Two brown and black large dogs sitting in the kitchen together

Kela and Piper were the sweetest girls and my kids and I miss our dear German Shepherds so very much. We brought Kela (the larger of the two) home at 8 weeks from Washougal, Washington. My plan was to have her be a family dog and a therapy dog for my classroom. Because of this, the breeder, who was going to keep Kela, said we could have her as our pick. She predicted Kela would be mellow, sweet, and super easygoing- perfect for our family and my classroom. Sadly, at two years old, Kela developed a seizure disorder which disqualified her from being a therapy dog but she was still the most amazing family dog. Her seizures were maintained through meds with a breakthrough seizure about every 6-10 weeks. She was loved and spoiled beyond measure. In the summer of 2020, Kela had an uncharacteristic daytime seizure. We rushed her to the ER after her she was not recovering as she typically did. Kela spent the night and responded to treatment. She was back to herself within two weeks. In May of 2021, Kela had another seizure which she was not recovering from. We took her to the ER again and this time it was much worse. The seizure caused blindness, deafness, and she could not walk. After treatment and a hospital stay, we were faced with the news that her quality of life was poor and it was best to put her down. My kids and I were completely devastated. She was our sweet girl- our mellow pup- our Kela. My daughter and I (my son was too sad to go) spent several hours with her in the comfort room saying goodbye- no amount of time would be enough. It was confusing and frustrating- why did this happen- it was not fair. We are still heartbroken to this day. It was way too soon to lose our girl. Love you sweet Kela.

We rescued our dear sweet Piper when she was about we think a year old. The lady was rehoming her because she killed her chickens. Piper came to us with signs she had been abused and treated poorly. Her demeanor was cautious but sweet and loving. She connected with our Kela girl immediately. They became best friends and you could tell they were both happy to have a canine companion. Piper came to use without medical records and had a lot of skin and ear problems from the start. We took care of her needs and you could tell how much she appreciated the love and attention we gave her. Kela and Piper were each other's yin and yang. Kela was mellow and rarely made a peep and Piper was alert and informed us if anyone came around (i.e. the barker of the two LOL ). She loved to cuddle with us and watch a movie. Piper knew the routes we went for their walks and if I tried to keep going rather than turn into our cul-de-sac, Piper would pull in protest, knowing where she was and that it was time to go back in her mind. She did not like the car but loved treats. When we added a third dog to the pack (a mini Dachshund), Piper was super careful and sweet with her. It was quite adorable. Piper would alert us if Kela was having a breakthrough seizure. She liked to sneak up on the couch and take naps. She was always curious. In October of 2022, I was in Boise, ID visiting my daughter for family weekend at Boise State. I had my daughter's friends dog sitting. They loved Piper and took good care of her. It was a Saturday around 4pm and my friend had gone to let Piper out and spend some time with her as my sitters had to work until 10pm that night. She said Piper was happy, energetic, ran around, ate, and then hung out with my friend for a while. She was her regular self when my friend put her back into the kennel. At 10:15pm that night, I received a phone call from the parent of one of the dog sitters. She called to tell me when they came home that night, Piper was in the back of the kennel, deceased. I was with my daughter and we both were beyond shocked. I did not know what to do- I was 6 hours away. I was devastated. The next day, I called a local pet memorial place. They were absolutely wonderful and I made an appointment for that Monday to bring my dear pup in to be cremated (we had Kela cremated as well). My friend who saw her that Saturday afternoon, met me at the house on Sunday when I got back from Boise. She helped me out to put Piper at rest and prepare to take her to be cremated on Monday. The vet examined her and believed that Piper either had a blood clot or an asymptomatic infection that took her life. Piper was also just gone too soon and it hurt our hearts so much. Love you sweet Piper.

Both my sweet Shepherds left us way too early. Both were eight years old. They were loved and spoiled beyond measure. Anytime my kids or I see German Shepherds, we are drawn to them to go pet (with permission) or if it is from afar, we quietly reflect on our love and time with Kela and Piper and often shed a tear. I cannot describe the awesomeness that comes with owning a German Shepherd. They are German Shepherds, German Shedders, and German Shredders. They are loyal, majestic, and absolutely the best! We used to laugh at the reactions we would get when we would walk the girls (especially when my daughter would walk them on her own)- people would walk to the other side of the street as if our Shepherds were unsafe. Little did they know, Kela and Piper would love their attention and just sit and enjoy them giving them some loves. We miss our girls daily. My kids and I would do anything to cuddle with them one more time and just have their fur on our clothes. Kela and Piper tattooed themselves on our hearts and we were so lucky to have them as our furbabies. They now have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and despite our sadness in losing them, there is comfort in knowing they are together again- best fur friends for life. We miss and love you furever Kela and Piper.