In Loving Memory

Having Lyla as part of our family was one of the best things that happened to us! We got her as a puppy when my youngest was 2 years old back in 2009 and she was truly a member of our family. She was an avid hiker, runner, cat chaser and even once, accidentally killed a chicken. She passed away very comfortably at almost 16 years of age and will be sorely missed.
From Jay, Karen, Kate, Jacob and Charlotte McIntyre.

With the help of Resting Paws, Velcro passed away peacefully at home with no anxiety or pain and we cannot thank them enough for that gift. Velcro was only with us for the last four years and five months of his life which, unfortunately, were filled with vet visits and procedures. Through it all, he maintained his love of life and of everyone around him, although that love did not extend to other dogs. He was a very special boy who just lived to give kisses with his very long tongue! Queenie, the cat, learned to appreciate him too but never did like those kisses on her face. We miss you so much, Velcro, and cherish our memories of you being a total nut job with your crooked smile and your wiggling little butt. Your “I’m cutsie” pose always made us stop what we were doing to give you tummy rubs. Our hearts are shattered, but we are forever grateful that you chose us to be your forever family. Rest in peace little bubba.

Browning, wiggle butt, monkey, sweet baby girl, you will be forever loved and missed. You made coming home so much more enjoyable. Knowing that you were always waiting at the top of the stairs, with all your excitement, whether we were gone for 12 minutes or 12 hours. You were the first out the door and ready for any adventure with us. Your gentle and loving nature always filled our hearts, your grumbling bottomless stomach always cleaned up our leftovers and your eagerness to be always present meant you never showed up late for breakfast or dinner. Our favorite was your well worn tail always beating to its own drum filling the house with such sweet sounds as it struck the floor, the wall or anything else in its path. You were happy, loyal, determined, and a dog we will never be able to replicate. Your puppy mentality outlasted that body of yours though you tried your best to keep pushing through. Thanks for the memories, we will always love you!

Rocky was a handsome, gentle soul and loved to be around people and dogs. He was a friend to dogs that struggled with being social and always reacted with a playful attitude. His favourite place was Elk Lake, and he was his happiest self when he could run. We’ll miss you, buddy.

Blue

It’s with heavy hearts we’re informing you that our beautiful blue boy has passed on. The decision was made with deep consideration for his overall wellbeing. Through his more recent struggle with a disease called degenerative myelopathy, we’ve witness our strong boy go from willing and able, to the loss of function in his rear end and bodily control. His will never wavering. Blues amazing manner and soft eyes never left him, making the decision feel uneasy. Although he couldn’t hold his own he still knew how to make our house feel like a home. Barking as I came home from work or being the dog therapist for all the kids and Bev in the daycare. He lived up to his name to the very end.

We owe him so much more than we’ll ever imagine and we can only hope our love for him was received in full. Blue is the reason our family is together. It was blue who initially caught my eye on social media to begin the search of, “who’s the owner of this beautiful Chesapeake”. (I had just been scrolling through a dog breed book and was convinced this was the breed for me.) In the ensuing weeks, months and years I would have the pleasure to get close with Blue and his beautiful mother Bev. He truly was our fur baby and will forever be remember as our perfect boy.

Blues impact was understandably immense. His joy and energy matched his size, and his acceptance of all that walked the earth was admirable. There wasn’t many scenarios where he didn’t bring an aura of calming and joyfulness. This was highly showcased in the way he interacted with puppies. He loved being able to show them how to play, while being gentle. Of course there was a side of him I’m sure we can all recollect where nothing else mattered……. But the beach!!!! His love for the water was only rivalled for the love he had for his family. Often spending hours swimming, diving and of course splashing. Throughout the years we have been blessed to take him on many adventures all over the island and throughout this beautiful province. He has had the luxury of swimming and “splashing” in many different bodies of water along the way.

Blue was so much more than a dog to us. Never assuming judgement, he could always make you feel as if everything was going to be ok…. “So long as you continue petting my head!” In all seriousness he lead many different roles in our family. He was an adventuring partner, climbing high hills and searching for life’s treasures, as well as a fishing partner to places like Nootka sound. He was a running partner and a job site Forman, (for six beautiful years). He was a beach walker spending countless weeks and weekends at his favourite place in the world… the cabin. He was a therapy dog, a daycare icon, a washing machine and a teacher. He was a best friend to us and the girls, a brother and the best dog ever. We can’t thank him enough for giving us 12 amazing years of love and kindness.

Nobody ever explained to me how fast this journey was to unfold. Who decided that dogs should only live a fraction of a humans lifetime anyways. Seems unfair for something that lives with such purity and devotion. The responsibility we took in choosing his path is one that has been haunting.

I believe that Blues loving impact will be felt by whomever he came in contact with and that his legacy in our family will never be forgotten. “

During Marlo’s 9 years she brought such immense joy into our lives. She embodied her happiness with the classic boxer jellybean dance. Marlo was our first baby, which meant she got a couple years of dog focused adventures, but then she loved even more when the kids came along. She napped with our babies, played dress up with toddlers and then walked kids to and from school. She loved us all unwaveringly.

We will never feel like we had enough time with her. We learnt of her cancer two months before her passing. Being able to say goodbye in peace and at home was a gift we are so grateful to the Resting Paws team for. We keep Marlo close in our hearts.

Oliver was a wild one – he loved hunting, exploring on our walks, and napping in the dirt… all while demanding that his heating pad be on at all times. I’m incredibly grateful that we found each other and shared 12 amazing years together. I will always carry him in my heart. Grief is just unexpressed love.

Dr. Nicola and Heather were amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful they were there during one of the hardest moments of my life. I don’t know how else to say it, but they’re absolute pros at what they do. Thank you.

My sweet, beautiful Carter, thank you for sharing your life with us and being a perfect fit to our family.
We feel so grateful and blessed to have been a part of your journey, filling our hearts with love and laughter.
You gave us strength during challenging times offering us so much joy with your loving energy.
Love you forever 💕
Loretta and Lauren

Thank you Dr Vanessa and Heather for being the angels that came to give Carter the most peaceful and beautiful end of life experience.

Talia was very sweet and gentle. I was very lucky to have her, even if it was only for the last three years of her life.

I want to thank you Vanessa and your team for what was a truly transformational experience with Rufus Tuesday. He was so calm and his passing so peaceful. We all felt extremely supported and this made what could have been one of the worst days for us, a day we can remember as compassionate and comforting.

The candle and poem are sitting with photos of him and his collar tags on a remembrance alter. This has also made these last few days more meaningful.

Thank you again for your truly incredible hospice service. It was more than we could have hoped for.

Dakota was with us for 18 wonderful years. We will miss her craziness, her talking and her cuddles.
She was very vocal and had the zoomies at night to make sure we were awake. She wouldn’t miss one occasion to watch us from her cat tree. Now we know she will keep watching over us from where she is.

Our beautiful Sadie was a constant and loyal companion to all of us and we loved her so very much. We will miss her every day and cherish the beautiful memories that we shared together.

With heavy hearts, we say goodbye to our beloved dog, Kea (April 21, 2010 – December 31, 2024).

Kea was a comical source of joy and love from the very first moment we met her. As a puppy, she was the obedience class clown, always entertaining and getting into mischief. As she grew, she somehow became sweeter and sweeter every day. When we thought there was no way she could get any sweeter, she somehow could, and she did.

Kea had a passion for adventure and a playful energy. She loved swimming, fetching sticks from the water, jumping off docks, and would race to the top of any mountain we hiked wondering what was taking her parents so long to catch up.

Kea made friends wherever she went. She particularly won the hearts of a few special neighbours. One of Kea’s most treasured activities was trick-or-treating (multiple times per day) at our neighbors’ gates.

Her exuberant spirit filled our home with laughter and love, and we miss her dearly.

Pandora loved swimming, treats, sun bathing and cuddling. She was a very special dog, we had the honour growing old with her. She is and will be missed deeply.

Sweet Molly, Forever loved and never forgotten.

“Our darling girl Molly passed away peacefully just shy of her 14th birthday, surrounded by her loved ones with the breeze in her face and the grass under her paws on our family farm. Molly was our “foster fail” who came into our lives when she was about a year old, and from the moment she arrived we knew she was never leaving. Molly was beloved by her family, as well as many who had never met her, but knew her through her Instagram @hyperintelligentmolly. Molly did numerous modelling contacts over the years, and her face can be found in print catalogues and on the sides of pet stores. Molly loved hiking and camping, taking flying leaps into the water, road trips, rolling in the snow and grass, Easter egg hunts, chasing the side-by-side on the farm, crunchy treats, and cuddles in bed in the morning. Molly summited mountains, flew in a plane, participated in multi day backpacking trips, canoeing, paddle boarding, snowshoeing, dock diving and even tried her paw at sheep herding. She was passionate about howling along to Lorde and growling at Kung fu movies. Molly is deeply missed by her mom & dad, grandpawrents & best dog friend Remy. We are so grateful to have had such a beautiful soul in our lives. “

He was the sweetest little man out there. Definitely a bit of a hand whore when it came to the pets and he loved to climb people. He had such a distinct, lovable personality. He will be missed

My Sweet Charlotte, left us earthside on December 19 2024.

For the nine wonderful years I had with her, she brought unquantifiable joy, and unconditional love into my life.

She was the perfect example of a classic cat, Independent but loving, proper yet playful, respectful yet curious. Never one to be picked up she would contently sit by your side, leaning against you, sharing her warmth.

She ventured home with me to the Yukon through my years at university, lounged in her favourite corner at my parents house in the sun in Victoria, and loved sitting at the window in my Condo, watching the goings on beyond the glass. These places will never feel quite the same without her quiet presence, or her polite meow letting us know her food bowl might be empty. She had the softest fur, and if you were lucky, she would lean on your outstretched arm, nestling herself into you and providing rare kisses on your hand. In the weeks before she died, she must have known her time was coming to an end, as she slept like this with me for many days straight. I’m grateful for the memory of this, now that she has moved on.

She will be greatly missed by many people, including her cat sister Luna, who Charlotte tolerated with the utmost of patience.

Oscar was such a lovely dog who was loved so much by all of us and we really miss our family member.

We were so lucky to have Lily in our lives for the past 11 and a half years and anyone who knows us knows what an irreplaceable part of our family she was. She wasn’t just a dog; she was a constant source of love and joy who touched our lives in ways we never thought possible. Everyone who met her instantly fell for her soft, sensitive soul.

From the moment we brought her home, she fit into our family perfectly, as though she was always meant to be with us. She had a calm, easygoing nature and was happy doing anything, as long as she was by our side—whether it was a walk, a hike, watching TV, or just napping. She always went with the flow.

Lily was incredibly smart, too. In her later years, she decided that carrying groceries was her special job, and she even made it onto CTV Vancouver Island News for her talents.  She was truly one of a kind.

She had the best life and was loved beyond measure. Her absence will be felt deeply in so many little ways, like looking up to see her in the kitchen hoping for a treat, finding her at our feet while watching tv, or being greeted at the door by her happy wiggle and favorite toy.

Her memory will be everywhere, and the boundless joy and love she gave us will forever live in our hearts. We’ll miss her immensely and grieve her loss for a long time.

But we take comfort in knowing she is running free now, playing with all the dogs that came before her, chasing tennis balls, and bounding through endless ocean waves. (And eating all the pup cups she could ever hope for!)

Rest easy, sweet Lily.