Holly was the second dog I ever rescued. she came from Missouri humane society. at the time I got her she was around 8 weeks old, and weighed 7 pounds. She was very small and thin. It was 2 days before Christmas 2000 and they said if she did not have a home by Christmas eve she would be euthanized. Of course I could not let that happen. When we got into my Bronco I sat her in the passenger

seat, the first thing she did was lay down in my lap. I put her back over but she kept coming back to my lap. As it turned out we drove the entire way from mo. to pa. with her sitting there. she loved human contact, and she was only happy in my lap.

We took her to the vet when we got home and he said other than her weight she seemed ok. All went well for 2 weeks, she gained about 4 pounds and I was happy to have her. Then one morning when she was out to go potty, I noticed something odd. she seemed to be straining terribly to go. When I looked at her back side I could see her intestine hanging out. the vet said she had a prolapsed rectum, surgery would be needed. He did the procedure right away and placed sutures to prevent a reoccurrence. a bland diet was put in place. All went well, and holly was doing good again. She was not gaining weight because of her diet, but she was happy and stable. The sutures were removed 1 week later. after another week we ask about her diet, we wanted her to start gaining weight again. The vet said if she is doing well put her back on regular food. with in 4 hours of her eating her first dog food she had a second prolapsed. This time things were not as good, the tissue had strangulated and did not look as healthy. The surgery was preformed again and she seemed better. We were hopeful that things would be good but we knew they were not. she was starting to pass blood. The vet said this could pass with time. Three days before the sutures were to be removed she had a third prolapsed. This was just too much for her and we contacted the vet to help her to the bridge.

 

Through this all she was just the most special pup I have ever had, even when it was the worst, she would still manage to wag her tail and give me kisses. She still loved human contact. She never lost her spirit right up till the end.

 

This spirit is why I had to find some way to honor her. Even now, almost 2 years later, it has taken me 3 hours to write this small story. My heart is still broken and I grieve terribly for her. some type of memorial would have to be erected, but something that fit her, her love of life. The obvious choice, a Holly Bush. Holly grows wild in Texas and that was were I was coming from when I got Holly. On my next trip I dug up some Holly plants and brought them home. They are now the center of Holly's memorial...and Holly's Wood, along with a dogwood tree and some lovely flowers.

 

I decided that there were a few other dogs that had made a profound impact on me in the last year, They were not mine, but it felt like they were. Gracie, Sarah, and Dotty, the name sakes from 3 Dog Bakery had all passed within the last 14 months so they are remembered in the Wood. A book by their owners had started me thinking about Rescue. Dan Dye, the co-owner of Three Dog has been a good friend and supporter of SPARRO, his dogs will always have a place here.

 

Sirius, the only dog killed in the WTC attack has a special memorial. Sirius' story touched me and all who have heard it. He was a yellow lab, and I am partial to yellow labs.

 

Alexi, a local dog that hundreds of people including myself searched for has a memorial. He was found along a road almost a month after being lost. His family was devastated.

 

Jackson, who bit a ups man accidentally, when he handed Jackson's mom the clipboard. He was just protecting mom. Jackson was euthanized by the ARL the day he was brought in for a simple 10 quarantine. They said it was a miscommunication, but they did not even send the body for rabies testing.

 

Kona........well what can I say.

 

And lastly, our loved seeing eye dog Francie. We had taken her in back in October. We soon realized she would be with us forever, and now she is. She is the only dog actually buried in Holly's Wood. She died June 3 at the age of 15.

 

Holly's Wood is just a place to memorialize a lost pet, not a cemetery, zoning prohibits that. Anyone who would like to have a memorial in Holly's Wood can. It will be a tree or bush of our choosing, a small plaque bearing the name, birth and death date of the pet, and a small inscription. If the person would like to provide a small plaque or marker of their own that would be acceptable, as long as they contacted us for details first. They would also get a photo of the memorial when it is set up. Due to planting seasons it could take up to 6 months before a memorial is planted. The base price will have to be $50 ; that covers the cost of the planting and the marker.

Holly's Memorial at Holly's Woods