Featured Dane
Abbie is our featured, adoptable Great Dane. She is a 6 month old, white, female.
Interested in Abbie? For more information, view her profile.
Friends Danes
The Danes memorialized on this page are those of UMGDR friends, volunteers, and supporters. Do you have a Great Dane you would like to memorialize, find out how.
Centaur
I was privileged to be Centaur’s dog walker. He was the biggest dog I had ever seen and he wore it well. I’ll never forget introducing him to my 13-pound dog. Centaur was knocked on his butt when he realized she was in charge. He was a joy to walk and sit on the couch with. I’ll cherish my memories of him.
Dempsey Duke
He was the most sensitive, sweetest, and gentle “giant” we ever met. He was such a “goofy” puppy until he grew into all his parts. We also have a St Bernard that we got at the same time. They were exactly 2 weeks apart in age and we got them at 10 and 12 weeks. They grew up together but had very distinct personalities. Dempsey would come over and nestle his head in your lap to be petted or just lean up against you to know he was there where the Saint would just clod into you lap like he thought he was a chihuahua. He had a special way of making you smile even if you were having the worst day ever. Then the unfortunate evening of March 3, 2010 (which happened to be our St Bernard’s 3rd Birthday – Dempsey turned 3 Feb 17th)he was having some stomach problems so we took him to the emergency clinic to have him looked at. We would have spent our life savings making him well however they wanted that before they could even “begin to diagnose” his problem. We decided it best to wait and bring him to our regular vet first thing the next morning. Our vet suggested exploratory surgery to see what the mass was in his stomach. We hoped for the best thinking maybe he just swallowed something which, in the back of our minds we knew wasn’t the case since we are very careful about not leaving things out for them to get in. We arrived back at the office just before the surgery and it wasn’t long before the vet came out and by the look on his face we knew instantly he did not have good news. He had 2 large tumors in his stomach and one beginning to form on the underside of his spine. The vet said if it had been one he would remove it and we could hope for the best unfortunately it was 3 and if removed it was only a matter of time before there were more. So we knew what we had to do and with heavy saddened hearts we sent him to the bridge. He will never be forgotten and will live in our hearts forever.
Dakota
I lost my best friend unexpectedly and way too early to mesenteric torsion at the age of 5. Dakota was an incredibly handsome and majestic blue dane with a personality that made everyone smile. His spirit, love for life, and goofiness will never be forgotten. Dakota overcame a lot in his 5 years with me, and truly was the most amazing best friend that anyone could ask for. Although I know he is watching over me, I will greatly miss him for the rest of my life.
Maggie
Maggie was our first Dane, and we fell in love with both her and the breed immediately! She was a 3-yr old owner surrender. I stumbled across her at our local city-owned shelter while there helping to start up a new volunteer program. Sue had talked several times about loving the looks of Harlequin Danes. And, there was Maggie with no warning and available for adoption. After she bounded out of her kennel and leaned on me, it was love at first sight and the rest is history.
Maggie never seemed lost, or withdrawn. Maggie had a huge personality and “attitude”–she would not let you forget she was in the room. Whenever we were at the computer or the dinner table, in short order Maggie would be there forcing her big head up under one arm or the other and standing there looking at our work, almost like she was evaluating us. It was hard to tell who was training who sometimes. One day she uttered her low growl as if to say she needed to go outside as usual. As I got out of my lounge chair to get the door she trotted past and bounded up in my chair, leaving me feeling rather silly…..
After 3 wonderful years with Maggie she contracted lymphoma. She was always more like a family member than a pet so there was never any doubt–we followed the “Madison protocol” of chemotherapy. 5 months of remission gave us hope, but she came crashing down in early November of ‘09. As she declined it was obvious what we must do, but still the hardest decision we have made in our entire lives. We still miss her deeply and sometimes it feels like her large presence is still here…… Maggie taught us how to love Danes, which led us to the UMGDR website within a couple weeks of her death. On December 5, 2009, we adopted our 2nd beautiful girl–Ginger–and the large hole that had been in our home soon felt much smaller. Nothing will completely replace her, but we are sure Maggie would have approved of our choice.
Wilbur
Wilbur was a black great dane that was born with megaesophagus. It was a rough start from the beginning and you could tell by the way he looked at you that he knew he was sick, but wasnt going to give up. The vets gave him 4 months to live, but after building a baily chair and doing meds with a good diet we made it to 8 months until his stomach flipped inside out. He had more will to live than any human or dog I have ever seen. He would frequently he the blender start up and run to the kitchen no matter how weak he was. He would give you a look like “its okay mom and dad” He would cuddle all the time and get jealous any time we would give attention to our other dog. When we lost him, it was the saddest day ever but he looked at us not like he was sick but like he was sad because he could see we were hurting for him. We will always miss him and there will never be a dog as courageous and strong willed as Wilbur. His AKC name was “Where there’s a Wil there’s a Way”
Iggy
Last night I lost my angel of a Great Dane. He was the most beautiful brindle I have ever seen. He had ears that were so big he could probably fly and feet that could only show how big he would have been. He was only 9 months old and he had always struggled to gain weight, we were in and out of the vet clinic his whole life but had no real answers to his dilemmas. On August 28th, 2009 Patron started seizing and wouldn’t stop, so we ran to the e-clinic where they had speculations but no answers still. Early on August 29th he died and I don’t know how another dog will ever be able to compete with him. I am very sad but I want him to be remembered for his beauty and elegance. He would have been the most majestic Great Dane.
Haley
In memory of Haley of Viroqua, WI, the “greatest” Great Dane there ever was.