Since 2008, our 160+ volunteers have helped us place over 90 Great Danes into their forever homes.

UMGDR Danes

The Great Danes memorialized on this page once were fosters with UMGDR. Do you know of a UMGDR Dane you would like to memorialize, find out how.

Max – March 2010

“Doing intake for a rescue gives you the chance to see dogs from all different places in their lives. On March 15, 2010 I spoke with a family who needed to surrender their Dane who had been urinating blood that they had had for 5 months and were unable to care for. Something inside me told me he couldn’t wait the traditional amount of time to move to a foster home so with the help of another wonderful volunteer Max was picked up and transported to an Emergency vet hospital. Knowing the outcome might not be good we decided to hop in the car and meet Max and other volunteer there. Max walked, tail wagging from the car into the hospital. For a 10 year old man he got around amazingly well and was such a great guy. Upon being examined it was determined Max had a great deal of problem on top of the urinating blood. It as decided that an xray would be done to make sure what the vet was feeling was indeed there. The xray did not show anything positive for Max. He had a bladder three times its normal size, and revealed two masses. All the money in the world would not have saved Max and putting a senior gentleman through such surgeries would not have been fair either. We decided that it was time to let Max go to the bridge and be free of pain. Laying on a pile of soft blankets, eating tons of treats, and surrounded by 3 UMGDR volunteers and one amazing vet Max left the world that he had to have thought was a horrible place. This beautiful creature was never treated the way a dog should be treated. He was never given the vet care he so desperately needed and when his health diminished he was not set free of his pain but instead left to suffer.
Preliminary autopsy results showed Max had cysts on prostate, a mass in his bladder, a mass on his spleen most likely metastasis from the mass in the right oracle of his heart. On top of the possible 2 types of cancer (which will be verified in a few weeks) Max had heart worm for who knows how long. While the decision to let max go was a terrible one to make and not one made without some serious thought it is evident it was he best thing for Max.
While we only knew Max for 3 or so hours he touched our lives. He was a strong dog who never showed he was hurting. He wagged his tail and showed us he was thankful to us for trying to help him and when there was nothing we could do he had to have been thankful we could make the unselfish choice to let him go. If the love in that room surrounding Max could have saved him he would have lived forever. Rescue is not always a fun or easy thing to do but it is always about the dogs and what is best for them. I pray Max knows he was loved even if it was for such a short time. He is now healthy, free of pain, and enjoying life at the bridge. Max’s remains will join those of all the dogs that have gone before him and a memorial stone will be placed in our flower garden to honor him. Below is a poem I found that I believe depicts Max’s life. While sad, I do help the final verse is what he felt about us.

No more lonely cold nights or hearing that I’m bad
No more growling belly from the meals I never had
No more scorching sunshine with a water bowl that’s dry
No more complaining neighbors about the noise when I cry.
No more hearing “shut up”, “get down” or “get out of here”!
No more feeling disliked, only peace is in the air.
Euthanasia is a blessing, though some still can’t see
why I was ever born If I weren’t meant to be.
My last day of living was the best I ever had.
Someone held me very close, I could see she was very sad.
I kissed the lady’s face, and she hugged me as she cried.
I wagged my tail to thank her, then I closed my eyes and died.
Godspeed Max – we will never forget you

Athena – March 2010

It breaks my heart to have to tell you that my sweet Athena had to be put to sleep last night. I held her, stroking her and telling her how much I loved her as she went peacefully. It was important to me that I be with her and she not be alone, even though it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. My vet was also near tears…she was dearly loved by everyone in the short time we had with her. I so wanted her to have a long happy life in a loving home. I am so sad that she did not get to see spring arrive and go on the long walks we planned. I’m sure everyone feels this way, but I cannot imagine there could be a sweeter, gentler and better behaved dog than she was.

According to my vet, she appeared to be suffering from decreased nerve impulses to her jaw and tongue, which then appeared to be spreading, most likely the trigeminal cranial nerve. He spent a day putting her through diagnostic tests and consulting with a neurologist. We were unable to keep her hydrated and her ability to eat also began to deteriorate. They believe reasons could be immune mediated disease, degenerative disease, or neoplasia (cancer), but because the prognosis was not good, did not want to put her through a CT scan at the U of M.

I appreciate all that you did to help me spend the special time I was allowed with her, and all that you all do for these wonderful dogs. Thank you again so much.

Angel – August 2009

“Angel truly is an Angel now.” People keep telling me that once they hear the news about her death. What they don’t know is that she was an Angel before she passed. She touched so many lives in the short time that she was with us that it is difficult not to think of her as an Angel. My favorite part about Angel was that she took everything in stride. Pain, neglect, cruelty and illness never kept her from living her life, she rolled with the punches. She was the sweetest dog and she had every reason not to be.

I don’t regret a single moment or decision when it comes to Angel. There were people at the beginning telling us to put her down, there was no saving her, or that it was too much money to spend on a foster. Those people clearly never met Angel, otherwise they would have thought differently. In the end they were right, we couldn’t save her. But our combined efforts allowed her to have the best 4 months of her life and what dog doesn’t deserve to know what it’s like to be fed everyday, allowed access to water, a kind hand to pet them or a couch to lay on? I will never forget the first time that she ran full speed in our backyard after about a month of recovery. I was so happy to see her so happy that it brought tears to my eyes, how could anyone deny such a wonderful thing to such a compassionate dog?

The biggest lesson that Angel taught us is that yes, you can’t save them all, but it is worth it to try.