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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.
abigail
Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 14
Date of Rescue: November 19, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Joan Munill
Fans: Donna Birch
Glee
Acquired from: Corona Animal Services
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: November 24, 2021
Date of Passing: May 13, 2022
Family: Kelly & Andy Smisek
Fans: Margo Morrison Design Ltd, Jordan Bedow, Michelle Stevens, Ava Watkins, Kellianneb, Katherine K., Perry
Tribute: On May 13th, we fulfilled our promise to Frosted Face Glee.
Glee was a stray to Corona Shelter and scheduled for euthanasia on her available date even though they reported she was eating, drinking, and walking. This baffled us and we exited her as an organization, but upon rescue we saw what they were seeing that was not articulated in the record. Glee suffered from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction and paced quite a bit.
Things in her environment would catch her interest and stop her, she still was eating great, and she would lay across our chests and rest when consoled. Glee was also in stage 2 kidney failure. We fed her a k/d diet with epikitin on top, and she got Selegiline to hopefully help her mentation. She always slept through the night too!
Volunteer extraordinaire, Alanna Koehler, saw Glee's need for stability, so she took her home on a 2-week Frosted Fling and noted the head pressing and getting caught in corners. Upon return we discussed quality, but admittedly and maybe selfishly, we weren't ready and wanted to see if we could just give her a little more time to know her surroundings and schedule in our own home to get on a schedule.
Luckily the Smíšek dogs rotate with the Frosted Faces, so Glee had ample time to "get her steps in" during the morning rotation. Andy would hand feed her both meals and set up puzzles in her x-pen next to his at-home work station during the day. In the evenings was family time which is our chance to wind down with our dogs, watching TV and eating supper from 8-10pm. We would pursue Glee to hold during this time. She would love when we rubbed her eyes and forehead gently, putting her to sleep- and sometimes us! Any new surrounding (and especially the car) was a little scary for Glee, but she made weekend adventures to our condo, Fiesta Island, and out to eat. She surprisingly loved being pulled by my bike on the boardwalk!
Glee started to change during her time with us, where she started to circle, not eat as well, and made high pitch cries even when awake and staring. We could not hold her anymore without her frantically flailing and barking, the lucid, curious moments were too few to maintain our Gleeber Schedule in hopes of her finding joy enough to keep on.
Andy stroked her face while holding her in his lap as we let her go. It was so nice to be able to hold her again. She was so beautiful, so so beautiful. It was our honor to love her for the the last of her days.
Meggie
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing: January 21, 2023
Family: Natalie Blue & Ryan Robinson
Fans: In Memory of Sydney & Max LaCava; Leslie Tobias
Tribute: On January 21st, Natalie and Ryan fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Meggie.
They shared,
"One whole year just wasn’t enough. Meggie was our first frosted face rescue and the bond that was made in such a short amount of time truly surprised us.
In late December we took our girl in for routine lab work to monitor her Cushing’s disease. We decided on sending out a full panel since it had been a few months and unfortunately revealed pretty significant kidney values, this then triggered an abdominal ultrasound. They found multiple nodules on her spleen and a slightly larger adrenal mass.
We decided on palliative care, as she was not the ideal candidate for anesthesia/surgery with her PDA. She did a few weeks of antibiotics with hopes her kidney values may improve, but she continued to decline with each week and started to have more neurologic signs with vision loss to her right eye and choosing to only turn to her left. It was extremely difficult to see her like this and our hearts could not handle seeing her stumble and getting stuck in corners of our home. She was no longer safe to be left unsupervised. After her passing we decided on a postmortem MRI, and unfortunately confirmed our fears of a brain tumor.
January 21st we made the difficult decision that her quality of life was not being met and had Paws Into Grace meet us at our home. She enjoyed many snuggles that day and ate about 15 Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets, fries, and almost full bag of Just food For Dogs. She passed peacefully outside in her bed with us holding her and telling her how much she was loved.
Her favorite things while she was in our care was her daily walks to the park, helping us eat our meals, and towards the end, snuggling in our laps. She truly was the easiest dog to care for and did not have a mean bone in her body. We wish we could have known her longer and think in her early years she was probably the cutest puppy ever. We hope now she is with her first Mom and is healthy again. If we could, we would adopt her and do it all over again."
Peanut
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 16, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family:
Fans: Esther Jones, Jane Nguyen, Buggle’s Mom
Pops
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Jade & Sam Babbitt
Fans: In Honor of HB Admin, Alieh Karimi, Clive & Cora
Midnight
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 14
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing: August 12, 2022
Family: Catherine & Sam Theodore
Fans: Gaither Family, Jodie
Tribute: On August 12th, Catherine and Sam fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Midnight.
They shared,
"Midnight came to us in mid-December of 2021 at 14 years old. He had soft, dark eyes that would melt your heart and big ears that always showed his feelings. Mostly his ears stood straight up telling us he was up for anything we had planned.
When he first joined us he was immediately part of the family. Midnight was the most gentle soul. If he wanted attention he would barely tap your leg with a paw, when he took a treat he would gingerly grab the edge of the treat with his lips. We officially adopted this gentle boy in March 2022.
Midnight was a complete angel with our other dogs and it was his mission to ensure no dog slept alone. All new dogs were welcomed into our home by him and he was a caring nanny for Chloe(Newfoundland) and FF Cowboy(Springer Spaniel) during their last days. He was a constant companion of FF Wendy. Wendy has a spicy streak and Midnight always tolerated Wendy’s spicey side and always stayed close to her.
His favorite was walks…he would get so excited and initially would bounce around. As he declined he became less bouncy and eventually it was his perky ears that let us know it was time. When his ears stuck out to the side like Yoda and wouldn’t even perk up for a walk or food we knew we had to say good bye. We miss him everyday and my husband still can’t talk about him without crying. Midnight touched us deeply and we were so thankful for the opportunity to live with this sweet, sweet boy."
Pretzel
Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing: September 20, 2022
Family: Diana & Chris Heise
Fans: Judith Johnson
Tribute: On September 20th, Chris and Diana fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Pretzel.
Diana shared,
"Today, Pretzel went over the Rainbow Bridge. It's very sad to not have in the house with us. His little body just was showing Dr. R and myself that it was time to let Pretzel go. Lynda and I were with him. Lynda was his Fling mom and I adopted him to be his mom.
Pretzel was his own little old man. He liked to bark at me when I'd try to snuggle with him. He was independent, enjoyed his food, LOVED his bed and his long naps.
We will miss him. Love you Pretz."
HENRY
Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Margaret & Mike Olsen
Fans: Dave Spencer
oliver
Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Kim & Shawn O’Connell
Fans: Devin Granic, The Baker Family
blanche
Acquired from: Coachella Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Alex McDonald
Fans: Debbie Christianson, Teena Deering
Bacon
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing: January 6, 2023
Family: Ellen Anderson & Jim Mayoral
Fans: Armenta Family, Allison Landa
Tribute: On January 6th, Jim and Ellen fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Bacon.
They shared, "Yesterday we said goodbye to Bacon. His physical disabilities and his CCD just got to be too much for him.
I fell in love with this guy long before we adopted him. I saw him in the littles yard hobbling around all by himself. He was so determined to get where he wanted to go. That determination never left him. He had such a sweet disposition. Even with all his challenges the ONLY thing he ever complained about was not getting his food fast enough. But he declined quickly over the last couple of months.
His CCD and his arthritis/spondylosis got worse. He could no longer get up on his own or walk without help. He was struggling so hard to live his normal life. It was time.
We already miss his sweet face and his little howl when he wanted his dinner. Alice has been looking for him. She had become his guardian and whenever he needed help she was the first to alert us. He was a special boy."
Max
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Dina Apodaca
Fans: Colleen Deems, Jonathan & Ali Alongi
Bunson
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Sara Petite
Fans: Wilson Family, In Memory of CW & Evelyn
Bluey
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing: November 6, 2022
Family: Elva Chavez
Fans: Michelle N. Oliver, Jenn & Chris
Tribute: On November 6th, Elva fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Bluey.
She shared,
"Last Sunday at 2am, my sweet Bluey crossed over the rainbow bridge. Bluey went into respiratory distress after dealing with suspected nasal/esophageal tumors. I was able to get him to the ER where he was seen a few days before and they made him comfortable as I held him and talked to him about his next journey.
I miss him so much and am grateful to have had him in my life for the past 11 months. I am also grateful that I work remotely and we together all the time. He went everywhere with me in his stroller and loved when I took a break and we went to the park to take in some sun and nap.
He was very loved by his foster mom( fairy Dogmother) Julie Ann Peraulta, and stayed with her when I had to travel. He also was spoiled by the kennel managers at FF when he stayed there as well. I can’t say enough how special FF is and the care and support they provide to all animals in there care. Dr. Russell and the vet team treated my Bluey with the best care possible and special thanks to all of them.
It was a privilege and honor to bond with my Bluey boy. He had many nicknames: pops, poppa-sito, poppa-sito Lindo, baby boy.
I have him the best 11 months I could and spoiled him with all the attention he could stand. I imagine him running around with ll his new friends that went before and eating unlimited food and treats without consequence. These Frosted Faces need everything we can give them, even if is for a short time. Thank you FF for bringing Bluey to me and although I’m heartbroken, all the videos and photos I have of him fill my heart and make me laugh 🙏🏽❤️."
Chip
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Kathy Lindenmayer & Paul Heath
Fans: Carol Diaz-Zubieta
gage
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Marla Hernandez
Fans: Stephanie Tillman
Puddle
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Erica Hernandez
Fans: Susan Van Booven
Snoopy
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Kornelia Chyla & Tyler Pak
Fans: Bee Pagarigan
Tito
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Rene Briskin
Fans: Holly, Brooke Snow
Tinkerbell
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Judith & Stewart Pickell
Fans: Angie & Irma
Samantha
Acquired from: San Diego Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Judith & Stewart Pickell
Fans: Jamie Spotswood
Maynard
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing: August 27, 2023
Family: Letha Morrison
Fans: Donna Beinfeld, Charla Hall
Tribute: On August 27th, Letha fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Maynard.
We had just done a splenectomy a few weeks prior as a result of a splenic mass, and the biopsy came back as hemangiosarcoma. Unfortunately, Maynard had blood in his abdomen soon after with a grave prognosis.
She shared,
"Sometimes the universe throws you a curve ball. Saturday morning I posted an update about Maynard with news of his diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma and I received an outpouring of love and support. And 24 hours later, I sat with him while he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 😪
The vet at Anicira told me he would be his normal self until he wasn't and it would go quickly. The time came much sooner than I thought, but he didn't suffer. He was fine when he went to bed Saturday night, woke up at 4:30 to go outside, but didn't want to come back in. He just lay there smelling the air. I got us a comforter and pillow and we watched the sun come up until he got up at 6. At 10, I text family support as symptoms arose and they suggested an ER visit. The staff at VCA Carlsbad was kind- said there was a lot of internal bleeding and we decided it was time. I wasn't ready, but Maynard was.
They had a beautiful room for goodbye. They wheeled Maynard in and he lifted his head, wagged his tail and tried to get off the gurney. They offered some goodbye kisses- Hershey kisses- my inital reaction was "dogs can't have chocolate" but at this stage, the dogs can have what they want. I held his paw as we escorted him across the bridge and then cried and thanked him for finding me.
Maynard and I had a great life together- it was love at first sight for me. Kelly posted a picture of him when she picked him up at the shelter 12/1/2021 and it was like I knew he was mine. He didn't officially become mine until 4/7/2022 when I moved into a new place so I could adopt him. I spent a lot of time with him in between- volunteering on site- hoping he'd find a family, but secretly hoping he wouldn't so I could bring him home.
Maynard was my third Frosted Face pittie mix and he was the most handsome, bestest boy. I thought he'd move back to Wisconsin with me in 2 years, but he'll be with me always. I'll take a walk and spread his ashes in the woods behind my farmhouse where he'll be joining Goose and Maverick. 💙🌈💙"
Buddy
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Patricia & Charles Sellers
Fans: Cheryl Borjeson, Pancake
artemis
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Sarah Crosbie
Fans: Ginger Haggerty
Alphabet
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Chiara Mattern
Fans: Denise B.
wesley
Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 2, 2021
Date of Passing: August 30, 2022
Family: Mary & Adam Beason
Fans: Stacy LaFrance, Loretta Aston
Tribute: On August 30th, Mary and Adam fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Wesley after complications from megaesophagus.
Mary shared,
"Goodbye to our sweet old man, Wesley. You filled our hearts with love if only for short time. We were glad to give you a happy home where you learned to trust. We miss the sound of your walk and your big bark whenever we walked in the front door.
We know you are at peace now and pain free. Wish we could have loved you longer!"
Jerry
Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 2, 2021
Date of Passing: July 11, 2023
Family: Roshni & Suresh Chintalapati
Fans: Meyer Mutts, Debra Obrzut
Tribute: On July 11th, Roshni & Suresh fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Jerry.
She shared,
"We finally said goodbye to our dear Jerry-Berry, Jer the Bear. Jerry was 12+ and suffering from advanced arthritis. Even though he couldn't walk well, that didn't prevent him from trudging and snuffling happily along our lane, eating his favorite treats, and napping while wedging his bottom against our front door so no one could enter or exit that way (what an amazing guard dog 😆)!
Jerry was my goofiest and therefore sweetest doggie. There wasn't a doggo who he didn't want to make friends with, so I'm sure he and Boone are happy across the rainbow bridge romping away with many friends!"
Alfred
Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 11
Date of Rescue: December 2, 2021
Date of Passing: October 27, 2021
Family: Rebecca Maureen Waldorf
Fans: Elvia Valenzuela, Kopp Family
Tribute: On October 27th, Maureen fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Alfred after battling congetsive heart failure.
She shared,
"He really was a special dog and the top notch care you provided extended our time beyond anything I could have hoped for. Like his seizure at the beginning of September really had me thinking we were on our last days, but as you say, he absolutely rallied and kept trucking along for almost 2 full months.
Dear little Alfred. He was generous even in passing- timing it with Dia De Los Muertos so that I can remember him and celebrate the good times while being surrounded/supported by community and an organized holiday.
These dogs are the best, and when I’m ready in a little while I’ll absolutely keep my eye on the available Frosted Faces to find another four footed friend.
For now, it’s all about Alfred and celebrating his legacy while I navigate the grieving process."
mini moo
Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 3, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Cindi Mishkin & Tracy Kline
Fans: In Memory of Lola
Timmy
Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 3, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Catherine & Sam Theodore
Fans: Tanya Nielsen, Nanette & Rob Wood, Jeri & Richard DuBois, Darsi Bakker
suzy
Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 3, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Elaine & Bob Halliday
Fans: Mary Havens
tizzy
Acquired from: Humane Society of Imperial County
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: December 3, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Therrol & Nikki Troxel
Fans: Rose Chavez
Boone
Acquired from: South LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 3, 2021
Date of Passing: September 7, 2022
Family: Roshni & Suresh Chintalapati
Fans: Dharma
Tribute: On September 7th, Roshni and Suresh fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Boone.
They shared,
"Even though #Boone had cognitive decline (which I tried my best to deny), in the 10 months we had him, we saw a transformation from a scrawny withdrawn and highly inhibited dog who had been abandoned to barely survive on the streets to a healthy silky coated doggo who loved walks, ran to us with shining eyes and tongue out when he saw his leash, who loved his food generously laced with smelly fish, who would spend time walking our small grassy backyard, and who finally allowed us to scratch his ears, stroke his back and give him side hugs.
Very grateful to Dr Russell and his team and to our wonderful support specialists who got us in immediately and helped alleviate our pain.
#Jerry and Boone's two human brothers miss him very much."
Rochester
Acquired from: Bonita Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 4, 2021
Date of Passing: December 21st, 2021
Family: Bert & Kris Wood
Fans: RZ
Tribute: Weighing in at just 5.4 lbs, itty bitty Rochester (formerly Rocky #A1445193) was undeniably adorable and we all know that yorkies like him fly off the shelves around here at FFF! Rochester was turned into the Bonita Shelter as a stray and when he wasn't claimed, dedicated volunteer, Stephanie Cherrier, gleefully provided Rochester's freedom ride to FFF.
His intake exam with Dr. Russell revealed that Rochester was blind, had cataracts, significant tartar on his few remaining teeth, anemic, and had chronic renal disease which would likely require palliative care.
During his time living on site, Rochester enjoyed lots of attention from staff and volunteers alike and they couldn't help but dress him up in many holiday outfits. Volunteer Ali Manz also discovered that he loved small bites of ham despite having very few teeth left.
While staff enjoyed styling his hair, Rochester was in desperate need of a good grooming session to remove his terribly matted fur. Volunteers Jodi Mosher and Dolores De La Rosa gave Rochester a ride to-and-from his grooming appointment at The Buried Bone and both loved his sweet demeanor.
After a haircut, all that was left was to find Rochester his forever family. We were thrilled to report that long-time FFF supporters Bert & Kris Wood adopted Rochester. The Wood family has adopted SEVEN dogs from us in the past (Shilo, Patrick, Edith, Dudley, Phenris, Flapjack, and Sherman), including hospice dogs. Rochester scored a wonderful home and we were hopeful that he would be spoiled with attention and have lots of fun with other dog siblings. Unfortunately, after just two days at home Rochester looked very very sick. Kris rushed him back to see Dr. Russell where his temperature was 91 degrees and he was limp like a noodle. We were losing him.
Rochester was lucky to know love, dignity, comfort care, and family before he passed in loving arms.
Sandy
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: December 9, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Teresa Yuan & Vincent Puu
Fans: Cathy Karr
Puddles
Acquired from: Riverside Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue December 9, 2021
Date of Passing: December 10th, 2021
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: RZ
Tribute: Riverside Shelter reached out to rescues to exit #A1652462, a 15 year old emaciated chihuahua by end of day. We volunteered and Jane Nguyen made her way up to the shelter.
He arrived at FFF in a small cat carrier sound asleep. It was a rainy day, and I remember thinking if he went on a walk and stepped in a puddle, it would seem like a lake to him! That's how he got the name Puddles! He was oh so small and very fragile. We bathed him gently in the sink and soaked the poop from his paws. He could hardly stand and tipped over when he tried. The Kennel Managers carried him in a sling through chores and he helped put up Christmas decorations while he waited his turn for an exam.
Bloodwork showed that Puddles was in very end stage kidney failure where his BUN and Creatinine were not even reading. An ultrasound showed a gall bladder mucocele that would require surgery for survival, but that was not within reason considering the lab values. Puddles' body was failing, he was not able to hold his little bones upright, nor would he eat. He probably felt terrible.
We are grateful that Riverside Shelter exited Puddles so that he could get the diagnostics that he deserved, but they indicated that he was suffering and this is when euthanasia is the kind and fair thing to do. Puddles' new FFF family held him as he left his body. Heck, he can probably walk on water now and pays no mind to the puddles!
Bailey
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Val Stevens
Fans: Elva Chavez
Pixie
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue:10
Date of Rescue: December 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Toni & Perry Campbell
Fans: Amy
Priscilla
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue:10
Date of Rescue: December 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Toni & Perry Campbell
Fans: Lorraine Sampson, Susan Gonzales in memory of Fisher
lunchbox
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue:8
Date of Rescue: December 13, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Kimberly Oesterling
Fans: Amy T.
maya Angelou
Acquired from: Moreno Valley Shelter
Age upon Rescue:14
Date of Rescue: December 14, 2021
Date of Passing: July 26, 2022
Family: Jessie Rohrer
Fans: Jan Sheldon, Krista Nadolski, Cora & Zeiya, Jerry & Sandra Sladkey
Tribute: Mark and Jessie fulfilled her promise to Frosted Face Angelou.
She shared,
"We said goodbye to sweet Maya. We had some clear signs that it was time for her to pass after she stopped eating and we ran tests at the VCA ER that showed she was in pain and was inoperable. It was a really hard choice but ultimately we felt it was the most compassionate one.
We loved her dearly and she changed our lives and brought us closer together. We never got a chance to reply to all the comments on the Facebook post when we adopted her but we read them frequently for encouragement.
This was undoubtedly one of the hardest things we’ve ever done, but it was absolutely worth it to know Maya felt loved and safe at the end of a life of suffering. She enjoyed massages, acupuncture, swimming, cute sweaters (!), a million daily supplements/meds, and JustFoodForDogs
She even got to a point where she turned her nose up to the fresh food unless it was covered in treats, haha. The vets she saw absolutely adored her, they even sent flowers when she passed.
Thank you for the opportunity to be her guardians and her shepherds into her next journey."
Macy
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 15, 2021
Date of Passing: December 28th, 2021
Family: Lora & Kevin Luton
Fans: RZ
Tribute: In early December, friends of Macy's mom reached out to us for help with new placement through our Final Wish Program. Macy's mom was not well and she needed to focus on her own health, so we agreed to take her into our care.
Like most beautiful rare Collies here in SoCal, Macy solicited a lot of adoption interest immediately. We did our standard intake exam with a full senior panel and x-rays. She had a lot of tartar and a micropthalmic eye that was uncomfortable, so we scheduled her for dental surgery and an enucleation in early January.
Macy enjoyed our hikes and play groups with new friends, but she really scored when she was chosen to go to a foster home. What was only meant to be a temporary family, was Macy's final family.
They shared,
"We didn’t get to love Macy for long but we loved her fiercely. Macy was such a beautiful, gentle soul. She spent her days napping and searching for snuggles. My daughter fell in love quickly and honestly I’m sure she would have been a foster fail!
Macy saw Dr. Russell on Monday after I noticed a nose bleed and was prescribed medication for low platelets after he ran a blood panel. But Tuesday afternoon she started having labored breathing - I sent a video to the gang and Dr. Russell called back quickly and asked me to bring her in.
Driving up to Ramona in the rain I just had a feeling, I kept asking Macy to hold on while I was driving but when I arrived and checked on her she was gone (although I could have sworn I felt her last breath but that just might have been wishful thinking).
I am so grateful we had the opportunity to give Macy a home for the holidays and she knew how much she was loved right until the end.
So much loss that weekend but Kelly & Dr. Russell were still so sweet and caring to me. Thank you for all you do."
We did an ultrasound and x-rays just for academic purposes post mortem and there were no significant findings, but we understand that low platelets can be caused by many things. We do have to make peace that it was her time and she was loved dearly.
Allie
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 7
Date of Rescue: December 15, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Deborah McDonald & Jerry McCann
Fans: Mimi Lev
Peanut
Acquired from: Final Wish
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: December 1, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Pam & Chris Ives
Fans: Neal Polister, Carol
rocky the rocket
Acquired from: San Bernardino City Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 16, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Karen & E-Don Rott
Fans: Lisa Chapin
Panchito
Acquired from: Mexico
Age upon Rescue: 8
Date of Rescue: December 17, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Marcus Richardson & Edward Groner
Fans: Archie
Wink
Acquired from: Inland Valley Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 17, 2021
Date of Passing: January 5th, 2022
Family: Lexi Mena
Fans: Scott Dorch
Tribute: Wink was brought into Inland Valley Humane Society as a stray in poor condition. He had a stinky bod with a skin infection and overgrown greasy fur. When he could have been someone's treasured prized pup, he was defeated and abandoned.
Volunteer, Ellie Ash-Bala, picked him up for us when the shelter requested a medical exit along with two other seniors. The shelter had already given Winky the dignity of a new haircut and sweater, thank goodness!
Diagnostics revealed that Wink wasin stage 2 kidney failure, so we started him on a kidney diet and some medication for his skin and ears. He loved to eat and had a silly pep to his step. Most memorably he climbed into the dryer one day while helping with chores at FFF.
Kennel Manager, Lexi, noticed him getting quiet, so she offered to take him on a Frosted Fling for some individualized attention. After day 2 of not eating and peeing in his diaper while asleep while without getting up, something was really not right. New labs showed that his BUN and creatinine had jumped off a cliff and weren't even readable. His phosphorous was terribly high as well, and he surely felt absolutely awful.
Lexi was able to hold onto Winky in the presence of his other mommies/kennel staff to send her boy off to the rainbow bridge.
She shared,
"When I used a quiet moment of my day while I ate my sandwich to pick my favorite photos from the last week, I never imagined it would be for a memorial instead of an introduction.
Meet and mourn- Wink 12 years old, no teeth, tongue forever sticking out, kidney failure, snuggle bug- just the way I like them His shelter name was Winston (like my previous Frosted Face) so it felt like fate.
Life is always unfair, yet lately it seems even more so. But, I know I’m insanely lucky to have had a few sleeps of his crusty tongue on my arm while he snored softly snuggled in tight all night long. This tiny dog was so so loved."
We are so lucky to have people like Lexi on our staff who feel accountable for all of the Frosted Faces and put love into action.
Obi
Acquired from: Inland Valley Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 13
Date of Rescue: December 17, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Jeffrey & Cynthia Bennett
Fans: Bonita Bolyard Foose
Eggnog
Acquired from: Inland Valley Humane Society
Age upon Rescue: 9
Date of Rescue: December 17, 2021
Date of Passing: January 3rd, 2022
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: Judith Johnson
Tribute: On January 3rd, we fulfilled our promise to Frosted Face Eggnog.
Eggnog entered the shelter as a stray and the Rescue Coordinator requested that he leave with us along with two other dogs. Ellie Ash-Bala gave him his freedom ride to FFF and right away we noticed he got very short of breath when excited. We put him in front of Dr. Russell immediately where he diagnosed him to be in end stage congestive heart failure, so we hospitalized him and gave him lasix injections among other medications until he could breathe better.
We took him under our wing at the Smisek house once he could take oral meds. We spent a lot of time counting breaths trying to accurately relay them to the vet about when to give lasix and not. Eggnog got to go on FFF hikes, mostly carried, watched "When Harry Met Sally" with us on New Year's, went strolling on the beach, and spent a lot of time against our chests being held closely. By Sunday night he seemed awfully quiet, but his breathing hadn't really changed at all so we thought maybe we had just worn him out.
On very early Monday morning, we woke up to Eggy taking his last breaths. Gosh, you think as much as we have done this you would know when to call it and I wish we would have, but we didn't. Instead, we held him as he drifted away from this world over just a matter of a couple minutes assuring him, "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, we love you."
I will forever be surprised by the rapid decline of newly abandoned seniors. It's just heartbreaking. The thought, couldn't their families had just hung on for two more days, or one more week? Or I wonder how many dogs we actually HAVE helped live longer lives because their families abandoned them and, our treatment methods worked and we didn't even know it.
Fate didn't go that way for Egg, but we did our best for him. I will never forget his soft bunny fur. <3
crosby
Acquired from: Upland Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 6
Date of Rescue: December 18, 2021
Date of Passing: August 7, 2023
Family: Kimberly & Neil Cunningham
Fans: Jessica Pohly
Tribute: On August 7th, Neil and Kimberly fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Crosby.
Unfortunately, he battled prostate cancer from being altered too late in life and we tried to give him every last good day with medications and supportive care.
We will never forget your sweet smile.
babe Lincoln
Acquired from: Upland Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 10
Date of Rescue: December 18, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Katerina & Jerry Stevenson
Fans: RZ
Versaci
Acquired from: Upland Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 12
Date of Rescue: December 18, 2021
Date of Passing: February 2, 2024
Family: Mary Haller & Gloria Brown
Fans: Bria T.
Tribute: On February 2nd, Gloria and Mary fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Versaci.
They shared,
"He came to us with a heart issue, and he was always under the care of a vet, but last week he was lethargic and wouldn’t eat. We took him in to the vet and his heart was surrounded by fluid, and his blood tests showed poor liver and kidney values. He was treated for 3 days with IV fluids, and he perked up a little, but he never got to the point that he was wanting to eat, even with some appetite stimulants, so we knew the time had come for him to cross.
He will be incredibly missed. He was the sweetest best little boy, and he was well loved."
Noelle
Acquired from: East Valley LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue:13
Date of Rescue:December 18, 2021
Date of Passing: December 25th, 2021
Family: Frosted Faces Foundation
Fans: RZ
Tribute: The week before Christmas, two elderly chihuahua sisters were dumped in the donation bin in front of East Valley LA Shelter with towels draped on top of them. That's the sad news. Rescue Coordinator, Veronica Perry, reached out to us for a low profile exit- just get them safe and vetted without the hooplah of pledge chasers. Did you know that's a thing in "rescue?" Rescuers will exit dogs with hundreds of dollars of pledged donations with the promise of rescue, and pile them on fosters with waaaaay too many dogs, and often they don't get the care they need. Rescue is quite an unstandardized business, even with the best intentions, so here is your light reminder to nudge the organizations and dogs you support for updates and financials because we are seeing a lot more of this lately.
Kurin Perry and Jeanne Wilder did a tag team exit for newly named Noelle and Mistletoe to transfer them from LA to FFF. The girls were in rough shape. Noelle (the blonde one) had really busy lungs for which we started her on IV fluids and antibiotics. We found that she also had a closed pyo and sent her to College Animal Hospital for immediate surgery. She was not oxygenating well at all, around 80%, so we agreed to do one more day of antibiotics, nebulizing, coupage, and see if we could get her in a better place where she would survive the recovery of the procedure. It was the imperfect storm of critical conditions, leaving us no good options. We lost Noelle on Christmas Eve because it was all too much to fight at once.
Mistletoe
Acquired from: East Valley LA Shelter
Age upon Rescue: 15
Date of Rescue: December 18, 2021
Date of Passing: February 7, 2022
Family: Brianna Ziomek & Joel McGraw
Fans: Lowzik, Angela Morgan Julich, Stephanie Whittenberg, The Haines Family
Tribute: On February 7th, Brianna and Joel fulfilled their promise to Frosted Face Mistletoe.
Recall Mistletoe had been left in the donation bin with her sister, Noelle, in the front of the shelter. We later learned that a neighbor of their guardian did this because she did not think they were being well cared for. The true owner came to the shelter to learn their outcome and let shelter staff know that Mistletoe's real name was Shadow.
Mistletoe had a large mass in her abdomen that we monitored. In the end, Mistletoe succumbed to what looked like a neurological event. It is so unfair that these girls did not get more time in the care of families who loved them.
Her mom shared,
"Mistletoe was part of our family for 33 days. She was a busy dog, always moving always searching, for what exactly I’m not sure. She very rarely took a rest as she had places to go and laps to make.
She liked to follow anything but my other dogs were not fast enough for her so she’d pass them and continue on.
She liked to follow me too, she would do the cutest thing - I would take one step, she would follow that leg and sniff / lick my ankle, then the next step same thing to the other leg. We played this game until she would get bored and continue on her laps.
I’d have to pick her up because she would start to spin herself dizzy in a circle so I needed to break the cycle. She’d let me hold her for a bit and learned how to give me kisses on my cheek.
I figured out that when she was mad she would bark. She had to get quite a few baths because for some reason she liked to walk through poop, not sure why but if there was poop anywhere for even a second, she’d find it and walk through it until it was properly smushed. So needless to say she had to have pretty regular baths, and she hated them! After maybe 10 seconds she would start her little bark and you could feel her sassiness - but she’d always fall asleep in my arms after her bath once I wrapped her up in a cozy towel and held her to warm her up.
She was a tough girl, I don’t think she understood love and pets but was starting to.. I don’t know what her previous life was but I hope in those last 33 days she understood she was loved and protected.
She’s now free to eat whatever she wants with no pain and hopefully she found what I’m thinking she was looking for - her little sister who was with her in that box. "
Blue
Acquired from: OC Animal Care
Age upon Rescue: 5
Date of Rescue: December 18, 2021
Date of Passing:
Family: Shannon Burns
Fans: Jessica Pohly, Patricia Gonzalez-Powell, Masako Tamashiro & Crystal Vazquez