We all have those heart-melting moments with our furry friends, don’t we? At Marcus's Memory Wall, we want to celebrate those memories together! Whether it's a goofy pic of your pup mid-chase, or that glorious moment when your friend first discovered the sunny spot on the floor, your photos and stories deserve to shine. Let’s turn this wall into a tapestry of memories and love for our dogs because, let’s face it, they've made our lives a whole lot brighter!Marcus was born in a no kill shelter. His mom and all of his siblings were adopted, but Marcus had some "less desirable" traits that made finding a home for him a challenge. We met Marcus when he was about 18 months old. His social anxiety was so bad that we were warned by the staff at the shelter that he would likely not come to us, would be very shy, and may not want to interact with us at all. My son had it in his mind that we were not leaving without Marcus. I explained in as gentle of a way as possible that sometimes families and dogs are not a good fit and that it was ok if Marcus was a fit for another family. As the handler walked into the visiting area with Marcus, the instant he saw us in there, he planted in the middle of the floor and refused to move. I made gestures, called him gently, still nothing. My heart sank. I was hoping for the best, but nevertheless, Marcus was just not comfortable. My son sat on the floor and in his small caring little voice, he called Marcus over to him. Without hesitation, Marcus stood up, walked slowly to my son, and sat down next to him. My son gave him the biggest hug, the attendant started crying, and I knew that Marcus was meant to come home with us.

Although it was a bit of a struggle to get Marcus to begin to feel comfortable, eventually, around our family and those that would regularly visit, Marcus would begin to feel more and more comfortable. He was loving, he was silly, he had a special little howl-ish bark. He was certainly loved and gave us love in return. When we were in the adoption process, we were told that Marcus had a heart murmur. It wasn't "life-threatening", but it may get him tired sooner when playing. We didn't really notice any issues, and through regular vet visits, there seemed to be no real concern. One night, I heard a loud noise coming from our living room. I ran out to see Marcus having a seizure. We immediately rushed him to the hospital. Marcus was put on medication to prevent future seizures, but the vet did say that the seizure made the heart murmur worse and Marcus was put on additional medications for blood pressure and anxiety. We went years without any further issues, but the seizure happened again, and his conditioned worsened even more.

After 4 years, Marcus is no longer with us. The hardest part was having to tell my son that the friend that chose him was gone. I knew that we would be facing a grief journey for the first time. Being able to tell Marcus' story over and over is still a part of that grieving process. Marcus is now waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge, and we will be there to give him the hugs that he loved, but until then we want to honor his memory and the memory of others that have gone. We want to be a resource to help you grieve by allowing you to bring a picture of your dog that has gone to the Rainbow Bridge and hang it on Marcus's Memory Wall. These dogs are more than pets, they are family members, and we want to celebrate your family member with you.