When we choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, we live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortailty, never fully understanding the necessary plan… — “The Once Again Prince” from Separate Life Times, Irving Townsend.
We have had the privilege of loving many great horses and dogs over the years, and have felt great sadness when they made their way to the Rainbow Bridge. This page is dedicated to those we have known and loved, and who we know are waiting for us now at the Bridge…
Horses
MS Treveri
Our foundation Hanoverian broodmare
March 7, 1987 to April 24, 2010
Treveri came to us in 2002 as our foundation Hanoverian broodmare. She was the heart and soul of Shepherd Farm and of our breeding program. In her lifetime, she had 11 healthy Hanoverian foals. She gave us four beautiful fillies who she stamped with her loving maternal instinct, her ability to deeply bond with her human companions, and with her dignity and her indomitable spirit. Her beauty lives on forever through her daughters, their offspring, and beyond.
Grand Illusion
Thoroughbred Gelding
1982 to December 5, 2009
Grand Illusion was the founding member of The Grand Illusion Horse Rescue. He will forever hold a special place in our hearts. This Tribute, which appeared in the December 2009 Equiery, honored our beloved elder statesman.
Maple and Angel
PMU Percheron Mare
1996 to June 9, 2005
Maple was a kind, beautiful Percheron mare who came to our Rescue after spending almost a decade on the PMU lines. In the short year that she spent with us, she learned to love and trust people, enjoy equine companionship and to roam the pastures free and unencumbered. She enjoyed running through the streams and romping in the snow. She cherished her new found freedom. Maple and her unborn grey filly Angel died tragically when the filly became severely breeched during delivery. They died too young. Their last day was the worst day that Shepherd Farm has seen.
Maple Creek Athena (“Camie”)
Registered Percheron Mare
April 1, 2004 to June 2, 2010
Beautiful sweet Camie came to us as a little weanling. Over the years, she grew to be a strikingly beautiful riding horse. Camie had a beautiful head with a kind eye, a shiny black coat, and simply lovely gaits. She was smart and brave and enjoyed her trail rides. Camie was just starting to foxhunt. She loved people and all the horses in her herd. Tragically, Camie colicked and suffered a displacement which could not be resolved despite our greatest efforts. We are deeply saddened that Camie’s precious and promising life was cut so very short.
Noon Start LS
Hanoverian Filly
April 27, 2006 to May 19, 2006
Sweet little Nora was only 3 weeks old when she left us. She was the 2006 daughter of Farethewel by ES Nocturno. She became gravely ill as a two week old and despite our efforts, we were unable to save her. We gave her mouth to mouth in the back of the horse trailer on the drive to Leesburg. She made it to the Hospital, but after consulting with the vets, we made the hard decision to humanely euthanize her. Rest in peace little one.
Dogs
Justie
German Shepherd
December 11, 1997 to April 30, 2010
Our farm is named after our first German Shepherd – Justie. She was by our side for 12 and 1/2 years, since she was an 8 week old puppy. Justie was one of our dearest friends in the world. She was with us for every major event in our lives, our wedding, our first home, the adoption of our daughter, and the purchase of our farm. Justie was a loyal, dignified, and intelligent shepherd who was always a few feet from us. She was pack leader of all our dogs and the one that everyone wanted to share a dog bed with. Justie is the reason that we started rescuing German Shepherds. We have created a special page for Justie that shows how central she was in our lives over the many years. In the end, Justie succumbed to complications from an abdominal mass and degenerative myelopathy. We were by her side, cradling her head and kissing her nose until she took her last breath.
Stacatto
Golden-Corgi mix
May 1, 1997 to August 4, 2005
Stacatto was our first dog – an energetic Golden mix who we adopted from the DC shelter. He was always smiling and somehow maintained his puppy look throughout his life – the short legs from the Corgi side helped! Stacatto developed lymphoma at 8 years old. He taught us much about treating cancer in dogs. The most important lesson we learned is to stay focused first on treating and loving the dog and second on treating and fighting the disease. You succeed when the dog is contented to his last days – not when you achieve some statistically favorable number of remission days.
Roo
Black German Shepherd
December 4, 1999 to January 26, 2008
We found Roo in the back of the Friends for Life rescue bus parked in front of the PetSmart. They had brought Roo to the adoption day only for basic socialization but did not offer him for adoption that day because he was bald and emaciated. He was also recovering from a severe systemic infection. Friends for Life had rescued Roo from life as a stray on the streets of rural West Virginia. When they found Roo, his leg was so infected that they needed to amputate it immediately in order to save his life. They named him Roo because he hopped on his three legs like a kangaroo. Despite his gait, Roo embodied the term “indomitable spirit.” After several months of rehabilitation with us, he grew a beautiful black coat, gained 40 pounds and gained even more confidence. Roo became deeply bonded with and an integral part of our family and we miss him dearly.
Hans
German Shepherd
February 9, 1997 to December 24, 2007
Hans was a bear of a dog, a true Gentle Giant. Hans joined us as a foster dog from the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue. We found him to be a gentle and loyal dog and truthfully did not want to adopt him out. When we did find a loving home for him, we decided to let him go. Sadly, he was returned to us a few months later. This time, we did not make the same mistake twice and decided to keep Hans, knowing that he was meant to be part of our family. Unfortunately as a large, older Shepherd, Hans had a weak heart. He died without warning on Christmas Eve of 2007 from cardiomyopathy. We loved you sweet old bear.
Athenia
German Shepherd
3/1/1995 to 3/30/2009
Athenia also came to us as a foster dog from the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue. She joined us when her petite muzzle was grey, she was already twelve years old – and was not readily adopable. We did find Athenia an adoptive home with an elderly woman, but sadly, Athenia was returned to us after only a few months. Athenia struggled with degenerative myelopathy in her final years, but always maintained her dignity and strong pack-leader mentality.
This page has the following sub pages.
Shepherd Farm 
