In Memoriam

August 21, 2019 Recess4Rover sends our deepest condolences today to Ruth and Robert Reynolds in the death of their precious pug, Lucy. Lucy was almost 18 years old, and even though she has been in a wheelchair for the last several years, feisty Lucy always was the top dog among her other siblings, Oscar and Jack. We will all miss our sweet Lucy! Run free!!

September 23, 2019 Our hearts are so sad today upon hearing of the death of our Puppy Love. She was one of our first clients here at Recess4Rover, always waiting at the front door for her walk, walking with such energy and zest for life despite her age, always happy and loving! Puppy Love was well named! We will be taking a “memorial walk” around the area she loved so much, stopping at her favorite neighbors’ homes, the creek, and at our favorite “rest spot” where she would take a water break. Walks will never be the same without Puppy Love. We will miss her so!

December 8, 2019 It is with the saddest of hearts that we announce the passing of Ringo, sweet Miniature Pinscher pup of Sabrina Keating and brother to Marley. I could write a book on this precious one. I remember the first time I met Ringo, walking with Mom and Marley at the Riverwalk. I was immediately drawn to him, as we at one time had a Min Pin, and they have always fascinated me. I don’t even think I spoke to Sabrina for a few minutes, just to her dogs, and that began our association almost two years ago. We started walking and caring for Ringo and Marley soon after, and we will be forever grateful for our friendship with this wonderful family! Ringo was the perfect gentleman- he always let Marley eat first, decide which path to take on our walks, and he always let Marley get “first loving”. Ringo was a special boy, and we already miss him so much. It was our honor to be with Ringo as he passed over The Rainbow Bridge this week. Rest well, sweet Ringo! You are so loved.

January 13, 2020. We at Recess4Rover received such sad news that our sweet Rosie died peacefully over the holidays. Rosie was such an inspiration! She was a 13-15 year old Shar-Pei mix, mostly blind and deaf. Rosie loved going on slow walks around her beautiful neighborhood. Pet parents, Mary Nelson and Mort Jordan, are champions of pet adoption, and they have loved this precious girl for all of her adopted life! Rest In Peace, Rosie! You will be missed!

Today, March 25, 2020, is a sad day as we say goodbye to sweet Max. Max and little sister, Penny, were two of our first pups at R4R, and we absolutely loved the days we got to go over and walk them. I remember Max as one of the most patient pups as he lovingly tolerated puppy Penny's fun, energetic attempts at playing with him. Max was loving, gentle, thankful, and the perfect pet! Thank you, Lauren and Will Humber, for rescuing him so many years ago, and for giving him the best life! Rest In Peace, sweet Max!

July 16, 2020 It is with such sadness that we let everyone know of the death of precious Olive this week, longtime Recess4Rover family member. Olive was almost 15 years old, and he lived a very fulfilling and happy life with Mom, Grace Lee. Many years ago, Grace rescued Olive, or should we say that Olive rescued Grace? Either way, it was a wonderful story of love, togetherness, and a special partnership that will be hard to duplicate. Both David and Tina had the pleasure of walking Olive (which is unusual because mainly we walk "our own" dogs), so we both have the perspective of Olive always being ready for his walk, even as it got harder for him. We would gently coax him a bit with treats, which worked every time! Olive was the perfect gentleman when we got back to his house as he would go right back in his homey crate which had a bed, water, and food ready for him! What a great life Olive lived, and how we will miss him in our daily lineup! Rest well, sweet Olive! We'll love you forever!!

July 23, 2020 It is with such sadness that we at Recess4Rover announce the passing of one of our sweetest pups, Bruce Trice. Bruce was first loved by Amy Trice's parents. They adopted him at 5 years of age, and he even lived with them at Pine Valley Retirement Community. After Amy's parents died, Bruce came to live with her. He and his brother, Rufus, (nicknamed Brufus by us) loved one another so much. They had the best life, living with Amy for a while at Hot Diggity Doggie Camp, which Amy owned, and then at Fairmont Woods, where she lives now. What a great life Bruce lived! He was such an easygoing boy and an absolutely great dog! Amy said that he always loved it when he saw David drive down their long road that led to their home. He loved his walks! He will be missed for sure. We love you forever, Bruce!

March 17, 2021 It is with such sadness that we let our Recess4Rover family know of the passing of Sophie Sandlin, who died today of lymphoma. Sophie just turned 8 years old and was always so fun and loved chasing her tennis ball or frisbee. And of course she loved her daily walks with Mr. David! We know that canine sister, Gracie, is missing her today and everyday, and her sweet family is grieving their loss of her big time. We’ll see you again, Sophie, over the rainbow bridge!

May 10, 2021 Rest In Peace, Sophie! When we would first arrive at Sophie’s home, this beautiful 5 pound girl would often times be a force to be reckoned with- until she realized that we were there to take her outside and give her some lovin’! At age 19, Sophie was really such a sweet girl who loved her midday visits complete with lots of lap time. We sure love what we do at Recess4Rover, but this part of our job is the hardest- saying goodbye to the pups that we have grown to love so much just as our own. However, we believe that one day all of the precious pups we have once loved will come running toward us on the other side of The Rainbow Bridge! And Sophie- we’ll be looking for you!

Today, September 2, 2021, we remember 14 year old Allie Jo, who was Liz Cook’s lifelong faithful companion. Allie Jo was the most beautiful Shetland Sheepdog, she loved french fries and of course her walks! Allie Jo was one of those pups who welcomed new pups and new family members gracefully and lovingly into her home. We will surely miss this sweet and loving member of our Recess4Rover family.

This week we learned of the death of this precious soul. Today we remember sweet Kirby, a well behaved, easy going boxer mix belonging to Kate and Korey Harris. We didn’t get to see Kirby as much as we would have liked, but each time we went over there, Kirby was the best! He was loved by his whole family and fought cancer to the very end. We’ll miss you, sweet boy and will always remember you!

November 15, 2021 99% of the days being a dog walker (and dog lover) is so joy- filled, positive, and absolutely wonderful. But every once in a while comes a day that is so so painful. This is one of them. Today, Bentley crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and we join her parents, Liz and Joanna Cook, in the grieving process. What a beautiful, fun pup Bentley was- so patient, so playful, so loved. David and I were able to visit with her and say goodbye on Friday, and for that we are so very thankful.

December 12, 2021 Not every person understands the what the love of a pet means to us. Their unconditional love, the way they trust us to care for them. the companionship, the daily schedule of traditions and expectations- dogs make our life that much sweeter! Today we lost one of our originals, Lucy Miers, the absolute best and happiest dog you could ever know! Lucy will never be forgotten, and she will always be missed. Until we see you again, sweet Lucy!

October 17, 2022. Yesterday, we received the extremely sad news of the death of one of our newest members of the Recess4Rover family, Alexis. We were so honored to walk Alexis for 2 weeks while Mom and Dad were on vacation, and we each bonded with this precious soul “on first walk”. Alexis was everything to pawrents, Ashley and Jason Morehouse, and we feel so sad for both of them. Jason described Alexis as “an amazing part of their family” and “just like a human”. We totally agree! What a wonderful girl!

January 8. 2023 We are so sad to receive the news that our special and much loved boy, Marley, died peacefully in his momma’s arms yesterday. Marley was 14 years old. We began walking him and his brother, Ringo, when he was a young 10 years old. Ringo died 3 years ago, and it took a toll on Marley, we believe. Marley meant the world to us. We kept him at Camp Miller quite often, and we walked him as needed, so we knew him and loved him very well. Marley was quite the love bug- he was the best snuggler, especially while watching the Hallmark channel- I kid you not. And of course we obliged! Marley was an avid bird watcher, and would stand at the base of our bird feeder hoping at least one bird would fly over! Marley loved carrots 🥕! He loved them more than most doggie treats! So we always had loads of cut up carrots ready for his stay with us! When he was healthy, Marley was the fastest walker, and when brother, Ringo, was alive- Marley would always decide which path to take and would always lead the way! We just know that when Marley crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday, brother Ringo was there to greet him, and we also know that Marley led the way over it! We’ll miss you forever, sweet boy! 🌈

November 13, 2022 Today the Recess4Rover family is mourning the loss of one of our special boys. Sam, a 3 year old handsome, sweet, fun golden retriever and service dog to Landon Miller, died unexpectedly after being hit by a pick up truck after Sam got out of the house. We cannot express how terribly upset we have been- I couldn’t even write this memoriam for a couple of days. Sam was Landon’s loyal companion, and they loved each other more than life. Sam was just what Landon needed. Both David and I can recall the times walking Sam around their neighborhood, and neighbors would actually come out of their house to see Sam! He was very popular! The first picture was taken in one of the neighbor’s yards. Sam, we’ll miss you so much, and we’ll never forget you! Landon, we are praying for your comfort as you grieve the loss of your young boy. And people- please slow your butts down while driving!! This was preventable- it should have never happened. And now, there are several of us (Landon in particular) who are grieving for and missing our boy.

February 13, 2023 People sometimes suggest to us that our job is the happiest one in the world! And almost all of the time, we would surely agree….. except on days like these when we get the call to come over to say our last goodbye to our much loved pups. I can’t even call them “clients” as each one is so loved, so treasured, and will be so missed. All of this is certainly true of our precious Bella, sweet pup of Tracy and Steve Welch. Bella and sister, Sophie (who died a little over a year ago) always welcomed us into their homes with such love and excitement, and because our daily time with them was just an outside stay, no walks, I guess you could say that we grew closer to them because of all of the “hands on time”. Bella was such a loved girl who even at our last visit with her (first picture) she was still smiling and loving our visit. That’s the way we want to remember our precious Bella!

April 17, 2023 All of our love and hugs go out to the sweet family of Mai, including fur-sister, Zuzu, and pawrents, Libby and Clark Troyer, in the death of our precious girl! 😢Mai was an absolutely beautiful 11 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was adopted by the Troyers from the streets of London, England! Mai had been suffering from cancer for quite a while, and the dreaded disease finally took its toll. Her dog walkers at Recess4Rover choose to remember our sweet girl like the first picture- running carefree through the tall grasses and enjoying every minute of it! Until we meet again, sweet girl!

October 9, 2023 Oh, this is a hard one. 😢 I truly feel like all of the dogs we work with day in and day out are “our dogs”, so when we lose one to death, it is a deep cut. Fisher died this past Thursday, and I honestly couldn’t even write his memoriam until today. I adored this guy! When I first met Fisher, he was a much loved older black lab at our Humane Society of West Alabama doghouse. He was just one of those pups whom everyone loved, and he loved everyone as well. After seeing Fisher on tv as the Pet of the Week, Sydney Hickman fell in love with him at first sight, and she contacted me and began the adoption process. Yay! Now I got to see him almost everyday! I so loved my walk days with Big Fish and sibling, Rowe. Fisher lived the biggest life with Sydney, her soon to be husband, Patrick, and Rowe. Soon new brother, Chewy, joined the family, and those three pups enjoyed outings to the pool, the lake, and the beach. They had toys galore, and were pampered at doggie day camp, the salon, as well as at home where lots of fun parties were held! I often joked to Sydney that I wanted to be one of their dogs! As Fish’s health declined a few months ago, we all knew it was a matter of time. So many people loved Fisher, as did we at Recess4Rover. Big Fish, we’ll never forget you! May we all live life as joyfully as you did!

November 9, 2023 Rest in Peace, precious Reese! We are so sad to let everyone know of the death of this sweet, diminutive angel. Reese was a 15 year old deaf yorkie, and I loved her so much! Always excited to see me, she would hop down the hall and outside where she carefully explored who had been there and what they had done. Reese loved to get up in my lap for some sweet snuggles after her jaunt around the yard, and then back to bed it was! Her mom and dad were so good to her, and I loved the times when I was called to come over for a play date. We’ll miss you, beautiful girl!

July 20, 2024. Have you ever had a dog that seemed to know when you or a family member needed love, compassion, a physical touch, or just his presence? That was Rufus. This sweet and much loved 15 year old rescue belonged to another sweet and much loved angel, Amy Trice. Amy was the long time founder/owner of Hot Diggity Doggie Camp. Rufus actually first belonged to someone else, who “forgot” to come pick Rufus up after his stay at HDD. 😳 When Amy realized that Rufus was officially abandoned, she knew what she would need to do. You see, Amy’s beloved dad had recently died, and one day while working at camp, something remarkable happened. I’ll let Amy tell it: “I had just lost my Dad and was just sitting in a chair at the dog camp thinking about it all. Rufus came over and climbed in my lap and kept climbing until he reached my shoulder. He turned his head and touched my cheek with his cheek. He knew…. Rufus had empathy.” Needless to say, Rufus became part of Amy’s family that day- lucky dog! Rufus also gave emotional support to Amy’s other dog, Kelly, during thunderstorms and loud noises. Oh that we would all be so lucky to have a Rufus in our life! Rufus crossed the rainbow bridge on Friday, July 19, and we miss him so! 😢 Amy calls him remarkable, empathetic, and one of the most special dogs she has ever known (and she has known A LOT of dogs!) We at Recess4Rover are so very thankful that we got to walk him and love him. Rest in peace, little buddy!

March 1, 2024 Oh Hank, you were such a special boy. Sweet, stately, handsome, loving, and you were certainly loved so much in return. Your Recess4Rover family will miss you terribly. Rest in peace, precious boy. We’ll watch over William and take good care of him for you.

November 10, 2024 t is with great sadness that we let everyone know of the death of one of our liveliest, most fun, and lovable pups, Max Bohannon. It was our great privilege and honor to walk Max and brother, Murphy for almost 5 years until they moved away from Tuscaloosa. Max was always puppy-like: so trusting and energetic, and full of good mischief. We loved walking Max because of the exuberance and the adoration he showed us each and every day. There will never be another Max. All of our love and condolences are sent to Max’s pawrents, Kim and Brad. 🌈

December 7, 2024 It is with such sadness that we say goodbye to our Biggie. Biggie was the much loved 14 year old Maltese who belonged to Mallory and Vince VanZile. He was so lucky to have lived in this family. Biggie was cared for unconditionally, especially toward the end of his life, which is when we began coming over to love on him, take him outside for a potty break, and then spend some great hands on time with him! It was indeed our honor and our pleasure to help Biggie and to help stand in the gap while his parents were at work. We will certainly miss him, and we send all of our love and support to his mom and dad as they grieve his loss. Our pets are our family indeed.