The Frosted Family

Page 27

Enjoy scrolling through all of our Frosted Face senior animals who have benefit from our mission at Frosted Faces Foundation.  They are listed in order of date of rescue, including those that have passed. If you have been following a certain Frosted Face's story and would like to know how he/she is doing, please email us at info@frostedfacesfoundation.org.

Please make note of animals still looking for families do not have anyone listed beside “Family.” View biographies and more photos at Available Frosted Faces, learn more about becoming a family and the different programs we offer. You can also help fund the care of Frosted Faces by registering as their monthly sponsoring Fan.  

Bailey

Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 3, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Laurrena Downing
Fans: Sandra Buechner, Jane Lautz

lincoln

Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Jacqueline Wong & David Dinh
Fans: RZ

Nathan

Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing: April 20, 2023
Family: Sarah Kennedy & Andrew Gooch
Fans: Lacy S.; Nathan and Katherine; The Brian D. Kennedy Trust

Tribute: On April 18th and the 20th, Sarah and Andrew fulfilled two devastating promises. They lost Stu to pneumonia as a result of megaesophagus, coupled with end stage kidney failure. Just days later, Frosted Face Nathan passed away from breathing issues.

Sarah shared,

"We met Nathan on his very first FF hike a couple days after he became a frosted face. At first we felt bad for him because he had horrible cherry eye and fly strike on his little ears, but he was the happiest and sweetest boy. We ended up taking him on a couple more of the hikes and an outing with Aaron, our FF at the time. Aaron instantly loved Nathan, and we were thinking he would like to have a friend at home, so we decided Nathan would be a great fit. Not only was he a loving and caring brother to Aaron, but he ended up being the dog I never knew I needed. My whole life I'd watched my family dogs be closest to my dad and wished I could have a relationship like that with a dog, and I finally found that with Nathan. After only having big dogs, I never even thought I'd have a Chi-mix one day, let alone find my soulmate in one. He was my little shadow and we did everything we possibly could together. When Andrew got home first, Nathan would wake up from his nap and search every room in the house until he gave up and settled for Dad time!

Of all the cute things Nathan did, the absolute best has to be his happy dance. He had one for when we got home, before every meal or walk, or just randomly when he was feeling extra happy! Every morning he woke up dancing and just full of joy. He even added a little "woo" when he was particularly happy (unfortunately it was always so spontaneous that we never got it on video). He appreciated everything about his life, even just basic things like food and toys. He absolutely loved his toys, and we bought him way too many because he was so thrilled whenever he got a new one. He treasured his toys and kept them organized in a snuffle mat that we called his "toy farm". He would only have a couple out at a time, and he'd usually swap one out when he wanted to play with a different one.

Nathan loved to bark and tell everyone he was in charge, but I wish more people had gotten to see the loving, compassionate side of him. Whenever his brothers Aaron or Stu were getting fluids, he would look so concerned and immediately lay down next to them to provide moral support. We always told him they were fine, but he was so smart that he knew the fluids meant something was wrong. He had a small group that he considered his friends and family, and with them he was the most loyal and caring little boy. He also loved his two horse siblings, so much that he even enjoyed riding! Sometimes I'd put him in front of me so we could go for a walk together, and he always looked so content.

We loved each other so much that I was always scared of losing him, but I never imagined it would happen the way it did. We had just lost our FF Stuart the day before, and Nathan started throwing up shortly after breakfast. He'd had an upset stomach in the past, and we thought the stress of losing his brother so recently was taking a toll on him. We were getting concerned so we contacted the support team, and made an appointment to see Dr. Russell the next time he was in the office. He had mostly stopped by the afternoon and just seemed tired. Around the time we were getting ready for bed, he went into the kitchen to drink some water and we thought that might be a good sign. However, when he didn't come back after a minute, we went to check on him and saw he'd thrown up again. We were just talking about taking him to the ER when he passed diarrhea that looked dark and bloody. We immediately rushed him to the Poway ER, and after some blood work they found that his pancreas levels were so high they were unreadable. They started treatment, and the vet said he wasn't out of the woods yet but he was starting to stabilize. We made a plan to hospitalize him for 48 hours either there or at FFF, and the vet said if we wanted to head home he could call us with the x-ray results later, since we'd been there for hours. Around 2am he called us, but it wasn't the news we were expecting. Nathan had started agonal breathing, and they couldn't figure out what was wrong. We were in shock after losing Stu barely a day before, but rushed back to the ER as fast as we could. They led us to one of the exam rooms, and when one of the techs walked in I thought she'd give us an update or rush us to see him. Instead, she told us he didn't make it. It was the absolute worst moment of my life. Not only were both of our boys gone, but he'd passed without us, surrounded by strangers. I can't stop thinking about how scared he must've been. If we had to lose him, I wish we'd at least been able to offer him a peaceful passing where we were there to comfort him. He'd recently had a checkup and was quite healthy, and we still can't believe it happened so suddenly.

Trying to adjust to life without either of our boys has been unbelievably hard. Neither of them were very old by FF standards, and we never in a million years would've imagined they would pass within 36 hours of each other. I've never had a soul dog before, so I don't know how to lose one, either. It's been so hard to go from being attached at the hip one day, to losing him in a totally unexpected way the next. My biggest regret is that I didn't give Nathan a hug or a kiss when we handed him to the vet tech, because I had no idea that was the last time we would ever see each other. I know he would never blame me because I just wanted to get him help as soon as possible, but I still feel so guilty. I desperately miss my little boy and hope we see each other again someday.”

Zoltar

Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing: December 17th, 2020
Family: Krista Sarnacki
Fans: Sandra Buechner
Tribute: On December 17th, Chris fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Zoltar.

Krista was such a special adopter because she chose Zoltar knowing he was in end stage kidney failure with some dementia, and she still fattened him up and made memories.

She shares, "Zoltar was suffering and there was nothing I could do further to ease his pain. I am very upset and going to meet a friend. I have his paw print in clay and lock of fur for a memory box. Too bad he did not make it to FFF year earlier, but such is his fate."

Tito

Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Danisha & BrianJenkins
Fans: Victoria Conway, Simone Havel

Chloe

Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Marie Camastro
Fans: Evelyn McCorristin Peters

Conchita

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Dao Thai-Cuarto
Fans: Alexandra Sund

Chickadee

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 6
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Carl Zerrenner
Fans: Marty & Rick Moak

Trout

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 4, 2020
Date of Passing: December 2nd, 2020
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: Lina Leslie, Mary Aloe, William Kim, Lynn Trout Petolicchio, Mike & Debbie Coulter, Alicia, Mark Merims, Natalia , Alexa W., D, Penny & Kodi Davidson, Andrea Cvitkovich, Susan Flikkema, Bobbi Holzworth, Anne Morando, C, D, Penny & Kodi Davidson, Andrea Cvitkovich, Susan Flikkema, Virginia Manjarrez, Karin De Francis, Alexis Horn bindi.photography@gmail.com, Julia Logie
Tribute: On December 2nd, we fulfilled our promise to Trout.

Trout came to us with a splenic mass that had metastasized to his liver and a lung mass. We know here at FFF that pits who get to living a ripe old age are something special, and like all of the elderbulls around here, Trout stole our hearts.

The surrendering family said he recovered bodies in the Haiti earthquake. While quite unlikely, we told everyone his "story!" It was a wonder how his weak arthritic bow legs held up his giant bowling ball of a body, but he could truck it when it was feeding time! When Trout first came to us he really struggled to get along with his friends and would bark in their faces and sometimes bite them! We kept working on it and the man became a social butterfly! He benefited from massage, laser therapy, acupuncture, and great pain meds during his time with us. Trout watched the whole series of The Crown with us each night, went on beach outings, and on his last good day he picked out a Christmas tree. In fact, every day was a good day for Trout until the last three days which were not. For a guy who would eat anything, he ate nothing. His legs became noodles and his pee was bloody. He had a horrendous UTI from not fully expressing his bladder, so we treated him with the appropriate antibiotics and even hospitalized him with hope for three days because his labs, x-rays, and ultrasound were pretty similar to his intake exam.

By the night of the 1st, Trout was eating and walking again, but in the wee hours of the 2nd, we heard Trout seizing beside our bed. We held him as he grunted and gasped afterwards and we naively suspected him to pass, but he did not. We agreed we could not wait for a recovery and watch him suffer, if he even would, so we took him to the ER in the middle of the night to let him go. We sobbed the whole ride home and waded in our reflections the following day.

It was no secret that Trout was "our kind of dog," but he was magnetizing and we decided that he may reap fuller last days if he remained a "lobby dog." It was with this role he gained another "mom." Volunteer, Colleen Haynes. She took Trout on "Troutings" a couple days each week and literally booked him for whole days!

Colleen thoughtfully wrote this note to me that I would like to share, "Trout meant more to me than you know. He was the reason that I survived a v-tach attack while we were on a Trouting at Fiesta Island. When it happened I knew that I needed to pull through so that I could get him back home to his real family...you and Andy. I only wish that I could of pulled him through his health issues and saved him the way he saved me.

I must say despite that incident, I fell in love with Trout man on our first date out to Fiesta Island. I know the feeling wasn't mutual because I would soon come to learn that he hated the water. He spent most of the day by my car as far away from the water as he could. So I know that it was not love at first sight on his part. He did however, love the food end of our date. I don't think that he ever did fall in love with me because he always had his true loves at home waiting for him to come back to them. Every Trouting would end at 5pm because that is when he would become restless and let me know that he wanted to be home with his FFF family. I learned to make our last ice cream run together at Collier park to end by 5 so that I could get him home to Mom and Dad.

As time and Troutings went on, I did finally find out what outings made him happy. He loved Balboa Park. He loved the scenery and especially the smells of food. When we were there he found a nice green grassy place beside the Prado Restaurant outdoor seating and fell asleep for an hour to sweet dreams of food smells. He also loved to travel across all the bridges at every park that we went to, maybe he was trying to tell me that he was ready to cross over and that his body was ready. I was not ready to listen to him because I needed more time with him. I hope he knows how much I loved him, I am just sorry that I could not have him home with me because of the dynamics of my 3 girls that had just suffered the loss of their bigger sister when COVID started. I will miss him and grieve over him as another loss of a beloved family member.

I thank everyone at FFF for being his family. My heart breaks as well for you and Andy because I know he was just as special to both of you."

Lupi

Acquired from: Owner Relinquishment from High Valley Veterinary Hospital
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: September 4,2020
Date of Passing: August 9, 2023
Family: Mary Cory
Fans: Tonya Petri

Tribute: On August 9th, Mary fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Lupi.

She shared,

"RIP Sweet Lupita - awww, you were my heart and soul for three years and are now dearly, dearly missed. You were the perfect mix of sweet homebody and fun-loving outdoor adventurer - couldn't have asked for a better blessing than you.

So thankful that I got one last summer vacation in with Lupi before cancer got the best of her last week. Wanted to share some pics of the great time we had road-tripping and camping through Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee and Illinois. I've placed a stone in the Del Mar Dog Beach Memorial Garden - she always loved the sunshine and ocean breezes there. (*Sending out extreme gratitude to Dr. Russell, Jennifer, Kelly, and the Frosted Faces family for their tender and compassionate care for Lupi in her final weeks. Appreciate you all forever.)"

Chloe

Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: September 9, 2020
Date of Passing: May 29, 2022
Family: Toni & Perry Campbell
Fans: Anne Morando

Tribute: On May 29th, Toni and Perry fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Chloe.

They shared,

"Our precious Chloe,

On January 10th We never would have expected you to choose us as your forever family, you are such full of life and jumped right into the arms of your daddy and our granddaughter and kiss them all over, you ran up to me and you're forever four legged sister diamond saying I have found you, I love you and take me home.

And that is what we did! Your name was Cleo when we got you, but we're decided to rename you Chloe which meant a new beginning.

You settled in from the start , it was like you grew up with us all along. You had the cutest under bite and you're funny little snorts. You loved running around the yard with Diamond and FF Jaguar and letting us know there were possums in our pomegranate tree. You would tell on Jaguar that would come for visits if he dug holes in the yard. It was mostly his treats he buried and you would go get them.

When daddy would bathe you, you came out of the shower doing zoomies. You were so cute and such a happy girl. You knew when your mommy was making homemade food , you laid right there in the kitchen till I was done. One of your favorite treats was watermelon and feta cheese. Yes, you are Greek.

When you would go on your walks, you were always on a mission. Never pulled on the leash, but you were on a roll, helping us to get our heart rate up.

When we sat on the couch, you would crawl right into our laps. You snuggled and spooned us when we went to bed. You had to make sure you felt us at all times. You loved to turn on your back and smiled so hard for those belly rubs.

Diamond non FF was your sister and your side step. In March when she passed, you looked for her for days and I knew you were mourning. You started to decline. Your steps became slower and started to breathe a little heavier. Dr. Lipman saw you in April and discovered you had an enlarged heart. Early May you saw Dr. Russell and the echocardiogram confirmed you had a large heart ,dilated cardiomyopathy. You were put on heart meds and hoped this would ease your breathing. Things just seemed to get worse.

I took you to emergency 3 times. The last time. You could not stop panting for hours, you were so exhausted, you could not get up or walk. We had the neurologist look at you and she did her tests and she told me it really doesn't look good. I requested an MRI to see everything in case something was missed. Our Precious Chloe, you had a tumor pressing into your spine that was causing your terrible pain. I let you go to be with Diamond.

You have not died, you transformed into something beautiful. Your love and your wonderful memories will always be in our hearts. Your spirit will always remain. Run free of pain Chloe. Until we meet again, our precious angel, you are so loved."

Anar

Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 9,2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Madin Sadat
Fans: Lorena Dictter, Anne Morando

Hercules

Acquired from: East Valley Shelter-LA
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 10, 2020
Date of Passing: August 22nd, 2021
Family: Ryan Walker and Charlene Andreason
Fans: Richard Leighton Dixon, Jodie
Tribute: On August 22nd, Ryan and Charlene fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Hercules.

"We had to say goodbye to Hercules yesterday. Herc had the best personality and always knew how to make everyone happy. He was so silly and loved to plop over and ask for belly rubs with a smile on his face. We adopted Hercules and Pepper 10 months ago when we were looking for just 1 additional dog to join our family. Little did we know how much joy they would bring into our lives.

At first we felt bad for Herc when he would fall over or trip while trying to get around. We soon realized he didn’t seem to notice his disability and would run over rocks and curbs without any hesitation. His back legs would sometimes get stuck behind him and he would plop over and ask for belly rubs like that was his original intention. He absolutely loved going on walks and adventures in his wheels and could go for miles. Surprisingly he was the easiest to walk out of the three dogs. Ryan and I would always bicker “I get Hercy” “no it’s my turn to walk Hercy”. He was definitely a good boy and had so much love to give.

Unfortunately, Herc was diagnosed with a large splenic mass and 7 bladder stones last week. He seemed totally happy and pain-free until we knew it was time. On and off yesterday he was in pain and unable to urinate. We had Lap of Love Veterinary Hopice come to the house to help us say goodbye. Pepper comforted him and was by his side until the end. We’re not sure what the first 10 years of his life were like, but we’re glad we could give him and his brother a home with lots of love and snuggles for tshe last 10 months. Thanks to FF for pulling these boys from the shelter and to their foster mom Heather Osswald for giving them love and adventures. We love you and miss you Hercules ❤️"

Pepper

Acquired from: East Valley Shelter-LA
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 10, 2020
Date of Passing: April 21, 2023
Family: Ryan Walker and Charlene Andreason
Fans: Paula Rushton, Richard Leighton Dixon, D. And C. Short

Tribute: On April 21st, Ryan and Charlene fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Pepper.

They shared,

"We are so sad to share that Pepper crossed the rainbow bridge on Friday and is now with his brother. He kicked cancer’s butt for 3 months and was doing great as a tripod, but took a sharp turn Thursday night.

We adopted Pepper and Hercules from Frosted Faces as a bonded pair when we were only looking for 1 senior dog to join our family. Ryan and I both fell in love with the pointer bros after meeting them and decided that we were up for the challenge and joy of being a 3 dog family. We got to spend 2.5 great years with Pepper and loved every minute of it. He was 100% the sweetest dog we have ever met (Hercules as a close 2nd). He loved meeting strangers, kids, dog, and even vets. He would lean up against people and nudge them with his head/paw to politely ask for pets. Some of his favorite things were going on walks, running around in the yard, digging, getting treats, and most of all cuddling on the couch/bed. He had a huge personality and was very vocal about what he wanted. He would run around the house excited and yelling that it was time for our walk after we would get home from work. He would also wake us up exactly at his breakfast time and run over to his food bowl and do his excited hop and spin.

Pepper was such a good brother and was pretty sad after we lost Hercules. Thankfully Hazel comforted Pepper and he bounced back and became his silly and joyful self again. We were devastated when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and were scared to consider amputation since he already had arthritis and was 12 years old. Little did we know he would thrive as a tripod and was back to his normal self running and hopping all over the house and even digging for gophers in the backyard. Just like Hercules, he had no idea he was disabled. These boys changed our lives in so many positive ways and showed us so much love.

Our house feels so empty and quiet without Pepper wacking his happy tail on everything and vocalizing that it’s time for cuddles/food/walks. We will miss him so much ❤️ huge thanks to Frosted Faces for rescuing these boys from the shelter and bringing them into our lives."

Shirley

Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: September 12, 2020
Date of Passing: September 15th, 2020
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: RZ
Tribute:8 year old Shirley had been found abandoned in a park in Indio. She was matted, had urine and feces on her, and was paralyzed. Staff shaved her right down to the pink and this weekend Coachella Valley Shelter reached out to us for immediate exit.

Shirley arrived at Frosted Faces Foundation and was likely one of the alarmingly saddest dogs we had ever seen. You couldn't take your eyes off of her. She got in to see Dr.VanMaele right away and every little thing was wrong with her.

Shirley was diabetic and in DKA, she had high liver enzymes, pancreatitis, her gall bladder was gigantic and nearly blocked, and she had a bladder mass. Her liver, spleen, and heart were gigantic. She had a subluxating left hip and both knees had severely luxating patellas. She had infection on her skin from urine scald. Coming from a vet who has saved hundreds of Frosted Faces and held out hope, Dr. VanMaele let us know that Shirley was suffering and she did not think that all the money or hope in this world could bring Shirley to a point of an acceptable quality of life. We agreed that because she had been this way for awhile, sending home some treatments to keep her comfortable for one good night would be okay.

Now we took in two sick Frosted Faces this weekend and somehow both were tragically ill and needed to be granted the gift of euthanasia sooner than later. We agreed that in order to make the experience more personal and the loss more bearable, Andy and I would take one of the dogs home, and Alicia would take Shirley. We were to spend a meaningful last night and day with each of our Frosted Faces, and then meet at San Diego Bay Animal Hospital today at 2:15pm to each let "our dog" go. You have to imagine how numb I have had to make myself to write out this plan for you. There is nothing rational about this. These senior dogs were abandoned, and required strangers to euthanize them within days of rescue because they had suffered beyond repair and weren't even well enough to be placed with a new family.

This morning Alicia let us know that Shirley had passed away in her sleep and there were no more "what ifs," only anger and despair.

Alicia shares, "I could hardly believe what I saw when her transporter arrived at Frosted Faces on Saturday afternoon. Laying down in her crate, her adorable face and hopeful eyes stared back at us. It wasn’t until I picked her up that we got a good look at her condition. It’s hard to say what we noticed first. Was it her huge round belly? That she had no hair, aside from what looked like a shawl of fur on her back? Her tiny hind legs that were crossed in what had to be a painful position? When we uncrossed her legs they automatically crossed themselves again. We immediately picked her up, held her, and let her know we loved her just how she was.

She got the coveted 'lobby dog' status immediately. We perched her on a big kuranda bed where she watched all of us with curious eyes, and her little tongue sticking out. She was very thirsty - she probably drank 3 bowls of water. I hand fed her chicken for dinner, which she enthusiastically ate and wanted more! After dinner I brought her outside where she sat up in a position she has probably become very accustomed to. Her hind legs didn’t work, but she could prop herself up with her front legs. She pooped and peed, the pee going all over her naked and sore-riddled legs. I gave her a bath and she welcomed the warm water and attention. After her bath I held her, wrapped up in a towel, and rocked her back and forth. She drifted in and out of sleep. I’m sure she was exhausted, but also thankful to feel safe enough to rest. I stayed late that night so I could hold her again, outside with the cool breeze blowing over her.

She sported a brand new collar with a cute purple flower on it. Several volunteers stopped to pet her and tell her how pretty she was. What hair she had was so incredibly soft, probably the softest fur I’ve ever felt. And she truly was a beautiful girl.

Kelly got the call from the vet she sadly told me what was going on with her and that we were going to bring her back to Frosted Faces for the night to give her a good night and one more good day. She asked if I would like to take her home for the night, and I of course said yes. At home she was barking if I left her alone even for a moment. I held her until she fell asleep, and told her about all the fun things we were going to do the next day. I placed her in her own bed and I went to bed, kissing her goodnight. When I woke in the morning and checked on her I discovered she had passed away in her sleep. I couldn’t stop the tears that fell onto her sweet face. I wish I had more time with her. I wish we all had more time with her. I wish she had found us sooner so we could’ve helped her. I wish all of you could have met her and pet her soft fur and looked into her soulful eyes. I wish she would have had a family who wanted her. I can say she had her Frosted Faces family and we all wanted her, loved her, and are heartbroken for her.

We named her Shirley. She mattered."

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Kennel Manager, Alicia Anthony, who makes the Frosted Faces her own and literally takes her job home. There is a lot to celebrate around here, but that doesn't come without carrying heavy responsibility and heartbreak. Thank you for being Shirley's person. xo

Beamer

Acquired from: Animal Friends of the Valleys
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: September 12, 2020
Date of Passing: August 29, 2023
Family: Brandi & Tom Eagling
Fans: Pam Walker

Tribute: On August 29th, Brandi and Tom Eagling fulfilled their promise to Beamer.

They got every last good day from her and loved her very much.

Christine

Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 13, 2020
Date of Passing: September 28th, 2020
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: Victoria Conway
Tribute: Recall two weeks ago we took two very sick dogs into our care, both with extensive medical problems. The vet let us know that it would not be wrong to let both of them go, because they both had chronic medical issues beyond the point of care that were compromising their quality of life.

One was Shirley who passed away in her sleep soon after rescue the evening before her scheduled euthanasia. Kennel Manager, Alicia, had taken her home for one good night out of the shelter.

The other dog was 10 year old Christine, who Andy and I agreed to shoulder the grief of euthanasia and also to share her last good special day.

Christine was brought into Barstow Humane Society as a stray. They took her to a vet who started her on heart medications and an antibiotic. Judy Spady, the warrior of networking dogs out of Barstow Humane Society to rescues with more resources and foot traffic, asked if we would consider taking Christine. It was door to door service and she was already vetted, family was on the horizon. Judy let us know that she thought something was still very wrong with Christine and she hoped our vets at San Diego Bay Animal Hospital could help her.

Immediately, I texted Dr. VanMaele for an emergent appointment once I laid eyes on Christine. I am not one to dramatize medical conditions, but this girl needed care and comfort. X-rays revealed that Christine's heart, lungs and abdomen actually all looked okay. The heart meds were unnecessary. She was open mouth breathing because she had a mass behind her eye, that caused a blockage behind her nose, and also went onto the roof of her mouth. Her eye was also being pushed out of place and she was no longer visual in either eye. Euthanasia was recommended. We gave her a whole lot of pain medication and Christine came home with us for the evening. The next day we went to the beach and I gave her ice cream that would feel so good on her mouth. We were spending a nice day together until that 2:15pm euthanasia appointment.

I didn't really know Christine at this point and trust our vets immensely, but as 2:15pm approached, I felt the pressure mounting. I was watching Christine devour ice cream and chase down the shore with curiosity in the boats, birds, and smells. Was this going to be so mechanical where we:

1.) Rescued the dog,

2.) Vetted the dog and nodded accordingly with euthanasia recommendations,

3.) Had a beach day,

4.) Let her go?

Was it better not to get too attached? Was it the only way to make an unselfish decision? I sat on the beach inhaling the healing salty breeze. My breaths got shorter as the weight on my chest became heavier, and my eyes filled with tears. I was watching Christine enjoy this beautiful beach day and she didn't even know that I was going to end her little life. You know this feeling, and of course it's not a malicious act, just mostly unrelatable, because we don't know the pain and we don't know death. And no, it's never mechanical. It's garbage that people can't keep their innocent dogs safe in their homes so that they won't run at risk astray and it's super sad to see a dog in need of medical care who was suspected to have been abandoned. It eats at me every day, and somehow the culture of compassion needs to override these judgements in order to be helpful.

I scooped Christine and Coleridge up, and loaded them into my car. I called Andy to irrationally sob at him, "I can't do this. I can't do this today." We had just lost Dally, Shirley, Jim, Tootsie, Decker, Dante, Quest, Fudgie, and Vaughn in the previous 30 days. I had never felt so much compassion fatigue as I had in that moment. Do we just not get terminal dogs from time to time if I can't do what is right and necessary within that time frame of grieving because it is too daunting? And at the same time, suffering is suffering, but Christine was engaged and eating. Grant me/us a day, just one more to see clearly. I was shocked that all I needed to hear was Andy saying what I tell families all the time. "You don't have to do this today. If you love her and you can still see another day for her, you are making this decision out of love. Bring her home."

Christine got two more weeks. We got her started on an aggressive pain med regimen and hid the medication in Christine's food. She would eat absolutely anything. It was impossible to eat with her on your lap because she squirmed and barked to get at our food! Christine got to go on the hikes and to wineries. She had excellent hearing and I would oftentimes find her laying at my feet. Everyone gave her scraps in the lobby and cradled her while having conversations. On Christine's last day she got a Fudgesicle. Cold on her little ailing mouth and chocolate. It was the way to go out. Christine's euthanasia was an individualized decision that was made in her best interest when we could no longer sneakily hide her pain medication without her spitting it out. She began pawing at her eye and mouth, and the deal was that if we could not make her comfortable we would not keep on.

Alicia, Andy, and I brought Christine to High Valley Veterinary Hospital on Monday, September 28th, and peacefully put her to sleep. Dr. Gilbert pointed out how lucky she was to have four sets of hands on her in her last moments. As devastating as it was that Christine's family abandoned her when she needed their courage and advocacy the most, and as sad as the loss of life is, none of us cried. We had made peace with the decision, we knew it was necessary. We had given little Christine all that we could, we cried every tear she deserved in desperation to help her thrive and in a life that's not fair. All that was left was a dignified send off.

Christine, we loved you.

Rex

Acquired from: Owner Surrender
Age upon Rescue: 14
Date of Rescue: September 16, 2020
Date of Passing: April 9th, 2021
Family: Kate & Dave Rogers
Fans: Roxann Ulland
Tribute: On April 9th, Dave and Kate fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Rex after a mass ruptured in his abdomen.

Kate shares,

"As of writing this, Rex passed about ninety minutes ago. I wanted to write this while the emotion was at its rawest and most authentic. Words will never be enough to describe the joy and love that Rex brought to the Rogers’ household.

“The Latin title rex has the meaning of "king, ruler" (monarch).” Our sweet nuggetman, Rex, ruled our house and hearts. When he assumed his position in our home, he reestablished breakfast and dinner times and continuously found ways to improve the efficiency of feeding times. I will forever miss hearing the metal tag on his collar dinging against his food bowl, him going room to room checking on everyone, and watching his eyes close as we gave him love and head scratches. He loved love and never missed an opportunity to share his with us. It still doesn’t feel real and in between the tapping of my keyboard I keep hoping he walks in to check on me..

Rex taught me that loyalty is alive and well. He taught me that it’s OK to take breaks when work is stressful, and he taught me to share love more often. He was so appreciative of everything we did for him and evoked emotions I forgot I had. Cheers to you, Rex. Thank you for setting an example and reminding me how beautiful life can be. You are a gift. You are my pal, and you will forever be sealed to us."

Marley

Acquired from: Long Beach Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: September 17, 2020
Date of Passing: January 3rd, 2021
Family: Brooke Squiller & Dillon Howarth
Fans: Mike & Debbie Coulter, Joe Lobosco, Jill Wagner
Tribute: On January 3rd, Dillon and Brooke fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Marley.

Marley was surrendered to the shelter by her former family with heartworm and a gigantic mass that nearly looked like a third leg! We began treating her heartworm slowly, with nightmare memories of our last Frosted Face Dagny who did not survive treatment.

When Marley's mass began to ulcerate we knew we had to start talking surgery. We did an echocardiogram to see if her heart could handle the procedure, and the cardiologist let us know that she had a mild case of heartworm and that she should be okay..

Dr. Hoard removed Marley's mass and Marley had two great weeks of romping with nothing dangling! The biopsy of the mass unfortunately came back as a high grade, aggressive type of mammary cancer called a mammary comedocarcinoma. This mass was incompletely excised and did show signs of invasion into the lymphatic tissue. This is not good. It meant that the mass will likely grow back- and being that it was grade III- had increased likelihood of metastasizing to distant locations.

Around the two week recovery mark, Marley became increasingly lethargic and a recheck showed that she had a low platelet count. This girl was not leaving this world without a fight- she was too loved. We hospitalized her at Animal Emergency Clinic of San Diego and did two plasma transfusions with ongoing care. We reached a point where we needed to accept Marley's body was failing her and we had to free her sweet soul. Her family was at her side to say good bye and they have shared,

"I’m devastated to share this news with you, but we had to say goodbye to Marley tonight. Despite the plasma transfusion last night, her platelet count was continuing to decline and was at 12,000 (its supposed to be above 165,000 and her blood wasn’t clotting very well. They are guessing that the cancer had spread to her bone marrow and that’s why her numbers weren’t improving.

My heart shattered when she gave me one last lick before lying down, putting her head in my lap and looking up at me, telling me she was ready. She passed with showers of tears and kisses and instructions to go find Colbie (our first senior dog and Marley’s twin) and to finally run around unencumbered by that huge tumor or heartworm or cancer and jump on all the counters she wanted to without getting scolded. We love you Turd Nugget. Thank you for all the joy you brought to our lives. "

Ian

Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: September 19, 2020
Date of Passing: May 25, 2022
Family: Carla Tayao
Fans: Anne R

Tribute: On May 25th, Carla fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Ian.

She shared,

"My dream has always been to rescue a senior dog..the older the better-the smaller the better-the more decrepit looking the better…

and along came Ian. I fell in love at first sight but thought he would be snatched up quickly since he was such a cute lil Yorkie. When I met him they told me he was found as a stray walking around with a mast cell tumor. I said okay and he came home with me and his non-FF brother Connor on 10/25/2020.

My sweet Ian endured a lot of health issues due to his cancer. He ended up losing a toe even after trying to fight infection with daily trips to College Animal Hospital for antibiotic injections.

During our time together, I had to perform wound care on his lil paws and wrapped them with colorful tape. He didn’t protest when I made him wear booties. We had to try different oral antibiotics to treat the Infections that kept popping up everywhere. He could barely see but boy he sure didn’t lose his loud bork or his appetite!

Ian was so content to ride around in his sling carrier. Sometimes he would just bury his head..other times he would enjoy the scenery and made people smile when they saw his little tongue constantly sticking out.

I didn’t think Ian would be around when we moved from San Diego to New Mexico earlier this year. He was my tough little guy and stuck around far longer than anyone could have expected. I feel fortunate that when he decided it was time that he felt comfortable enough to let go while I was holding him in my arms. I watched as he took his last breath and am grateful for the beautiful experience & time we had together.

I miss you my little love, Ian! Thank you for letting me take care of you

Lucy

Acquired from: Carlsbad Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 4
Date of Rescue: September 21, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Ralph Moran & Rebecca Mathias
Fans: Margaret Ruiz

Pepper

Acquired from: Carlsbad Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 6
Date of Rescue: September 21, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Ralph Moran & Rebecca Mathias
Fans: Christie Kacmarcik

Rocky

Acquired from: Carlsbad Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: September 22, 2020
Date of Passing: May 16, 2023
Family: Kristin & Steven Carter
Fans: Bob & Kim Rios, Judith McSwain

Tribute: On May 16th, Kristin and Steven fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Rocky.

They shared,

"I'm sorry to pass along the news that we said goodbye to Rocky yesterday. He was having a really tough time even standing and lately by the end of the day, he would just be panting and panting and not really able to stand. My husband and I took him to College Animal Hospital and stayed in the room with him to pet him for our final goodbyes. We will miss him, but I think it was best for him.

Some of my favorite memories of Rocky was when he was still able to go on walks. He was always a pretty slow walker, but a few times when he'd notice a cat, it was like he was a different dog and he'd just have a burst of energy like he was going to go get that cat! Other times when we'd pass a neighbor, it seemed like Rocky wasn't paying attention to them, but then he'd stop and look back in their direction with his dog eyes as if to say, "What, no pet for me?" and the person would of course come over and give him some pets on his head. He was such a sweet guy, but part of the reason we ended up naming him Rocky was that we were sure he was a tough dog on the streets in his prime. He had a pretty big scar on one of his ears and his stance in the front with his legs kind of bowed out gave him that appearance like he may have been smaller, but don't mess with him!

Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to have him as part of our family these past almost three years. We will always remember him."

Barclay

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: September 22, 2020
Date of Passing: October 11, 2022
Family: Adrienne Terrazas
Fans: Amy, Parker and Louie

Tribute: On October 11th, Adrienne fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Barclay.

Adrienne shared,

"Today is the saddest day ever. My sweet little Barclay boy is gone. He kept declining even while being treated to the best of their ability after two visits within 8 hours to the ER at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital.

His blood pressure kept dropping and he never became responsive so we had to let him go. I am beyond bereft.

I have heard it said and I feel it so acutely now, “How can such a tiny being leave such a big void?!” Ironically tomorrow would have been his second “gotchaversary." Thanks for being the best little pandemic partner in the world Barclay. You will ALWAYS be missed."

Drago

Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: September 22, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Diocelyn Lacerna
Fans: Wendy Howard

Austin

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: September 22, 2020
Date of Passing: July 13, 2023
Family: Yukiko Noda & Jimmy Deguzman
Fans: Sara Burton and Hannon Rasool, Melanie Lawrence, Feisty Frasier Gifts

Tribute: On July 13th, Yukiko and Jimmy fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Austin.

They shared,

"We sadly said goodbye to Austin. When we found out that his kidney disease had progressed, we asked him to let us know when he was ready to go to heaven. Even with his bad teeth and kidney disease, he was still eating dinner. For the first time since we had him, he was not interested in eating or drinking. I finally got him to eat ground meat out of my hand. After I put him up on the sofa, I felt he was telling me he was ready to go. He was already quite skinny and his legs were quite weak, which caused him to stumble a lot. We wanted to minimize his suffering, and made the decision to let him go.

Austin was the bestest and sweetest dog. We had him for 2 years and 9 months and are grateful for all of our wonderful memories with him (holidays, trips, going to the beach). He loved ground meat and apples. He was quite the jumper and entertained us with his zoomies. He brought us so much joy and we will miss his cuddles.

Thank you to Frosted Faces Foundation for entrusting us with him and to the FFF fans and community for all of the love and support. ❤"

Edison

Acquired from: Chula Vista Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: September 24, 2020
Date of Passing: January 5th, 2022
Family: Paula Rushton
Fans: Hypnotic Dog Co
Tribute: On January 5th, Paula fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Ed.

"Ed lived his final 15 months with me. He was such a great little guy. Guesstimated age was 16.

Instead of focusing on his decline, I'm remembering his high level of cuteness, how he used to 'bite' my nose when giving me kisses (he had no teeth) and the time he flew to Iowa with me. (I had to leave social outings early two nights in a row because my mom was concerned about Ed - they keep the house at 77 degrees so Ed was 🥵). 😁🤣

He was an easy dog to love and the care he required was totally worth the effort. I have so many photos of him being cute, so...enjoy. Love and miss you, Ed!"

Alice

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: September 24, 2020
Date of Passing: December 1st, 2020
Family: Regina Baca
Fans: Scott & Kathy Ligman
Tribute: On Decmber 1st, Alica passed away.

Alice was found as a stray and brought to the shelter to wait for her owners. Nobody came for her, so we happily welcomed her to Frosted Faces!

Want to hear a crazy story?

I knew we were getting Alice and another dog (Gronk) from Imperial County sometime that week, but hadn’t figured out how yet. One of the shelter girls said that two people from Ramona were there looking at dogs and said they could drive the dogs back. GREAT!

Now forget that is happening...

So our direct next door neighbors, Vicki and Walt, pull into our driveway and say they have our Frosted Faces. I freaked out, and thought “Oh my gawd, did someone get out and sneak over to your property??!” They pull out two yellow sheets of paper familiar to me... Imperial shelter paperwork! Our NEIGHBORS were the ones bringing the dogs to us! My mind was blown! What a small world!

Moving forward-

This girl knew how to smile for the camera! She was so wiggly and always happy. She got a clean bill of health at the vet and we spayed her. She was a tad overweight and was working on that new beach body when she found family. Tragedy hit-

Her family shared,

“I am very sad to report that there was an accident with Alice, I looked and the email I sent about the accident did not go through. A few weeks ago around 700pm, I let the dogs out for their last time outside and a coyote came into our yard and took Alice in the back of yard. This is hard for me to talk about but I saw something at the back of property. I called her and heard her bark. When I went to where I heard her I didn't see her in the yard so I went to the street and, I saw the coyote had her and he was not scared and did not run. When I went to grab a shovel, the coyote took her. The neighbors found her the next day and buried her. I have lived here for 15 years and have never experienced this at all. I have had dogs the size of Alice and have not had to worry about coyotes during this time. My family is still shocked that this happened and again I am sorry to report this to you.”

Gronk

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 24, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Joan Munill
Fans: Jennifer Campos

Charlie

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: September 25, 2020
Date of Passing: September 6, 2022
Family: Lynne Christmas
Fans: D. And C. Short

Tribute: On September 6th, Lynne fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Charlie.

She shared,

"On Tuesday September 6, we said goodbye to our precious Charlie. It was just 2 weeks after we had said goodbye to his brother Grooty and we are devastated. His little body and mind were both so traumatized with ill health, Dr. Russell agreed that it was kind to let him go. His 2 year Frostiversary is September 25, his Gotcha Day on the 29th and we had hoped for many more.

He enjoyed going for walks around the neighborhood and sunbathing on the deck with his doggie brothers and sisters. He was Cookies favorite cuddle buddy and they would often share beds. Every neighbor knew his name and he thought everyone of them was his best friend!

When he refused to allow the groomer to beautify him-throwing his body around and getting frantic with stress- I took to chopping where ever I could while he was sleeping. Luckily his hair was curly so mistakes were hidden!! I cannot believe how a dog can be sound asleep and then wide awake when the scissors are still within inches of him!

Charlie would love to go to the store and sit in the basket. He looked like a teddy bear and received many pets. He was the sweetest dog and while he wasn’t a sit in your lap dog (maybe for 5 mins if lucky), until his last few months he always wanted to be close.

I had doggie proof flooring installed several years ago and when Charlie’s legs became weak, laid many runners throughout the kitchen and living room. We also had to make sure the water bowl was only half full as at least once a week Charlie would sit in it. I wish I had taken a photo as it is a sweet memory in my mind.

Say hello to Grooty for us Charlie, I am sure the 2 of you are frolicking around with a clear mind , healthy body and strong legs. We miss you so very very much, you are in our hearts forever. Thank you for choosing us to be your family.

Thank you to Kelly, all FF staff, Dr. Russell and the vet techs, his sponsor and all the volunteers. I appreciate all your support and kindness."

boops

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: September 25, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Sarah Arrowsmith and Annette Martinez
Fans: Wendy

Tribute: On April 19th, Sarah fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Boops.

She shared,

"I'll never forget the day I sat down to google senior dog rescues and discovered Frosted Faces Foundation. It was June of 2020 and I was having the hardest time finding a senior dog through the shelters in Denver. I immediately signed up to be a fan and that weekend submitted my application. In November, right before the Thanksgiving surge, Annette, Comet and I flew to San Diego to find our new love. My office had a puppy shower for me and so many people started following my Instagram to have real time updates of our adoption journey.

The first photo I have of Boops is of him and Comet in the back seat of the rental car as we left the property. Commie is smiling and posing and Boops is looking at him like "who is this cheesy guy?" We spent the weekend in Palm Springs and then had an uneventful flight home.

Boops settled into a routine of keeping an eye on my whereabouts and seeking out the cozy beds. We got to know each other and developed our own way of communicating due to his deafness. He was mostly blind, he could just see big shapes and had to "boop" you to determine who you were. That's how his name changed from Apollo to Boops. We joke that he called me The Lady, Annette was Not The Lady, and my son was The Boy.

I could have never predicted how big of an impact this little schnauzer/poodle/chihuahua would have on our family. He fulfilled my caretaking needs in the most perfect ways. He became the sweetest little punchline to our jokes. "Am I cute?" "Yes! Like Boops!" If the weather was cold one of us would say "Boops would like to request a transfer to Palm Springs". The lil California dog never liked the snow and whenever I'd put his coat on, he'd start shivering before I even opened the door. Every night after we'd get settled in we'd giggle at his little snores and grumbles, the sweetest lullaby we could ask for. During the night, I'd have to slip my leg down to his level so he could boop me and verify my location. Then he'd snuggle back down until morning. He really liked going camping, which was surprising to me. He loved when we'd set up the tent in the yard and would jump right in and lay down smiling. We'd go camping for 4th of July and he liked the camper because he could be in the big bed (it was surrounded on 3 sides so no fear of him falling out). Even with his vision limitations, he liked to go for walks. He'd get moving so fast, his lil ears would bounce! He'd follow a certain distance behind me and if he got confused, I'd just back up so he could boop me and get back on track.

In looking back at old photos and videos, I don't think I realized how much he was slowing down. I guess it's like that for most of us as we age. We make continual small adjustments until our former selves are unrecognizable. I just always saw my sweet baby grandpa, the vulnerable soul who needed my help. I saw his excitement when he could smell pizza. His relaxation during bathtime. His love of his nightly shoulder massage and bedtime smooches. How content he was during my work from home days. He would sleep next to me, occasionally waking up to give me a firm boop to verify I was in my spot. I swear he could tell time and about 4:15 p.m. everyday he'd start to come to life. He'd do the same on my in-office days; start to look for me about 4:30 p.m.

I think one of the benefits of caring for a Frosted Face is that you're always aware you're on limited time to soak up and give all the love. They are allowed to be so spoiled because you have to fit a lifetime of spoiling into a short amount of time. I was always aware of how precious each boop was, soaked up his happy lil tail wags, and fiercely loved his sweet little heart. I was his biggest cheerleader and bragged about him every chance I got.

I can't say enough about the support I had throughout this journey with Boops. It made the prospect of adopting a senior dog less daunting knowing I could lean on a network of knowledge and experience from people who were just as invested in his well-being. I am honored Frosted Faces entrusted me with his care. I am lost without my real life muppet, but I will do this again and again for the privilege of being the safe landing spot for the next pup who needs me. "

lil dude

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 3, 2020
Date of Passing: September 18, 2023
Family: Annette & Sam Halderman
Fans: RZ

Tribute: On September 18th, Annette and Sam fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Lil Dude after battling CCD.

They shared,

"He was valued and beloved. We have measured our lives in dogs and Lil Dude contributed a heart wrenching, heart touching 3 year span. He was irreplaceable and one of a kind and is missed."

Velma

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 3, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Marsha Kreinkamp
Fans: RZ

Velvet

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 3, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Marsha Kreinkamp
Fans: Cheng Yee Tong

boba

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 3, 2020
Date of Passing: September 15, 2022
Family: Ashley & Steven Toledo
Fans: The Daly Family, Martha Hart, Debra Shultz, Joyce Floyd, The Nunes Family, Deborah Roberts, M & Daniel Queager, Marisa Dudiak

Tribute: On September 15th, Ashley and Steven fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Boba as a result of a ruptured splenic mass.

She shared,

"My sweet angel boy. Thank you for all the love you gave. You have brought so much joy to everyone around you. I will miss you always being at my feet, hearing you coming from the other room, your little howl and how excited you would get to go on your walks. I cherish each moment with you, forever. Run free."

Hermione

Acquired from: Baldwin Park Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: October 4, 2020
Date of Passing: October 30th, 2020
Family: Sarah Brown
Fans: Amy Zucker, Patty Ralabate, Nikki Hensley
Tribute: On October 30th we fulfilled our promise to Hermione.

She suffered from both end stage heart failure and kidney failure, and was surrendered to the shelter when her family needed her most. We treated and rehomed her as quickly as possible to make up for lost time.

Her mom shares,

"I fell in love with Hermione the moment I saw her picture on Facebook and knew that I had to give her the best end of life possible. I immediately applied for her and was able to go to FFF to meet her and take her home soon after.

When I was at FFF people were so surprised that Hermione was the Frosted Face I wanted due to the fact that she was a hospice dog and I’m so young at only 23 years old. Everyone made sure to make it clear to me that she needed constant care and that she didn’t have a lot of time left here with us due to her diagnosis. Not once was I hesitant or unsure, I knew that she was the one for me and that I need to spoil her in her final days.

Over the few short weeks that I had Hermione I fell even more in love with her sweet, gentle soul along with all of my friends and family. When Hermione was feeling good she had a LOVE for food, her first night home she was very persistent in trying to get a bite of lettuce from my salad. Whenever I would eat she would sit right next to me and watch me take every single bite in hopes that maybe I’d drop a piece and she could have a little taste. Hermione also loved doing her nightly laps around the house and always enjoyed cuddling up with me when it was time for bed.

She made a great impact on my life and the way that I love. I will always cherish the time I got to spend with Hermione and will always be appreciative that FFF gave me one of the greatest opportunities of my life. I’m so heartbroken by the loss of my sweet Hermione but honored to have spoiled her in the time we spent together. Thank you so much, I hope these pictures help you enjoy Hermione’s journey with me."

Jaguar

Acquired from: Baldwin Park Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 4, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family:
Fans: Diana Kilkenny

Kodiak

Acquired from: Baldwin Park Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: October 4, 2020
Date of Passing: February 26th, 2021
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: Amy T., Angelique Riordan
Tribute: On February 26th, we fulfilled our promise to Frosted Face Kodiak.

Kodiak was surrendered to the shelter by his lifelong family. We are willing to wager that they saw his mobility declining and his snappiness out of frustration was not tolerated.... but who knows?

Kodiak had a wobbly back end and sometimes had trouble finding his feet. Once he was up, he was up though!

Some were surprised we labelled him as "hospice" initially because he seemed to full of life, but we have seen Kodiak's condition time and time again, and we weren't going to have him miss any great moments by downplaying the inevitable.

We moved him into the FFF lobby, fitted him in a Help Em Up Harness, and dressed him in Buzby Toe Grips so he would not slip on the floors.

Kodiak was always agreeable with all of the other Frosted Faces and liked to people watch. He really like the FFF hikes. The first few weeks he was able to hike, and as he declined, he enjoyed wagon rides just as much. Oh, but don't put him in a vehicle! He barked and pooped, and barked some more!

He ate his meds like a good boy, and we tried NSAIDS to steroids to keep him on his feet. Although Kodiak was never chosen for a family, he lucked out in other ways having willing handlers to assist him, and getting laser therapy and acupuncture on-site.

Kodiak had a girlfriend named Lexi who gave him a Frosted Fling and continued to visit him weekly to take him on dates at the park. When we hired Lexi as one of our new Kennel Managers here at FFF, Kodiak had reservations about her mixing work with pleasure, but it only made their relationship stronger. In the last two weeks of Kodiak's life Lexi took him home where he walked more easily on carpet ate scraps, and gravitated toward guitar practice. He still came to work at FFF to see all of his volunteers.

We reached a point where the max amount of steroids kept him at his best, but it was affecting his other organs. Kodiak's ailments seem to come to a head at the same time, as just last week he lost all mobility and was he was in liver failure.

We had a quiet bonfire to say goodbye, and the next day Lexi let her boy go on ahead. Not a dry eye in the house, even Dr. Hasak cried.

To the best bear, we loved you.

Lyca

Acquired from: Baldwin Park Shelter
Age upon Rescue:10
Date of Rescue: October 4, 2020
Date of Passing: October 28th, 2020
Family: Carly Henek
Fans: Lisa Knuth, Robin B.
Tribute: On October 28th we fulfilled our promise to Lyca.

We rescued Lyca from Baldwin Park Shelter just four weeks ago. She was quite painful and had some odd masses that didn't lend themselves to a straight forward surgery- but we tried because they seemed uncomfortable. We also did a splenectomy because she had a splenic mass. The biopsy of the splenic mass was benign, but the other masses we removed were mammary adenocarcinomas that had spread to the lymph nodes. Lyca was painful but doing well post surgery, even counter surfing!

She had multiple rechecks in the last two weeks because something was not quite right. Her temperature was low, she wasn't using a front leg on some days, and then finally on Wednesday her body just completely refused the surgery. She had blood pouring out of her incisions and her surgery sites were swollen three times greater than even the masses we removed prior to surgery. We couldn't clean her up and send her home on meds, and even more surgery didn't seem sensible. I had the opportunity to FaceTime the vet and Lyca, and there was absolutely no question Lyca's body was all done. I feel so sad for her spirit, because she loved humans and her new life. She would've stayed..

Thank you to Carly for choosing Lyca and being so patient during incredible trials to keep her comfortable.

Her mom shares, "In the short time I got to spend with her, she was the ultimate gentle giant. She thought everyone on the street was waiting to pet her, and tried to sit in laps if the opportunity arose. She preferred to be hand fed and she would take the kibble ever so gently. Even bones were best enjoyed in Mom's lap. I know she was in pain, but whenever she could she would follow me around. She wanted to be with me and as much as I wanted to be with her."

Henry

Acquired from: Baldwin Park Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: October 4, 2020
Date of Passing: September 16th, 2021
Family: Monica Aguirre
Fans: The Morehouse Family, Richard Leighton Dixon
Tribute: On September 16th Barbara fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Coco.

About 6 months ago Coco had a large mast cell develop on her thigh. Her bloodwork only showed an elevated SDMA so we went after it. Unfortunately we had to amputate her leg because of how deep the mass was, but Miss Coco rallied and went on living!

Barbara shared,

"Coco was doing very well after her surgery and I thought everything was behind us, but the tumor came up suddenly and the vet felt it was in a lymph node in her groin. She literally went from happy and active to unbearably sick within 3 days. It broke my heart.

She was the love of my life, quiet, sweet spirited, and always wanted to snuggle. I'm devastated, I miss her every minute of every day. She was my best friend! I have missed her terribly!

Thanks again for your wonderful help! I intend to get another baby after I recover from Coco."

Family: Barbara & Heather Clark

Fan: Kelly

Facts: Coco was 10 years old and was rescued from San Diego Humane Society on October 24th, 2020.

Kona

Acquired from: Baldwin Park Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: October 4, 2020
Date of Passing: January 10, 2023
Family: Walter Hill
Fans: Deanna, Richard Leighton Dixon

Tribute: Walter fulfilled his promise to Frosted Face Kona.

Kona was having trouble staying standing and it was difficult to manage her pain. This decision is so hard when a dog's mind is bright, but body is failing and it's tough to give them dignity.

Walter relayed, "Kona always waited for me, looking out the window when I would leave for an errand. On days when she had a hard time standing and getting to my bedroom, I would sleep on the floor with her in the livingroom!"

Toby

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society-Oceanside
Age upon Rescue: 19
Date of Rescue: October 5, 2020
Date of Passing: November 5th, 2020
Family: John Severin
Fans: Emily & Janice, Rhonda Pierce Moreno, J C , Christina Orlovsky, Karen Kahue
Tribute: On November 5th we fulfilled our promise to Toby.

Recall that Toby was in end stage kidney failure and had a 4cm splenic mass upon placement. She suffered a a mental change early last week that seemed a like a vestibular episode or stroke. She was crying inconsolably, turning circles until she couldn't stand, and was not eating. Standard treatments for one week were not working and we had to decide, what type of quality are we trying to buy back.

John shares,

"With a heavy heart I have to let you know that Toby passed over the rainbow bridge last night. I was hoping the extra treatments from the vet would help, but she actually got worse. While it’s always a difficult decision, it was clear it was the right one. I will be burying her underneath a fig tree in my backyard that she liked to lie under.

Nixie is doing great, though she started looking for Toby when she realized she wasn’t there, searching every room and the backyard multiple time, clearly stressed. It was heart breaking, but there was nothing I could do but hold her the rest of the night.

Thank you so much for bringing Toby into my life, even if for such a brief time. She was a sweetheart, and will be missed. I will keep you updated on Nixie."

Nixie

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society-Oceanside
Age upon Rescue: 17
Date of Rescue: October 5, 2020
Date of Passing: August 17th, 2o21
Family: John Severin
Fans: Emily & Janice, J C, Neal Polister
Tribute: On August 17th, John fulfilled his promise to Frosted Face Nixie.

John shared, "With a sad heart I have to let you know that Nixie passed away this morning. As you know, a few months ago she suffered a stroke and while she did recover, she never fully recovered and never was the same. She became blind, and lost much of her energy and enthusiasm. She slept far more, close to 20 hours a day, and had no desire to go to the park or do much of anything. But she was happy at home, especially in her back yard, and was quite strong through it all. She continued to have strokes, I lost count but it was over two dozen, and bounced back after each one, but each one took a little more out of her. The vet said there wasn’t much that could be done, except help her be comfortable when recovered from them. These last two weeks, she was struggling mightily, but she put up a powerful fight. Last night she suffered another stroke and never bounced back, passing away early this morning in her bed, so she is now at peace, buried next to her sister in my backyard.

I want to thank you for the wonderful gift of Nixie being a part of my life during these nine months, she was pure joy and love. I will miss her so much, a testament to the love she gave. She was a very special, very spoiled, lol, and very funny dog, which made me love her all the more.

It takes me awhile to bounce back myself from a loss like this, but I will be interested in another dog eventually, and I will let you know when. Again thank you for all you do, you guys are the best."

Blu

Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society-Escondido
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: October 6, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Erika Rangel & Jose Espinosanava
Fans: Erica Kufahl

Bosley

Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 7, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Mollie & Jon Carter
Fans: Andrea Cvitkovich

Gracie

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 10, 2020
Date of Passing: March 26, 2023
Family: Julia & Matt Logie
Fans: Angela

Tribute: On March 26th, Matt and Julia fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Gracie.

They shared,

“Gracie was an incredible gift to our entire family and we miss her terribly. Gracie brought so much joy to our lives-her snuggles, her dancing when she was excited to see us or when it was dinner time, her fierce loyalty to us, and the fact that despite that she was almost completely blind and deaf, she still ruled the roost and our other dogs, though much larger and younger, respected the fact that she was queen bee. Although we are feeling a deep sadness that she is gone, the happiness that she brought to our family and hopefully the happiness we were able to give to her, makes it all more than worth it- we are incredibly grateful to Frosted Faces for being the “fate” that put Gracie in our lives."

Baylie

Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: October 10, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Devon Matier
Fans: Deb Barnes

Wolfie

Acquired from: Lancaster Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: October 10, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Debbie Bard
Fans: Jen

Sophia

Acquired from: Lancaster Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 10, 2020
Date of Passing:
Family: Debbie Bard
Fans: Jen

WhiskeyGirl

Acquired from: OC Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 13, 2020
Date of Passing: June 30, 2022
Family: Angie & TJ Ohr
Fans: Marilyn Golisch

Tribute: On June 30th, Angie and TJ fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face WhiskeyGirl.

They initially battled terrible separation anxiety, but Whiskey came to understand no one was ever going to leave her behind again. In the end, Whiskey could no longer walk. They tried medications and even a wheelchair for awhile, but they could not keep her comfortable with dignity.

Angie shared,

"After continued declining health and mobility she just wasn't herself anymore, and quality of life wasn't there. We made many cherished memories with her over the last year and 8 months, and miss her tons. Thanks for trusting us to love and care for her."