have an occasional episode but would always make a full recovery. But on her last day we knew there wasn't going to be a recovery. She spent the day being rocked in the sun, snuggled, and loved. The day started unexpectedly and ended with heartbreak. I still miss hearing her sassy growls. She was one of a kind.
My Buddy Story
2008-2018
The rescued becomes the rescuer Our family was so excited to get a dog! One of our boys wanted a husky, the other wanted a Shepherd. I happened to be at the pound picking up a stray chicken and asked if I could walk past the dogs up for adoption. There he was a beautiful white dog with dark hopeful eyes. The information posted on the door read Husky Shepherd mix. Perfect! Well, almost. When we got Buddy home, he needed to be taught that our laying hens were friends, not food. Eventually he understood, and the baby chicks often rested in the thick white fur around his head. He loved his new life and never left our sides. Even if we had to run an errand without him, he laid on the front porch until he heard our car coming down the road and was always there to greet us as we drove in the driveway. One time our family was going on a mini vacation for a few days and had our friend, Asa, come and stayed at the house with Buddy. Buddy was lying on top of an old railroad baggage cart listening in as we gave Asa instructions on how to care for him while we were gone. We told Asa that if he told Buddy to stay, he would stay. We didn’t use a collar or a leash for him because he always obeyed us. Finding that a little hard to believe, Asa gave in and decided to give it a try. Asa had a couple of quick errands to run so he told Buddy to stay on the baggage cart. He reluctantly left our home and ran his errands. When he got back to our house, there was Buddy, still lying on the baggage cart. One frigid January afternoon we got a call from a distressed neighbor. Her son was missing in the woods near our house. The call to 911 was made but we didn’t waste any time. We knew the trails well and ventured out with Buddy at the helm. It wasn’t too long before Buddy located our neighbor semiconscious face down in a snowy ravine. Our neighbor’s life was spared due to the keen instincts of our now rescue dog, Buddy. The two days just prior to his passing were some of the hardest times I’ve ever experienced. Knowing his time was short I wanted to spend every minute with him. One of his favorite places to relax was in the back of our Prius with the hatch open. That way he knew he would always be with us if we went somewhere. He loved to listen to me strum the guitar. I played his favorite songs and then held his head in my arms and watched him take his last breath. It’s been seven years now, and I still cry when I think of that day. My son insisted we build him a casket. I could hardly see through the tears as we put together a simple wooden box. Buddy is laid to rest in a special knoll behind our home. He’ll forever be part of us.
My Trixie Story
2006-2020
My best friend Trixie left me 5 years ago. She was 14 ½ years old. It was not unexpected, but I did not expect it to be that day. I miss her to this day. I have had dogs and horses my whole life. I still own a horse, but I now live in an apartment and am unable to have a dog. I think of Trixie often. One story that always comes to mind was when she suddenly became violently ill. I immediately took her to the veterinarian and the first course of action they took was to take an x-ray. An x-ray revealed a foreign object, a tiny bell she had chewed off her Christmas outfit. However, when they did the surgery to remove the bell they found the true cause of the obstruction, a large piece of horse hoof trimming which hadn’t shown up on the x-ray. The surgery and the recovery were successful, and my little friend was with me for another 2 years. I miss her every day. Janey L.
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