Memorials

No longer at our feet, forever in our hearts.

Raven's Story

An RDBR officer made the trip to pick up five boxers that were being surrendered from a puppy mill in Kansas. There were several other boxers that went to other boxer rescues throughout the USA included in this massive transport. One by one the boxers were loaded into their crates and off they went to meet all the other volunteers waiting at the vet clinic for their arrival.

All were scared to death and clearly lacked the love and attention that a boxer needs to thrive and be happy. At least you could tell that they had been fed well. In fact one was a little overweight. Out of all the boxer girls, Raven was the most timid and shy. She was certainly scared out of her mind.

After being held at the vet’s office waiting for her new foster mom to return from a trip, she was able to go into foster care. Her foster mom gave us an update and told us that Raven would not eat, drink or step foot outside to potty. We were all very concerned for Raven.

While in foster care Raven managed to escape out into the world. The dangers were everywhere and we knew that we had to act fast and find her. After a brief panic attack (had by all) we jumped into action. All our volunteers made hundreds of phone calls. Kelly made flyers and posted them everywhere. Nancy and Kelly returned everyday to check the flyers and make sure they where still there. We had several tipsters call and say they had seen Raven in the exact location where she had escaped. It would always be around midnight to two o’clock in the morning. We returned day after day and still no sign of Raven. She would not come to anyone even when they did see her. She ran like she had never had human contact.

We finally got the call on October 31st that Raven was found…it was not what we had hoped for…she was gone. Tragically struck by a passerby on her way back to her safe place…the field behind the apartment complex where everyone had been tirelessly looking for her. Raven was finally free…. Free of the demons that tortured her mind. Six years of her life she gave to remain in a puppy mill and give her body over and over again just to make the pockets of a selfish person a little heavier. Raven clearly never had the loving, kind, and caring home that all dogs deserve. Raven is finally free, unchained and running free at the bridge. Run free baby girl, you gave your life to please others…now rest sweet child. The pain is no more.

Godspeed Sweet Raven…

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Memorial Fund

Krull's Story

Moving isn't fun for anyone...but we bought our first house so as frustrating as it was, I was so excited at the same time. This house is perfect for us. And perfect for Cohen and Krull because of the huge fenced backyard.
When I got back to the new house from picking up beer, pizza and wings for the guys who helped us move...I heard Krull's collar jingle as he ran towards the fence.
About an hour later when we were all done unloading the U-haul, Ryan and I went outside to get him. After calling him we realized that he must have somehow got out so we starting shouting his name, and within a minute, heard a loud bang and someone slam on their brakes.
I knew it was him...I just knew it, I don't know how but I knew...and I ran across the backyard, hopped the fence to the street behind us and screamed, did you just hit a dog. Of course he said yes...as soon as I realized it was Krull I began sobbing. He lay there on the ground not moving a bit...I could see the bone in his leg, and he was bleeding from the nose and mouth.
At the same time that I ran across the backyard, Ryan had hopped into the car and drove around the block to meet me. He was just as upset when he saw him as I was. We didn't want to move him because we weren't sure how bad he was hurt, especially since he wasn't moving his head. He was awake though, and breathing.
Someone had called the police, so they showed up and told us where the nearest animal hospital was. Ryan decided he should drive Krull there....and he even tried to get up to get into the car on his own.
That left me to go back to the house to let the guys leave, and put Cohen to bed. I had no phone, no source of communication at all, except for my 3 year old son. I tried to explain to Cohen what had happened and that he had to go to bed, but of course he didn't want to until "Krull gets home prum da doctors".
I kept thinking that it didn't look at that bad, and that he would probably need surgery on his leg or something.
Ryan got back about an hour and a half later, and I could tell when he pulled into the drive way that he had bad news. The vet had told him that Krull has no feeling in his one leg and that the trauma to his head was so severe that she doubted he would make it even with surgery. We had to make the painful decision to put him to sleep. I got Cohen up and we went to go see him one last time.
When I went into the room where he was, he had his head up and looked excited to see me. He had to lay it back down almost immediately though because it must have hurt him. He had road rash all over his body, especially his head. He was on painkillers thankfully, so I got to lay down and hug him for a while before it was time. We did our best to explain to Cohen what had happened, and what was about to happen.

I didn't want to say good bye. 

They told us to knock on the door when we were ready, but I wasn't ready. I didn't want to knock.We had gotten Krull one year earlier from Elisha with the Tulsa Boxer Rescue. We weren't entirely sure what had happened to him when we got him, but we do know that he came from a puppy mill.  He was skinny, and scared of everything that moved. He was crate trained, and every time someone knocked at the door, the doorbell rang, or the phone rang, he ran to his "safe haven".
He came such a long way in this last year. He had gotten to know all of our friends and didn't hide the entire time they were over. He LOVED playing with other dogs, even my parents and sister's annoying yappy little dogs. We even could walk him without having to worry he would back out of his collar like he did the very first time we walked him.
He had come such a long way...he was a completely different dog then when we got him. He was a part of our family. I trusted him to be alone with Cohen, without a single bit of doubt in my mind. All of the neighbor kids LOVED him and even drew pictures of him. We had got to the point where I would leave him on his own to roam the house when I was at work. And when we didn't let him hog the bed, I didn't have to put him in his kennel anymore.
After about half an hour of explaining to Cohen what was happening, crying, and hugging that perfect dog...Ryan knocked on the door. We decided we all wanted to be present when the vet put him to sleep. And then we spent another 5 minutes with him.
I don't know how some people can have that "its just a dog" mentality. Well, those people don't usually have dogs, or shouldn't anyways...but I am so sad right now. I was so happy to have this big backyard for Krull to run around in. I had been having these wonderful dreams of Ryan working in his garage, Cohen on the grass playing, and me lying on the porch with a magazine and Krull by my side.
I love that dog, and I will never forget him. Why did this have to happen to him? He had such a rotten start in life life, and one year with us was not enough to make up for the time before us. I want to be happy about our new home, but all I can think of is how I can't hear the scratches of his paws on the tile floor in the kitchen. I can't bear to put away his food dish yet.
We are having him cremated, and expect his ashes back in a week. Ryan wants to spread them over the dog park, but I want to keep them. I want to keep him with us all the time.
I know its inevitable, but I hope that no one reading this ever has to go through what we've been through these last couple of days. It's just awful.
I love you Krull buddy!!

Jennie

 

Why We Do... What We Do

Red Dirt Boxer Rescue is a group of dedicated individuals who have made it their mission to find safe, loving homes for homeless or displaced boxers located throughout the State of Oklahoma.