FOREVER REMEMBERED

On September 18, 2021, an unimaginable tragedy took the lives of 75 beloved pets. We’ll always remember the joy they brought to the families they had as well as all who came into their paths during their time with us.

Ace H. – Ace S. – Ace A. – Angus – Artemis – Auralious – Bearzy – Bluey – Buddy – Bunnie – Cali – Canelo – Chipper – Clyde – Coaster – Dana – Dash – Dean – Dempsey – Drexel – Duchess – Duke – Earl – Fiona – Gizmo – Goose – Granger – Graycie – Gunnery – Hope – Hunter – Kona – Leon – Lilly – Lola – Louie – Luna – Mac – Maia – Margo Claire – Maverick – Molly – Motley – Mozart – Nash – Ozzie – Parker – Penny – Piper T. – Piper H. – Ricky – Rocco – Rooney – Roxie – Rudy – Sadie – Sailor – Sammy L. – Sammy H. – Sargent – Scout – Shadow – Sherlock – Shoes – Snoop Dogg – Sunny – Teddy – Tino – Titan – Toby W. – Toby S. – Walker – Zander – Zane – Zeke H. – Zeke A.

I have thought a lot about what to put on this page. Any memorial or any words will never be enough to counter the pain and gravity of the loss that we all incurred.

Although I still don’t really have a way to put all of my thoughts into words that will make sense, I want to put into words and expressions about how I will choose to remember a business that was built and developed over the course of 11 ½ years.

Earlier this year, as the building that once was Ponderosa Pet Resort was being demolished, I did one last walk-through. The building was empty and stripped of all contents, and all that was left was a concrete slab and steel beams.

I walked around for a while, and I just let my thoughts go where they wanted to go. Where they ended up going was to a place of immense gratitude. I suppose I could live out my life feeling angry, hurt, confused, and bitter about what happened and how it affected so many people, but for some reason, my thoughts kept going back to the gratitude of all of the things that have occurred at that site.

For 11 ½ years, this was a place where many happy events occurred daily. Dogs found a place where they could safely play with other dogs and create new friendships. Many dogs were kept from euthanasia through our years of training programs and behavioral rehabilitation programs for dogs. Thousands of dogs left our training programs better than they arrived and made pet owners so happy. Relationships with clients were formed and were much deeper than the usual business to client routine encounters. Clients knew when our staff had babies, had achieved things outside of work, and so much more about each other. This was a place where people came to work and made lasting, lifelong friendships with each other that still exists today. There was a lot of laughter.

My team and I have so many wonderful memories from our time together and all of the day-to-day things that we did to enhance each other’s lives, and the lives of our clients and their pets that they shared with us. This is what I will hold onto forever. Although the ending was painful, I choose to cherish the many wonderful things that came out of the opportunity to have this business in this town.

I am forever grateful to the countless people who showed their love and support to my family, my employees, my community, and to each other during some of the most trying times most of us have ever faced.

To those who lost their pets:  I am truly sorry that this event happened. I fully understand the pain, confusion, anger, and all of the other emotions that have been part of this journey.

I would never want you to have to experience what you have experienced. Many of you have shown the utmost grace, compassion, and understanding that meant the world to my family and my team. For that, I will forever be grateful.

As I finished walking around the empty building, the words from the book of Job came to the forefront of my thoughts: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord”

Although I will never understand why things happened the way that they did, my trust and hope is in something much greater than myself.

I pray in time you all will find the peace you deserve.

Phillip

I want this page to also pay tribute to the employees who made such a difference in the lives of the dogs that came our way.  We also are grateful for the thousands of dogs that came through our facility over the course of 11+ years.  What memories we share of these experiences.