In Loving Memory Of Storm

Storm came into the rescue as a senior back in July of 2017. He was picked up as a stray and taken to a shelter where he waited for his owner to come claim him. We learned that it wasn't the first time Storm wound up at the shelter after getting lost, but this time his owner didn't want him back and relinquished him to the shelter. This is where the California GSP Rescue stepped in, and changed his life for the better.Tony and Katie were repeat adopters. They adopted Luna right about the time we rescued Storm. Luna had some separation anxiety, and they thought the company of  another dog maybe would help. They wanted to give an older dog a home, and thought that a more mild mannered dog would be the best fit for Luna and for them. Storm seemed to be just what they were looking for, and we invited them all out to meet him.Katie and Tony fell in love with Storm’s easy going personality, and his sweetness. He also reminded them of Katie’s parents dog. He and Luna got along great, and felt that he would be a good balance for Luna. It didn’t take them long to decide, and in October of 2017, they brought Storm home to complete their family.We recently received the sad news that Storm passed away from complications of cancer. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts go out to Katie and Tony and Luna for their tremendous loss. We are so very grateful they chose Storm to be a part of their family, as he not only enriched their lives, they also enriched the lives of two dogs in need of a home by choosing to adopt.We asked them to share some words with us about their beloved boy."Our boy Storm has passed. The vet says he most likely had a brain tumor that caused intense cluster seizures, and the seizures just got the best of him. We miss our boy terribly.We originally brought Storm into the family with the hope that he could ease our other GSP’s separation anxiety. And oh he did! Before Storm, Luna could not be alone for 5 minutes. With Storm, she was okay with us being away for hours at a time. He taught Luna to trust Tony and I, to trust that we were coming home. He also taught her how to counter surf for hamburgers, salmon, steak, banana muffins, and even books!He was a total lover, he loved cuddling up on the couch and would kindly remind you with a paw that we should be petting him. He loved going out for walks, playing at dog beach, being around people, and teasing the cat. He loved visiting with the neighbor’s dog Lilly, who became his girlfriend. He loved defending the house from lizards, rabbits, and birds. Storm was always so excited when we came home, he would jump us and give us a hug every time. Tony and I semi-jokingly called him our therapy dog.Storm was only a few weeks away from turning 11. People have wondered why we chose to adopt 2 older dogs. To us, the emotional pain of losing him does not even compare with the joy he brought to our family. We are devastated, but as time goes on, we are less sad and more grateful. We were lucky enough to have 10 wonderful months with Storm. And we would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Our boy taught us so much, he was there with us for our first year of marriage and we will never forget his unconditional love and those beautiful, big brown eyes. And this is why we will continue to adopt rescue pups. To honor Storm and continue his legacy of unconditional love. We are so thankful to the GSP rescue for bringing Storm to us. And so thankful to our friends and family who have been supportive through this tough time."