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Enjoy scrolling through all of our Frosted Face senior animals who have benefit from our mission at Frosted Faces Foundation. They are listed in order of date of rescue, including those that have passed. If you have been following a certain Frosted Face's story and would like to know how he/she is doing, please email us at info@frostedfacesfoundation.org.
Please make note of animals still looking for families do not have anyone listed beside “Family.” View biographies and more photos at Available Frosted Faces, learn more about becoming a family and the different programs we offer. You can also help fund the care of Frosted Faces by registering as their monthly sponsoring Fan.
stella
Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 14, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Jade & Samuel Babbitt
Fans: Wendy Davis, Tina Roese
Ariel
Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 14, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Christine & Jim Hoy
Fans: V. Chin
RADAR
Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue:5
Date of Rescue: October 15, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Debbie & Gary Wolcott
Fans: Johnston Fire & Disaster, Nancy Dagdag
Loki
Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: October 15, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Jennifer Schroeder
Fans: Teri Hummel, Barbara Roblin Mirza
Hubble
Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: October 15, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Marcia & Zachary Gardner
Fans: Larissa Plagge, Casey Young
buddy
Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: October 15, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Catherine Scannell
Fans: Jennifer Stofferahn
zoe
Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 15, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Christine Prince
Fans: J C, Renna
Rizzo
Acquired from: Barstow Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: October 15, 2021
Date of Passing: November 11, 2022
Family: Tami Shead & Steve Augustyn
Fans: Michael Brourman, MM
Tribute: On November 11th, Tami and Steve fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Rizzo.
"On Friday, November 11, FF Rizzo passed away peacefully.
Where do I begin?
She had my heart when she put her chin in my lap at our appointment.
She had non FF Tyrion’s heart the moment she stepped in our yard. He grabbed a toy & kept trying to get her to follow him, which she did.
The first month was the hardest. No lie, I’ve never dealt with CCD in a dog before. Very little sleep with trying to figure out what she was vocalizing for but we finally figured it out.
I will miss her cute noises, her love of plain McDonalds cheeseburger patties, fries, Puppaccinos & gentle kisses on the top of her head."
TUGG
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Courtney Thompson
Fans: Claire Shipman
Braxton
Acquired from:,Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Nancy & Jason Thomas
Fans: Rebecca Holman
Goldie
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Iris Price & Grant Hazel
Fans: In Memory of Lola, Bekka Austin, Crystal & Rosie
Chase
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing: November 17th, 2021
Family: Jo & Rand Reed
Fans: Wilson Family, Denise B., Janine Marr, Jonathan & Ali Alongi, Jenn & Chris, Brenda Barr
Tribute: On November 17th, Rand and Jo fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Chase.
We exited Chase from the shelter and soon after learned he had lymphoma. Jo did not miss a beat offering to be Chase's final family. Action items were keeping him comfortable, feeding him GREAT foods, and letting him play with his toys and new friends for every last good day.
Empathy ran deep for our boy. Chase was THE sweetest dog who appreciated all that the Reeds and FFF volunteers did for him. Every toy was game, every treat would be gobbled, and no scratch would be turned down- he leaned into you and lingered, making you want to hold him into you and never perish. A sweet boy like him would never understand what terrible disease ravaged his body and would steal his life.
His mom shared, "I can't due Chase enough justice. So I am telling you Kelly - we had a hard time with Chases passing - REAL HARD TIME. 11 perfect happy FUN days with Chase and he was easily part of our family. I KNEW his time would be short. When he suddenly stopped carrying a ball around and no longer wanted to go for any car rides, I knew in my mind it was happening.
Took him up to you guys and Dr. R said, "Maybe a bad day - tomorrow might be better." That's all my heart needed to hear, PLUS he walked back to my car. He had needed assistance all day, so we kept his soft harness on. The minute I got home he wouldn't walk without assistance. In my mind and heart I'm thinking he wanted to come HOME.
Tuesday still a bad day, but he ate with assistance needed to walk. Tuesday night he had real bad with diarrhea and was crying to go outside to potty. All night we stayed with him. I have never experienced something this devastating. We called Paws into Grace and finally got a 3:30pm appointment and then he had peace."
Families like the Reeds who adopt hospice dogs are so important to the Frosted Faces. If Chase's story and the love from Jo & Rand move you to act, email us at adopt@frostedfacesfoundation.org to learn how you can be a hospice family. Remember we cover all veterinary expenses for local families and offer supplies and 24/7 support.
amiyah
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing: March 30, 2024
Family: Larry & Patricia Lamb
Fans: Danielle Hartshorn
Tribute: On March 30th, Pat and Larry fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Amiyah.
They shared,
"Little Amiyah so loved so short a time; this has been so hard and I still cry as I try to finish writing this.
It was such a short time 2 years and 3 months was not enough. When adopting a senior dog you never know the length of time you will be honored to have them. When we fell for Amiyah it was a cold December day open house right after Christmas and she was so little and cold shaking out in the littles play yard. We picked her up to make her warm and immediately fell in love with her. Never in my life of our 10 plus dogs throughout our 51 married years then have we ever had a chihuahua. They have been Cocker Spaniels, Cockapoo, Lab mixes, Beagle, Boxer, and Boxer/Shepherd mixes. Who would have thought a CHI. I wanted to take her home with me that day but, there was vetting to be done. It was crazy to us because we are DOG PARENTS and all of our dogs are with us for their lives. So going through a vetting process just seemed so out of sorts. But I went home to do my homework and get it back to Frosted Faces because we knew we had to have her as soon as possible. We were approved and December 29th of 2021 was our adoption day. We picked her up with her instructions on her heart medicine, which was not a new thing for us from one of our previous dogs.
She did not like riding in the car, only if you held her, she would bark and cry if she was in a carrier or a doggie car seat. We arrived home let her check out the house and knew she was going to be the little queen to our little Boston Terrier king. She was so sweet and adapted pretty fast. She knew she was going to be in doggie spoiled heaven. She came to be my dog pretty fast, she liked her new dad but was mom's shadow when I was home, if she was not doing her senior napping. I called her speedy because when she would walk she had a wobbly gait but if she wanted to head to bed she had no problem running down the hall. She was my funny bunny.
When I would go into the office and come home she would know what time it was and would wake up from her nap to come down the hall and do her little dance for me. She was never a fan of being messed with for grooming needs not found of baths but would eventually allow me to do her toenails. She adjusted to the doggie door pretty fast and liked to sit outside the doggie door in the sunshine and bark at the sun or the crows when they would fly by. She would sleep in her little doughnut bed with her bunny or valentine blanket at the foot of our bed at night or when napping during the day. She was really good about going out side and doing her business.
Starting this last February she would have a peeing accident in the house if she could not get outside fast enough when waking up and would have leakage problems on her blanket in her bed, she would take longer to eat and seemed to like sleeping more than coming out to eat, her overall gait was less steady. When she was awake she would pace around the house a lot in large circular patterns. My dog mom instincts said her behavior was not my regular Amiyah. Made an appointment to see Dr. Russell on Good Friday decided to start some meds for her bladder leakage, brought her home and she was back to her pacing she was not into eating and finally got her settled down for bed. We all went to bed for the night and my little sunshine did not wake up. So devastating and such a very short time to have her. Thank you Frosted Faces for rescuing her from the shelter thank you for letting us be her Dog Parents."
Forest
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing: September 8, 2023
Family: Christina Santos
Fans: Carey Nagoda, Melisa Sanchez, Margaret, Christina Alkire
Tribute: On September 8th, Christina fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Forest.
She shared,
"My old man let us know today, Friday the 8th, that it was time. Sunday night he had a grand mal seizure that lasted about 3 minutes and he just never bounced back. He tried fighting for four days, but his body was just too tired.
I remember when I first brought him home for a fling, Kelly gave me the full run down about Forest. She said if he doesn’t eat, that’s when you should worry. Friday, he didn’t want his breakfast sausage he always gets from his nana. He looked at me with those big brown eyes and we both knew.
This old man was sosososo loved. He stole the hearts of so many people from San Diego, to people from the drive across the country, to our families here in Rhode Island. There’s not a single person that met him that didn’t love him with that big head and wonky legs and shoes.
To my boy, this house isn’t the same without you. Who’s going to steal the blankets off of me? Who’s going to push his sisters out of the way for treats? Who’s going to poop in the house every morning right before we go out? Who’s going to trust fall into laps to get more love?
We told you every day to your last breath that you are safe and you are loved. I hope you knew that and felt it every day we spent together. We love you big boy. 💕🌈"
Madison
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing: August 28, 2023
Family: Steve & Areli Boose
Fans: Bailey, Melinda Rinehart, Margaret, JR
Tribute: On August 28th, Ariel and Steve fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Madison.
They shared,
"It is with a broken heart, that on Monday August 28, we had to make the decision to let Madison go. For the past few months, we notice different things that wasn't letting Madison live her best life. I guess, I was in denial.
Madison started to slow down a lot on her walks. She was also not able to stand anymore to eat. Walking more than 30 steps, would have her panting excessively. Recently, Madison was having problems sleeping at night and would have very shallow breathing at times. In the daytime she would sleep until late and pretty much sleep all day. She also started having trouble eating her food and digesting it. Madison had multiple tumors growing including one big one on her back leg. She would bite at them and make them bleed. She had multiple surguries to remove tumors, but they kept coming back faster every time. My heart was saying we can have her live longer, but my mind knew it was time. We went to our vet and she confirmed that it was time to let her go.
We only had Madison a year and eight months, but she really did help me heal from losing my first dog. Madison was sweet and loved to be petted. She would stare at me with such love, it was amazing. Madison followed me around everywhere I went. And if she couldn't get to where I was, she wanted to be in the vicinity. She loved the grass and loved all other dogs and humans. She was a gentle girl. Not a bit of aggression.
It was so painful, but my husband and I were there for her passing. I held her, because I had promised to be with her until the very end.
I love you Madison. You left a healing footprint in my heart, but now I need time to heal from losing you.💔🐾"
Junie
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Catherine Scannell
Fans: Alida Lucas, Kelly, Davis Ike
Blessing
Acquired from: Downey Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing: October 23rd, 2021
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: In Memory of Lola
Tribute: We went to Downey Shelter to rescue some urgent dogs, but couldn't resist the cat building for a looksee.
They actually had more rabbits than cats, which was shocking, but staff took the time to tell me each story of the senior cats in their care. It was Blessing's that moved me. She was adopted from the shelter when she was 3 months old and surrendered back as a 10 year old.
She was sweet and quiet and a classic case of how cats end up in the shelter system. Cats can live a very long time (luckily!) and many don't plan for them through life changes. I didn't choose the dying-est cat, and fully expected to make her well from her recently diagnosed URI and place with a family to cherish her.
Upon arrival at FFF, we clipped up Blessing's bum where she had poop caked on it and Andy gave her a bath. She was concerningly cooperative, but we naively thought we had just chosen a very grateful girl!
We bundled her in bed next to us and felt that she seemed cool to the touch, maybe from the bath? We collared her with a pink collar and flower and snuggled her between in under the covers. Frosted Face Tessa, begrudgingly gave up her spot in our bed that night for her.
As soon as Dr. Russell arrived the next morning we put Blessing in front of him. Her temp was 95 degrees and he ran labs immediately. Her kidney values were sky high and her hematocrit was 5%. They placed a catheter for fluid therapy and started to warm her as he prepared us to make a tough decision knowing our efforts would be in vain.
Within an hour of fluid therapy and waiting for Andy to race back home from work to be with her, Blessing took her last breath all on her own.
How these things work out, I can't tell you. We were so lucky to have been with Blessing on her last night on earth, to have given her the dignity of cleanliness, cuddles, and warmth.
Pawl
Acquired from: Independent Rescuer
Age upon Rescue: 14
Date of Rescue: October 23, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Anna Katzman
Fans: In Memory of CW & Evelyn
Bernie
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 23, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Cheryl Square
Fans: Kim Stroup, The Morehouse Family
Darla
Acquired from: Owner Surrender
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 22, 2021
Date of Passing: December 11th, 2021
Family: Holly Buderus & Kawika Ohumukini
Fans: Donor In Memory of Willow
Tribute: On December 11th, Kawika and Holly fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Darla.
Darla was diagnosed with osteosarcoma just a few weeks ago and we ambitiously wanted to take her o surgery to amputate her leg since she was walking as a tripod anyways! New labs the morning of surgery showed a non-regenerative anemia with a hematocrit of 23% likely as a result of the disease process. We did our best to treat the pain, but as osteosarcomas go- her leg broke and the kind option was to let her go so she would not suffer. We owe Kawika and Holly so much credit for stepping up to be Darla's family when she needed them most, and having the courage to let her go. They did so very much to make up for lost time by cuddling and doing fun activities with her, and we are proud to have them as part of the very special FFF Families squad.
They shared,
"Thank you, Darla, for coming into our family when you did. We are so incredibly grateful to have known you and loved you for the 26 days you were with us. In that time, you made Darla Jean a better dog, teaching her how to share her space with you and stop her anxious pacing. Your former Molly and Me sister even slept with you, and she quickly learned that you would let her know when you were done with your bowl, and she should not try to clean it a minute sooner, or you'd tell her off. You growled when we didn't put you on the couch quickly enough, and you barked at us at 3am when you were hungry. You knew what you wanted and communicated it well. We laughed every single day we had you, because you were pure love and joy.
You came to us on bed rest, and you stared longingly out the window when Darla Jean and I went for walks. When we learned rest would not heal you, we'd raise the leash and ask if you wanted a walk, and you raced to the door and hopped down the sidewalk to stare at the neighbor's giant inflatable snowman.
You were in touch with your inner cat. Oh, how we will miss seeing your eyebrows and ears shoot up when you heard the click of the laser pointer, and you never zipped through the room as fast as you did trying to catch that light.
You found joy in all the little things, but nothing made you happier than visiting with your friends, new and old. You were like a celebrity guest at the My Yard Live event, and so many unfamiliar faces were so thrilled to see you at the Santa Paws event, but they were all friends to you, and you made sure they knew they were loved.
We learned so much from you, and given the chance, we never would have let you go. It was an honor to be your family. Thank you for letting us love you, and for loving us so much in return. Run free, baby Darla! We will always love you.
Thank you, Kelly, the entire support team, and Dr. Russell for your help on this emotional rollercoaster of a journey. We appreciate all your efforts to give her both more time and quality. Thank you, as well, to our Frosted Faces family, for being there through so many doubts and tears. It was hard, but knowing we weren't alone made it easier. Cancer sucks!"
Cheddar
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: October 26, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Zainalabdin Altoblani
Fans: Julianna Corby, Michael Brourman in Memory of Roberto &
bella
Acquired from: Chula Vista Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: October 26, 2021
Date of Passing: March 15, 2024
Family: Angelina & Maxine Perez
Fans: Sharon Martin, Deborah Roberts
Tribute: On March 15th, Angelina fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Bella.
She shared,
"Swiss Miss (renamed to her original name of Bella) joined my pack on 11/2/2021 with cataracts, a dislocated eye, alopecia, a bad hip and a bad leg (later diagnosed with 2 deformed legs); this little thing was far from perfect. But she hobbled along on three legs just fine, ate like a champ, and let you do what you may with her - from throwing her into the stroller or the sling, brushing her curls, and wiping the gunk from her eyes to showering her with kisses, holding her in your arms for hours on end, and giving her her favorite belly rubs.
She rarely barked (except when her siblings got too close to her treats) and knew the word "wait" and would stop, turn around and watch until you caught up with her, She welcomed new dogs to our pack with ease, and exerted all 6 lbs of her alpha female power over them with a snap or a warning growl if they were too wild or too fast to her liking. She was sassy and spunky to the dogs, but the sweetest angel to all humans and let anyone hold and love on her. There was no belly rub that she turned down, and would often scoot around in a circle when I (or anyone really) came home to only just roll over and wait for her tummy time.
In the time that I had her, Bella underwent hip surgery, had a toe amputated, and eventually got diagnosed with Cushing's and kidney diseases. Through it all, she was a trooper. When they said recovery would be weeks, Bella was up and around in a day. She took her meds like a good girl, and even wore her diaper without complaint. Bella was the strongest, most resilient dog I have ever had. So, when the days came that she stopped eating, stopped wanting to 'walk,' and just lay on her fluffy rug without reacting to her rambunctious siblings, it was no surprise that her gallbladder had ruptured. Despite being in lots of pain, she was quiet as a mouse, and only let out a few yelps. So when Dr. Russell said the kindest thing to do was let my precious girl go, so that she could be pain free, I said goodbye on 03/15/24. Bella was the perfect dog."
Arlene
Acquired from: OC Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 26, 2021
Date of Passing: November 22nd, 2021
Family: Heather Osswald & Marks Isaac
Fans: Devin Granic, Allison Landa
Tribute: On Monday, November 22nd, Heather and Isaac fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Arlene.
We just rescued Arlene from OC Shelter a couple of weeks ago, and Heather offered to foster her through her major surgery to remove large mammary masses from each chain. They were cancerous and surely heavy, but our vets have done bigger surgeries on more compromised dogs, and Arlene was going to live a long lighter life of quality after surgery!
Heather and Isaac let Arlene fall into routine with their little family of cats and dogs. She slept out on dog beds, begged with the best of them, and went to the beach. I guess you never know how one little decision to foster can really change a dog's life...
Arlene went into surgery on Monday and the surgeon let us know that she would only do one side of the mammary chain that day and spay her because it was a lot of skin needed to close. We would come back in a few weeks to tackle the other side.
After surgery the vet followed up to let us know that Arlene was not warming as well as she should and her breathing was concerning. Blood was pooling so they pressure wrapped her and rechecked a PCV, which was 30, not too crazy. We agreed to transfer her to the ER for monitoring.
Heather shared,
"I promised Isaac this one would be an easy 'just a Fling' but turns out I’m a damn liar.
We lost Arlene tonight. It was a big surgery and she was not looking great coming out of anesthesia. The vet didn’t feel comfortable sending her home, so I transferred her to Animal Emergency Clinic of San Diego for 24 hour monitoring. I listened to her breathe the whole way and as I got off the highway, her breathing got shallower. As I was on the phone with the ER, she let out a big exhale and I told them to get out here right now, she was passing. They rushed her back, but unfortunately it was too late.
She had an adoption appointment yesterday and they cancelled last minute. Yesterday I was super bummed but now I’m glad because now she’ll always be our little girl.
I’m so sorry Arlene. We loved you."
The vet staff suspected that perhaps her clotting times were not normal because she had significant abnormal bruising around the incision. We know that everyone did their best and losing a dog like Arlene, who we were all trying to help, is hard on all of us.
Sometimes "fulifilling a promise" happens when you are trying to do the right thing to improve quality, and we wish we could have given this to innocent, sweet Arlene.
Sailor
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: October 27, 2021
Date of Passing: January 27, 2024
Family: Ann Tebbetts Coffeen
Fans: Angelique Riordan, Emily Kazmierski
Tribute: On January 27th, Ann fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Sailor.
She shared,
"My heart is breaking as I attempt to write this. I had to say good bye to my precious Sailor on Saturday. He had been declining for a while, and his kidney values kept getting worse, but what happened Saturday morning, I was not prepared for. I heard him crying and found him laying on his side, his head was thrown back, his front legs were stiff and he was pretty much unable to move. I took him to an emergency vet, but they did not give me much hope that any treatment would help him and could possibly make him worse. He was not willing or able to eat or drink. It was an agonizing decision, but his eyes told me it was time. My niece, who adored Sailor, came up to give me support and Sailor passed wrapped in a blanket in my arms. I know he felt our love.
Sailor was my baby! He cried when he couldn't be with me, although he did have a few substitute people he was happy with. He loved going out and would practically put his harness on by himself, yet he got anxious and whiney in the car, especially if he had to ride in the back seat. He knew he would be getting something special if we went out to eat, so he would cry and whine until it came. Yes, he was spoiled, and got pretty much whatever he wanted. He did better when he was in his stroller and after his treat, would usually just curl up and go to sleep. When he got worked up, he could sound like a wounded seal. Despite all his little quirks, I couldn't have loved him more. I lovingly called him my little PITA dog.
My little old man was 17 years and 8 months old, according to his paperwork. I brought him home with me for a Thanksgiving fling on Nov 22, 2021. He was a pretty sick baby and I was told he probably only had a few months left. It only took a couple of days for me to decide he was home, and I would love him for however long we had together. He did well on the homemade kidney diet that I fed him, and for about a year and a half his kidney values improved. It was almost like he was aging backwards. But then in the last few months his kidney values progressively got worse again, even with giving him SubQ fluids, and he was starting to show signs of CCD. I knew his time was getting short, but I still was not prepared to lose him so quickly.
I will miss him curling up in my lap in the evenings, trying to push me out of bed at night, watching him try to cuddle with Busby and bury his nose in Busby's fur. He loved cuddling and would happily cuddle with any dog that I brought home. He even would share his stroller with other dogs. Sailor was such a good fling brother to every dog I brought home. He loved to eat and happily ate pretty much anything I fed him. He would even try to steal my food when I was eating.
Sailor took a big piece of my heart with him! Run free and be pain-free and happy my baby boy, my chipmunk, my love! Wait for me at the bridge.
I have been going through all the pictures from our time together and they bring so many bittersweet memories. I had such a hard time picking out just a few of my favorites, so here are a whole bunch."
Diedre
Acquired from: Riverside Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: October 27, 2021
Date of Passing: January 26th, 2022
Family: Douglas Gooch
Fans: Julienne & Brian, David Mihalko & Courtni Pugh, The Joseph Family
Tribute: On January 26th, Douglas fulfilled his promise to Frosted Face Diedre.
Diedre had just had an FHO surgery and was fresh out of bed rest to head to a new home. She had always had a sensitive tummy and poor appetite, but she was such a sensitive girl that we chalked it up to kennel stress and environmental change.
Diedre got sick after about a week in her new home, and we did bloodwork and x-rays along with supportive care. We didn't find any action items to treat, but the next day she was vomiting violently and suddenly passed away. Dr. Russell did an ultrasound post-portem and still did not find a cause, and these are just the worse cases when we don't have answers. Even after just a week of commitment, it was beautiful to witness her new dad's worry and love pour out during this really sad time.
Doug shared, "When we first met Diedre she immediately stole our hearts and we had to adopt her. As soon as she arrived at her forever home she claimed her spot on the couch, and it seemed like she was always part of the family. Coming home after a long day she gleefully greeted you at the door and told you how happy she was you were home. She enjoyed her belly rubs and lots of hugs and kisses. Unfortunately, her health declined and FF foundation gladly saw her several times. She passed in her forever home where she was loved and cherished. We love you Diedre. Thank you FFF for doing everything you could for our girl."
Carrie
Acquired from: Long Beach Animal Care Services
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: October 29, 2021
Date of Passing: November 4th, 2021
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: Denise B, Alieh Karimi
Tribute: On November 4th, we fulfilled our promise to Frosted Face Carrie.
Carrie was a stray to Long Beach Shelter and they reached out to us for safe exit. Sabrina Chapman had the honor of doing her freedom ride to FFF.
Carrie was itty bitty teeny weeny and oh so sweet. She buried herself in blankets and observed her new surroundings. Volunteer, Alanna recalled from our Halloween party, "I had the privilege of seeing the couple that took her trick or treating at the party, and they were so kind to her. She was snuggled up in the woman's jacket, looking very content. At the snuffle mat table, she attacked that snuffle mat with everything she had, sticking her whole face in it. We all got a good chuckle. It was the sweetest thing, and I'm so glad she had the best time at the party."
What a relief it was to see Carrie eat finally because she was not eating well previously and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure along with mammary masses.
On the sunny afternoon of November 4th, Carrie was lateral with poor color. We rushed her to High Valley Veterinary Hospital for care, but valiant efforts could not save her.
I hope tiny Carrie knows she mattered and was loved.
louie b dog
Acquired from: Long Beach Animal Care Services
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: October 29, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Autumn Day
Fans: Matt & Angel Smith, Gina Consolo, Harrison Ike
Sheldon
Acquired from: Long Beach Animal Care Services
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: October 29, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Melissa Romo
Fans: Catherine Clemente, Kirsty & Winnie, Gina Consolo
Casper
Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: November 1, 2021
Date of Passing: June 18, 2022
Family: Nora Corcoran
Fans: Fido's Forty Winks, Emily Elliott
Tribute: On June 18th, Nora fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Casper.
Nora shared,
"Under a beautiful sunny sky, in the yard he loved and with St.Francis looking over, we said good bye to Casper early this morning.
Cas had been battling kidney disease but we recently rec’d the devastating news that he had lymphoma, a form of cancer. It was also in his spleen and possibly elsewhere. More recently, My boy Cas would sniff food but was not eating even on steroids & app stimulant.
We only had Casper for 8 months, but there was just something special about him. We hope he knew how much he was loved
Cas taught us to slow down to his 30min per mile pace and sniff everything!! We learned a new level of patience. We also learned ruggables (machine washable large rugs) are worth the money.
Thank you to everyone at FFF and all the volunteers who loved him as much as we did.
Casper Francis Corcoran
????- June 18, 2022"
Cowboy
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: November 2, 2021
Date of Passing: July 22, 2022
Family: Catherine & Sam Theodore
Fans: The Erhardt Family, Noelle, Stephanie Tillman, Richard Leighton Dixon
On July 22nd, Catherine and Sam fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Cowboy.
They shared,
"Cowboy took a quick turn for the worse. The Vet indicated there was fluid in his lungs likely caused by a very large, fast growing tumor that she believed may have invaded his lungs. She recommended euthanasia and gave us some medication so we could have another night with him and arrange for in-home euthanasia. Cowboy was the best dog I ever had and I am so grateful that Frosted Faces matched us with Cowboy. He was a wonderful companion and was very loved and the house seems so empty with out him.
During the euthanasia the final medication was given and Cowboy was peaceful but not leaving us. The vet asked if we had any last words for him. I shook my head 'No' and continued to gently rub the white mark on his forehead while my husband stroked his back- we were quietly waiting. The vet rephrased the question. She said, is there anything he needs to hear from you? ....at that point I understood what she was getting at. I said, "Go ahead buddy, go find your first daddy. He is waiting for you." That was when Cowboy left us to be with his first Dad.
I hope his family knows how much I loved that boy and how thankful I was that they shared Cowboy with Sam and me."
Stuey
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: November 2, 2021
Date of Passing: April 18, 2023
Family: Sarah Kennedy & Andrew Gooch
Fans: In Memory of Lola, Anais Langley, Jessica Zulauf, The Mendoza Family, Andrea Jennings
Tribute: On April 18th and the 20th, Sarah and Andrew fulfilled two devastating promises. They lost Stu to pneumonia as a result of megaesophagus, coupled with end stage kidney failure. Just days later, Frosted Face Nathan passed away from breathing issues.
Sarah shared,
"After we lost Aaron, we wanted to adopt another pitbull to honor his memory. We'd been admiring Studebaker from afar, so we took him on an outing and one of the hikes to get to know him. We immediately fell in love with his sweet, goofy personality, and decided to bring him home. He took a long time to settle in, and we realized he'd most likely never lived in a home before. He loved being outside! Walks were his favorite thing, and he'd slow down as soon as he could tell we were heading home. Once we were home, all he wanted to do was go out on the patio! He loved it when I worked from home, because on nice days I'd leave the door open so he could take long naps out there. One of his other favorite things was his brother, FF Nathan. He always wanted to be right next to him, much to Nathan's disapproval! Nathan would often bark at him when he was too close, but Stu won him over and eventually we'd get home to find them sleeping next to each other.
Shortly after we brought him home Dr. Russell diagnosed him with megaesophagus. We'd never even heard of it before, so we did a lot of research. We found that this is apparently a very difficult condition to manage, and the same diet doesn't work for each dog. It took constant experimenting to find a diet that worked, especially as his condition worsened. For the last couple months he couldn't even keep water down anymore, so we started making him Jello water cubes to keep him hydrated. We probably would've been in way over our heads if he wasn't so patient and kind.
Because Stu took so long to settle in, it was extremely rewarding when he finally started to come out of his shell a couple months later! My favorite thing about him was how cuddly he was. He gave the best hugs and would wrap his whole body around you. He loved to rest his chin on us when we were sitting on the couch, and if he was on the bed he'd get as close as possible, sometimes even laying down on top of us! When he was excited he'd do what we called his "silly walk", where he'd get a spring in his step and his ears would flop around. He saw how much we loved Nathan's tippy tap dance, so he started trying to copy him. He would slowly lift one front leg then the other, then stop and watch Nathan like he was wondering how he made it look so easy. We always loved the way he seemed to look up to his "big" brother who was about 1/4 his size!
Unfortunately as his megaesophagus worsened, he started to develop other health issues as well. It was a constant struggle to keep weight on him, and his overall health seemed to be deteriorating. In his last week he developed a URI and a kidney infection. On top of this, he still wasn't fully recovered from a bout of pneumonia a couple months earlier. Dr. Russell found that his kidneys had rapidly declined into stage 4 failure, and also suspected that he had lymphoma. The possibility of him making a recovery was slim to none, and we didn't think it was fair to make him keep pushing through. We took him to the park where we did our first outing, and sat in the grass to cuddle with him one last time and tell him how special he was to us. When we got back to Frosted Faces, Kelly found us a beautiful, quiet spot in the front yard. It seems like his life before FFF wasn't easy, and we were grateful that his last day with us was so peaceful. We love you Stuart Little and hope you enjoyed your time with us too, even though we made you live inside!”
Bonnie
Acquired from: Riverside Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: November 2, 2021
Date of Passing: November 20th, 2021
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: Donna Beinfeld, Pancake, Donor In Memory of CW & Evelyn, The Sundlings
Tribute: Yesterday we fulfilled our promise to Frosted Face Bonnie.
We rescued her just a few short weeks ago, removed an infected mass from her belly, but when she came home from surgery she was suddenly paralyzed. We adjusted her medications and bed rested her for the best chance at recovery. Staff and volunteers sat with Bonnie, rotated her, kept her clean, expressed her bladder, and gave her a lot of treats.
As time went on, we noticed Bonnie's front legs beginning to stiffen so she could no longer sit sternally. Should we have never done the surgery? Although, deep down I knew that if we were going to fight the good fight, she couldn't have that kind of infection on her for long.
By Friday morning, Dr. Russell let us know that Bonnie's prognosis seemed quite grave and her poor quality should not be sustained. We would have to make some tough decisions. Wait, isn't she going to start walking? We are resting her and doing everything right! Won't the inflammation from surgery wear off and she will walk? What if it's a disc? My heart took over my brain, after knowing Bonnie survived with that mass, made it off the euth-list to FFF after days of waiting for rescue at the shelter, and now she was suddenly paralyzed. She loved her new life, she was curious, and she deserved better or more... or both. It got blurry.
On Friday, we brought her to VSH for an MRI. Too little, too late- I know. Or maybe too much, too late. Dr. Gagnepain said the MRI identified diffuse changes of the spinal cord at the level of her neck most consistent with a diffuse cancer affecting the spinal cord. He suspected that she has had this problem affecting her spinal cord for some time, and that anesthesia caused progression of her spinal cord dysfunction.
The news hit me harder than I had expected. I cried and cried and cried. For Bonnie, the unfairness, and all of the other Frosted Faces we have loved and lost but haven't appropriately mourned. Andy and I were away from FFF for a couple days off on a staycation in beautiful San Clemente donated to us by sweet FFF family, Christie Forman and Sherry Bates. We stopped our movie at 9:00pm and drove back down to San Marcos to get our girl. She was going on a last vacation, and we brought her back up north with us! It was so nice to have the time and the space to love hard and grieve appropriately for Bonnie. We owe that to Christie and Sherry. Thank you.
We watched movies all night until we fell asleep on the couch. She slept between us in bed, and ate ice cream and hot dogs for breakfast. We wanted to take her biking on the boardwalk, but realized that would be too much for her. Instead, we laid on the patio that overlooked the ocean, listened to music, read, took turns holding Bonnie and telling her how special she was while tracing her fresh staples from her surgery, shaved fur from scans and catheters, petting her soft temples, and offering her many gentle reassuring kisses on her pink nose hoping she did not feel betrayed. Realizing it was Bonnie's very last day experiencing the world, all of the lasts that somehow were also our firsts with her... it just broke our hearts.
The last sunset-
After her last sunset we packed up the car quietly knowing what we had to do. We headed to Animal Urgent Care in Escondido where Dr. DiLorenzo graciously took us in immediately and helped release Bonnie's spirit from her failing body. No more fear of why her body didn't work, no more pain, no more being alone. All of the way to the end, girl, we loved you.
Fly high, Bons.
Ox
Acquired from: Carlsbad Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: November 3, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Liz Abbott & Todd McHenry
Fans: In Memory of Lola, Stacy LaFrance, Jeremy & Gill
Savannah
Acquired from: Final Wish Program
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: November 6, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Annette & Lou Alliano
Fans: Diana Kilkenny, Rose Family
Piper
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: November 7, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Mary & Harvey Raphan
Fans: Caryn Requejo, Carol Diaz-Zubieta
Regina
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: November 7, 2021
Date of Passing: January 31, 2023
Family: Shannon Jackson
Fans: Elizabeth Gray, Penny Mcnamara
Tribute: On January 31st, Shannon fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Regina.
She shared,
"It’s been hard to find the words the express how much Regina meant to me. I will miss coming home and saying 'Hello my sweet girl!' She made my life so much better. I miss her so much! I will never forget her. I love you my little Gina Beana!"
Toaster
Acquired from: Mission Viejo Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: November 9, 2021
Date of Passing: September 26, 2024
Family: Charlotte Reinnoldt and Andrew Hurst
Fans: Terressa Whitaker, The Kreysar Pack, The Martzkes
Tribute: On September 26th, Andrew and Charlotte fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Toaster.
They shared,
"In mid-2022, we arrived at Frosted Faces looking to adopt our first dog. When we held Toaster in our lap in the Littles play area, we fell in love immediately. It was a match! For the next two and a half years, Toaster would become the center of our lives in so many ways. He joined us everywhere he was allowed - the office, on vacations, walks to the beach, wineries, and more. He could fall asleep in any lap and was friendly and gentle with everyone (human and animal) he came across. He was an immense source of comfort as we navigated new challenges in our lives, from surgeries to family illness. He never barked or asked for much- just a bowl of food, some treats, belly rubs, and a warm lap. Most of all, Toaster was the ultimate teacher. He taught us about so many things: unconditional love, patience, resilience, the value of slowing down, and the reward (and sometimes humility) of loving and caring for a senior animal. He gave us the gift of purpose every day.
Saying goodbye to Toaster was the most difficult thing we have ever done, and we miss him immensely. We know that he is running pain-free and happy up there and we hope to see him again someday. For now, we know that he joins hundreds of other Frosted Faces that received the same second chance he did. We will be forever grateful to this organization for bringing Toaster into our lives and for providing vet care, prescriptions, and unending advice and support. He was truly the best boy."
betty
Acquired from: Mission Viejo Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: November 9, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Carol Pluta
Fans: Carol Shear
Lexy
Acquired from: Animal Friends of the Valleys
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: November 9, 2021
Date of Passing: September 18, 2023
Family: Cherissa & James Beck
Fans: Toby Malina, Stephanie Gaw, The Martzkes
Tribute: On September 18th, Cherissa and James fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Lexy.
They shared,
"Little Lexy girl, Princess Leximus, Wiggly One, our baby gazelle. We were looking forward to writing about your second frostiversary, not this. Not yet. We wanted so much more time with you, and your FF brother Jester is so very sad without you. But you are so special and need to be celebrated, so here we go...
We always said those white stripes on your shoulders gave away the fact that you were actually an angel in a cute dog disguise, you could not completely conceal those wings. And so sadly for us, you were called back to heaven on September 18th. You fought hard to stay with us and we told you that if it was time, you could go. You would always be our girl. You spent your final hours held tightly in my arms. We saw you take your last breath, and then amazingly, each of your front paws took a very deliberate and distinct "step" forward. We believe we saw you take your first steps across the rainbow bridge and into heaven. It was at once beautiful and heart breaking. We know "one sweet day" you will be there to greet us with your stubby little tail wags and demure little play bow.
With a bit of time, you grew into a happy, goofy, and confident girl who provided such a powerful force of joy in our home. Thank you for reminding us of the unstoppable power of love, patience, and persistence. And thank you for reminding us to seek out the more reserved pups and help them find their place to shine, because they want to and they will. We promise to never forget our "Lessons from Lexy."
We are grateful that up to your last day you were loving life and living large! You were always the first up in the morning, eager for another day! Enjoying long exploration walks, eating like a champ then cleaning Jester's bowl, totally micro-managing the kitchen, constantly knocking on doors and gates to "tell" us what to open, and doing the "dive and roll" on all dog and human beds. You ended each day snuggled between us with your head on a pillow and those glorious ears tickling our faces. We cherish it all and our lives are better for having you in it.
At the shelter, Lexy needed serious medical attention and was losing her spirit in the kennel environment. Like they always do, Frosted Faces scooped her up, let her know she was loved, AND provided the medical care she needed to enjoy life again. . A big thank you to Dr. Russell and the medical team for your compassion and caring. A HUGE thank you to Lexy's FF Fans, you are heroes who make the on-going medical care possible. Thank you to the Freedom Rider and volunteers who poured out love to that terrified little girl, and do it time and time again with all FF pups. A special thanks to her foster mom, Cara, who recognized how special she was. Despite our grief and sadness, we are so grateful for our magical time with Lexy. Being able to provide her with a happy last chapter to her life was such a rewarding experience. Thank you to FF for making it possible and we are honored to support your incredible work."
Chico
Acquired from: Animal Friends of the Valleys
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: November 9, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Pamela Flora
Fans: Kelly Brown, Camila de Andino de Jesus
Brownie
Acquired from: Animal Friends of the Valleys
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: November 9, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Pamela Flora
Fans: In memory of Sister Mercedes, Sami Paterson
cleveland brown
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue:7
Date of Rescue: November 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Michelle & Kraig Beaver
Fans: Lacey S., Garrett
Sweetie
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: November 13, 2021
Date of Passing: December 11, 2022
Family: Cherissa & James Beck
Fans: Luana Connor, Jane Nguyen
Tribute: On December 11th, Cherissa and James fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Sweetie.
They shared,
"Oh little Sweetie, Sweet Pea, Snickerdoodles, Snicky Doo dah Day, Snicky Doods, Nick-NIck, this is so hard. We don't want to write this because it means you are gone, but we want the world to know how incredibly special you were to us, so here we go...
When we brought you into our home from Frosted Faces on December 26th, 2022, we thought we had "picked" you. However, it quickly became clear that you were "sent" to us to help heal our hearts after the loss of our 15 year-old pup, Jerry. And what an amazing healer you were! So much fun and personality packed into such a tiny little body. We thank you for the healing and joy you brought into our home and we know Jerry thanks you too.
Your last day in our home was a stormy Sunday, December 11th. You had a great day and were living your best life, safe and cozy with your family. You enjoyed dinner with your sisters FF Lexy and Sassy, eating out of your special Christmas bowls, wearing one of your adorable Christmas sweaters. Then you crawled onto your favorite fluffy bed in front of the toasty fireplace and went to sleep. While you slept angels swooped down, scooped you up and took you home, because you never woke up. While we are so grateful you went so peacefully and see the beauty in it all, our hearts are shattered because we wanted more time with you. We wanted lots more time.
Your sister Sassy didn't understand . She cried and dug around at your bed, she nudged you with her nose and even tried giving you soft little "mama dog" nips to try and wake you up. Finally, she crawled up next to you, softly whining and staring at your sweet face. We all miss you so much but know you are running around heaven making everyone smile with your cute little antics. Heaven has one more precious angel dog.
We miss your sweet little "Tribble" noises. We miss your curious, googly eyes that actually seemed to talk. We miss your expressive, pointy little elf ears. We miss your stubby, waggly little tail. We miss your funny little bark that you used only on special occasions. We miss how you would "get us" before and after walks. We miss watching you contentedly sunbathe in the yard. We miss your silly passion for peeing on pinecones, despite your tiny size, and seeing your "everything bagel" face after you'd been nosing around in the birdseed. We miss everything.
You were such a blessing and we are so appreciative of the time we had with you. You had a wonderful life with your family and you had so many two and four-legged friends in your neighborhood that loved you. They all miss you and still talk about you.
We know that in time, when we are a little less sad, we will fully appreciate the beauty of your story. The joyful last chapter you had in our home and the peaceful way your story ended. Now fly free little girl and have the best time in heaven. We know that Jerry, Molly, Truffles, Snickers, Sherman, and Shaka were all there to welcome you and were so happy to meet you. Thank you for the great memories sweet girl, we will always love you.
Thank you Frosted Faces for your support and making it possible to bring this angel into our lives. You all are truly angels on earth and we so appreciate you."
marshmallo
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: November 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Hanan & Elizabeth Bowman
Fans: Sophie's Mom, The Holliday Family
roo
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 6
Date of Rescue: November 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Kayla Onofaro
Fans: Jodie Reyes, RZ
hopper
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: November 14, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Cori Ryan
Fans: Katie, Heather Ramsey
charlie
Acquired from: Animal Friends of the Valleys
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: November 16, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Felix Daoust, Gina Seashore & Tanya Aubin
Fans: Denise B, Chris Macomber
Cookie
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: November 16, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Hanan & Elizabeth Bowman
Fans: Klaudia Sherzer, Maria Scali
Pierogi
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: November 17, 2021
Date of Passing: October 15, 2024
Family: Janelly Miranda & Humberto Salgado
Fans: Maria Metts, Lani Isbell, Hanley Family in Honor of Buster & Len
Tribute: On October 15, Humberto and Janelly fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Pierogi.
They shared,
"Hi FFF family,
We put Pierogi to rest yesterday.
When I first brought him home I did not think we’d be here today. I was nervous to bring home this grumpy dog, and even emailed FFF when I got home when he was still biting me when touching him. They told me to give him time as he was obviously adjusting and getting used to me. So I did. I give it time. This turned into me emailing them at the two weeks to let them know I would foster him until he got adopted. Then when a family wanted to meet him, we adopted him. I could not let him go because he quickly became my soul dog.
Pierogi was an amazing dog. He was there for me while I grieved the loss of my dog of 14 years, he was there as I finished school then graduated, He was there when his dad proposed to me and lastly, he was there when we got married. He was there for all the milestones. My husband and I would say how amazing it would be if he could be there for our wedding. This was a HUGE stretch as it was just last October Dr. Russel let me know that which his condition he figured Pierogi had about 4-6 months. Every time we took him to see Dr.R since that vet appointment in October he would say “the times approaching” but a year went by and Pierogi made it to our elopement !
Our wedding night was spend staying up all night because Pierogi was not feeling good at all. He kept fainting and collapsing. This wasn’t out of the ordinary as sometimes this did happen. But when this happened ALL night, we knew this was different. We emailed FFF on our way back from Joshua Tree and they told us to bring him in. They did diagnostics it didn’t look good. The options were trying another medication or humane euthanasia. I said I wanted to try the new medication. Which I did feel a little guilty about because he was not comfortable. But what if it helped and he bounces back just like the other times we thought we were losing Pierogi and he would bounce back.
While we were waiting for the medication, he seemed very weak and had another one of his episodes. We told the vet staff that we changed our minds. We couldn’t see him suffer anymore. I put him on my lap as I thanked him and made sure he knew how loved he was. His huge heart (literally) worked over time and now he can rest.
Thank you to the vet staff for seeing him soo often. You guys loved Pierogi and Pierogi loved everyone of you guys. I’m glad he was taken care of by you guys until his last day ❤️"
Rudy
Acquired from: Riverside
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: November 19, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Marsi Bennion
Fans: Cynthia Hannigan, Robert Spellman