Maggie Mae’s Memorial

CATTLEDOG MIX

• From: Modesto, California

• Adopted: 2019

• Crossed the Rainbow Bridge: Jan 22, 2022

With lots of tears and heartache, we are sad to announce that Maggie passed away on Saturday night. She would have been 17 years old in July.

In late June 2019, we rescued Maggie from a shelter that was going to euthanize her for growling at staff. Apparently her dad died in the house, leaving Maggie behind for several days.

By doing some research, I was able to find Maggie's owner on FB and I sent messages to everyone on his friends list in hopes to reach his family. I was able to contact his stepdaughter, Jonna and tell her that we had Maggie.

Michael was a Vietnam War veteran and his funeral was just a few days after we had rescued Maggie. Jonna invited us to the funeral and we brought Maggie to pay our respects.

From then on, Maggie learned how to live on a ranch with lots of animals, volunteers and visitors. It was quite different than her previous life with a senior citizen and Maggie was initially quite overwhelmed.

It took many months for Maggie to be comfortable with her new life. She tended to snap at anyone who tried to reach out to pet her. So we let everyone know it was important for Maggie to initiate the contact.

Eventually, Maggie came out of her shell and realized that kiddie pools are great, the sanctuary animals are not that scary and that we were there to love on her and care for her.

Maggie loved watching the volunteers do their chores. She would follow them and be their shadow. Maggie also loved following the other ranch dogs, especially when they went to bark at the horses.

Maggie would run along the fence line and bark at the horses. She had no idea what she was doing, but I think she thought she was being a good herding dog.

Maggie lived a great life with her dad and then us. She was loved by our volunteers and visitors who became her monthly sponsors. Thankfully, Maggie was relatively healthy when rescued her and stayed in good shape until the last few weeks.

She developed two corneal ulcers for no other reason than being old. But she was slowing down and becoming weak..we just didn't realize she would decline so quickly, as the vet had just examined her and her bloodwork was great for a 16.5 year old dog.

Maggie waited until I got home to pass away. We rarely go anywhere but I booked the next flight home when our volunteer brought her into the house to comfort her.

Maggie was very strong willed and LOVED being outside. As a compromise, we would put her in the garage during bad weather, but she always protested by barking and barking. So I knew if she was too weak to go outside, that it was extremely urgent that I go home.

I quickly got home and we placed her in a wagon to take her outside one last time. Maggie was weak but she perked up when she saw the horses, Dylan and Alyah who she loved to torment.

I'm grateful that she waited for me to do this for her, I got home just in time. I spent the last two hours of her life being outside with her and the other sanctuary animals.

Then, as her breathing became labored, I told Maggie that her dad was already waiting for on the other side. I told her to go and with that, she took a few more breaths and peacefully passed away.

We love you Maggie Mae... Maggie Mayhem.. Mags to Riches.

Maggie Mae’s Story

In 2019, we rescued this senior Cattle Dog mix from the euthanasia list at the Stanislaus County Shelter. We happened to see a plea for her rescue. No one wanted her, but we did and we took her in without knowing her sad back story.

After reviewing her intake paperwork, I was intrigued that there was an actual address listed of where Maggie was picked up. I started to look online to find out about Maggie's past.

And with some online inquiries and information from the shelter, I figured out who lived at the listed address.. he was a 70 year old man. He had passed away in his home... leaving Maggie alone for several days.

I searched on FB for a matching name and miraculously Maggie's owner's had a FB profile! I messaged everyone on his list and told them we had Michael's dog. One person responded and it was his stepdaughter!

We messaged back and forth and she said that his military funeral was in a few days. He was a Vietnam War Veteran. She said that Maggie helped Michael cope with the traumas of being in the war.

We felt that the right thing to do was to bring Maggie, which was Michael's 'pride and joy' (according to her original veterinarian's office) to the funeral.

It had been several years since his stepdaughter (who lives out of state) had seen Maggie. But she was relieved that her dad's beloved dog was safe with us.

Maggie continues to amaze us with her energetic play. She continues to run around and play with the much younger sanctuary dogs.

She was so scared and shut down when she first came to the ranch. But after letting her decompress for several months, the real Maggie eventually emerged. She is a sweetheart but petting has to be on her terms!