Rainbow Bridge

This page is dedicated to those babies that BABR found good homes for, and have now gone to the Rainbow Bridge - where all God's precious creatures go when He calls them home ... may they all be remembered.

In Loving Memory Donations

If you would like to remember your beloved pet by sending us a donation in their name, we would be honored to accept it. When making your donation, please include your dog's name, and send us a letter to tell their story, if you'd like - and feel free to include pictures!

Please click here to see postings of some loving families
that have honored their dogs in this manner - In Memory Of ...

In Loving Memory Stories

If you would like to share the story of your dog's life and passing, feel free to send it in to us - and we will post it here to honor their memory.

To read some touching stories of our rescue dogs that have gone on to the Rainbow Bridge,
please click here - Rainbow Bridge Stories

Visit the Rainbow Bridge Site & Donate

The Rainbow Bridge site is where you can 'lay your baby to rest'. BABR is an affiliate of this site. If you are interested in getting more info or using their services, please use this link ... and BABR will receive a $10 donation! Thank you so much.

Jasmin ID #838 - 11-12-04

I got Jasmin in July of ’01 from BABR and she changed my life. It was 15 years since I had a dog and I didn’t realize how much I missed having one until I got her.

She was a handful when I first got her - very dog aggressive and cautious around people. After I had for a few months I took her to obedience class and she started 3 fights in the first 2 classes. The other owners wanted the instructor to kick her out, but she told them to give her a chance. And at the end of the 8 weeks we had a 5-command competition (sit, sit-stay, heel, come and “leave it” or no) she walked away with 3 First Place, 1 Second Place and 1 Third Place finish! And she walked out of there with her head held high, higher than I ever saw, it like she was saying to the others the hell with you I know who’s the best. The instructor said she didn’t give an award for the most improved dog, but if she did, Jas would get it paws down.

After a lot of socializing she showed me the kind of dog she truly was and she has a very strong maternal instinct - she would let puppies do things that she wouldn’t let older dogs do. And got along with most other dogs. Although she was always leery around men that she met for the first time, she would let them pet her but giving a low growl while they were doing it, after that she was fine with them.

I met the woman I now live with through an online dating service - I had a pic of “Jas” and myself on the ad and her friend told her to check me out. Thanks friend. Lisa has a brother Paul with Down syndrome that lived with her and now lives with us, and Paul and Jasmin fell in love with each other right away. And she was very protective of him. When he was at home alone she would watch out for him staying in his room. Lisa said she felt a lot safer with her around when I’m at work (I worked nights) Jas would come in his room check on him and then check on Lisa then go back to her bed or outside. She would do that about once an hour just to make sure they were all right.

On November 12th she was having some minor surgery and went into Cardiac Arrest. The vet said they tried CPR for 15 minutes but couldn’t bring her back. So she went over the Rainbow Bridge with her little stub wagging because I know that for the past 3 years she had a great life.

I don’t know when I’ll get another dog but there are two things I know for sure ... it will be a Boxer and I will come see BABR first. Thank you BABR for letting me share my life for the past 3+ years with the best dog I ever had - Jasmin!

Robert Bruce

Princess went to sleep on Friday for the last time. She was in wonderful company at the time and she went very easily. I found it remarkably difficult to say goodbye to my little buddy but her time had come. Holding her as her heart stopped beating was the hardest thing I think I've ever done, but I have to believe it was the right thing to do.

Princess lost her eyesight almost three years ago but adapted quickly to the condition. Since then she has experienced a few medical problems, including a rather dramatic seizure a while back. Fortunately none of this impacted her daily life. The last 6 months, however, have seen a gradual loss of Princess's personality as she slowly shed her habit of kissing people, stopped wagging her tail (or should I say her entire body), and became more and more disoriented in even the most familiar environments. The process seemed to accelerate over the past 30 days. It's highly likely that what took her eyesight was in her brain and that it was growing - her hearing and even sense of smell seemed to be on their way out and she was unable to rest for more than a little while before she would get up and pace endlessly, smashing into objects hard enough to cut herself on a few recent occasions.

I am hit with reminders every day of just how much she meant to me. As such, I have assembled a collage of pictures and videos and set it to music as my final farewell to my companion of 6 years.

The music is from a Spanish flamenco group called the Gipsy Kings. Without translating directly, the lyrics are just two repeated phrases. The first is a wonderful metaphor for the manner in which she was adopted - random and yet very fortunate luck. The second states simply that her charm was irresistable.

Princess gave all the love that she could to everyone she knew - even her veterinarian was in tears when we said goodbye that Friday afternoon. I hope that each of you remember Princess fondly as each of you was a part of her life and she loved you all very much -- that is the one thing that, even in her last moments, I'm positive that she never lost.

"Princess"

Cindy,

Very sad news. Our sweet Stella is gone. We are heartbroken. Thank you again for giving her to us. She was such a very very special girl and I cannot believe she is gone.

This is so hard to write.

Mark and I just got back from a Florida vacation last night. Stella was kenneled at our vet's while we were gone. She needed a dental cleaning and gum surgery (she has the condition where the gums overgrow the teeth) and I had canceled it in January when I left town to be with my mom before she died, so we planned to have it done while she was "at camp." Tuesday I called the vet to check on her and she hadn't gone in for the procedure yet. A couple of hours later Dr Curley called to tell me Stella had a problem with the anesthetic and was on life support. And that was it. They had done the usual pre-op blood work and don't use ACE but it happened. She had a mild heart murmur and had been under a number of times for various procedures but this time she couldn't take it.

Stella was such a very special girl. You may already know her story but let me repeat it in honor of her memory. In May of 1998 she was rescued from a horrible situation in the Central Valley here in California. A relative basically "stole" her and another white boxer to take them to rescue. They had been living under a chicken coop. Stella was emaciated and nearly hairless due to severe demodex. She had obviously been bred and her legs were swollen. One eye was crusted. Apparently there was some consideration of putting her down, but rescue angels and a caring vet started treatment. A foster home was sought since due to her condition she needed to be away from other dogs. Mark and I still had no dog since Otisse had died the previous September. We figured when the time came the right dog for us would appear. We heard about Stella on the internet and were lucky enough to be selected to foster her. We were warned we would be shocked when we saw her and we surely were (I know rescue folks have to see such sights way too often, but we had not).

Needless to say we embarked a "failed foster." After a couple of weeks we asked if we could adopt her. She endured the demodex treatment and when she was well enough needed heartworm treatment as well. And then when she got better she went into heat and needed a spay. Throughout everything she had the sweetest disposition. Because she was skin and bones when she arrived of course she was allowed to sleep on the sofa, which thereafter became hers (complete with a "Princess sleeps here" pillow. She was an escape artist who refused to be in the yard by herself, ever. Fortunately, we lucked into two fabulous women who walked her during the day while Mark and I were at work. First Leslie, then Tracy, bestowed so much love on Stella. Tracy almost immediately began taking Stella with other dogs, sometimes as many as 6 together! I could not believe it; our first boxer girl Otisse had been so aggressive such a thing could never have happened. But Stella thrived and with Tracy's help became a better socialized boxer....As long as she was allowed to sit immediately behind Aunt Tracy in her truck. If any other dog dared to take that place, a lot of boxer talkin' occurred.

Stella loved anyone who loved her. She was very gentle with children. Allowed the little girl across the street to walk her up and down the sidewalk. Always ready for a WALK! Loved her mookies, the soft squeaky toys. Flung them up into the air and sometimes onto the fireplace mantel (only broke one thing that way). Her last new one was a red heart with white fur around the edges. Had a sensitive tummy and sometimes vomited when she ate or drank wwater too fast. Got disoriented at night sometimes and peed on the floor before coming to get us up to take her out. Helped me see an incredibly beautiful moon on many nights during 2 a.m. potty trips to the back yard. Whined at cats and tried the play bow on them to no avail. Talked to us when we weren't ready for a walk if she was. Loved to slurp spagetti noddles, lick the ice cream bowl and have juice from the tuna can sprinked in her bowl. Never had enough WALKS!! Enjoyed a little parmesan freshly shaved on her dinner and a little French bread on occasion. Was the star of "Stellavision" which allowed us to watch her snoozing interminably on the sofa while we were at work. Saw the ocean for the first time in July and went crazy with delight. Loved car rides, rolling in the grass snorting withpleasure, spotting squirrels, and staring out the front window waiting for visitors. Kidney beaned big time; practically made a doggie donut. Loved getting and giving kisses. Boxed the leg of anyone not paying enough attention. Hated thunder and baths. Was allowed to go to family holiday dinners because she was a good dog. She was almost 10 and while at the beginning of our relationship we never imagined she would be alive and with us for nearly 4 years, she acted like puppy and we hoped she would set a new record for boxer longevity. Not to be. She sure brought us (and others, too) a whole bundle of joy and will always be in our hearts. Oh, here come the tears again.

Stella bella stella stinky peanut p-nuttiest nutcakes good dog honey bunny bunny rabbit sweetie sweet pea stinky stinky winky estrellita stella wella stellie tella princess miss stella love bug bug bugsy missy my little angel angel dog sofa dog baby girl queen of everything

Debbie Cauble San Jose, CA

Remembering our beloved Stella (July 15, 1992 -- February 26, 2002) (white rescued boxer, cropped ears)