| Rest In Peace, Molly Mae |
On Oct. 16, 2009, Molly Mae passed away. She was survived by her human companion and partner AJ, her canine companion Zip, and countless others who knew and loved her. This page is dedicated to her special friend, Thea Hanson, who waited for Mae at the Rainbow Bridge after she passed away on August 17, 2007 due to complications of ovarian cancer.There is great comfort in knowing that these two friends are together again.
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Molly Mae was no ordinary dog. She was also a tireless Search and Recovery worker. AJ and Molly Mae, as a team, worked hard to find missing persons, rescue people in distress, and assist the community in countless other ways. Molly Mae was more than a good dog. She was a true hero.In her honor, we would like to share a poem with you:
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….Author unknown… |
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| January 29, 2009 Gov. Doyle has just issued a very-special certificate of commendation. This one goes to a very special pooch, Molly Mae, the 13-year-old search and rescue Border Collie who was involved in a triple homicide search in Jeferson County and the three-day hunt for a missing man in Waukesha County, the largest such search in the county’s history. |
| March 14, 2008 After a very long winter, we can finally get Molly Mae and Zip some outside for R&R and some much needed exercise. Molly Mae was a rescue so we are unsure of her age. She is at least thirteen. She has been a search & rescue K-9 her entire life. She has major hip arthritis and has both rear knees replaced through the years. In the last year she has gone blind and the hip issues are severe. Our walk around the 110 acre property brought back energy and excitement for Molly Mae. On the return trip there was much effort but she made it without help and I know she enjoyed all the new smells and remembered our countless walks along the river. The time will come when her quality of life will become an issue. Until then, we will enjoy and appreciate every minute we have with her. |
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October 25, 2003 After almost two years of almost perfect recall, guess who took off today? While I was working on the bee hives Mae took off after a deer! They were cutting down the corn and she must of spotted one. She was at full throttle heading West, and almost 400 yards away. I jumped in the van in hot pursuit. By now she was no where to be found in the deep woods. I called the Dousman police to help in the search. 20 minutes later they found her in the woods dirty and wet but unhurt. Funny how all the bad things that could happen run through your head in this type of situation. Her last chase ended with knee surgery! Even at eight years old the old girl still can’t seem to resist chasing deer. More grey hair but a happy ending…
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| February 22, 2003 Dr. Beth called today and all of Mae’s blood work is normal. We just need to keep a closer eye on her. |
| February 21, 2003 Molly Mae began to develop some problems from her knee surgery in December. It was determined that we needed to back off on her therapy and give her a little more time to recuperate. Finally in late January we saw some progress and began longer walks and off lead work. As of this date she is still showing some minor limping but is no longer taking pain medication. Our other concern is that Mae had a minor seizure a few days ago. We have yet to determine why this happened and are waiting for blood work results. Mae’s outgoing and friendly attitude still makes her the border collie who goes with us everywhere. |
| December 20, 2002 Molly Mae continues to limp and have some pain after rigorous exercise. I was concerned that I was going too fast with rehab. A difficult thing to regulate as border collies have two speeds zero and “all out”. It’s now been approximately 8 weeks post surgery so a visit to Dr. Beth was in order. Everything in the knee looks solid and she believes we just need to cut back on exercise with more on lead walks, and be careful of winter dangers like slipping on the ice. Not letting a border collie run always to me feels like punishment. Your letters of support and asking “how she is doing” are still wonderful reminders of your caring personalities. |
| November 7, 2002 Molly Mae is totally off drugs and is almost impossible to keep quiet at this point. She is putting weight on her leg and appears to be getting back full range of motion. I, on the other hand, am sure to go insane within the next week… |
| October 27, 2002 It appears we have turned the corner in regards to Molly Mae’s diarrhea. (Five days is enough!) As of this morning no “B.M.” was a good thing! She is more alert and is slowly getting her appetite back. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed… We took her off the Rimadyl, put her on some vet prescribed anti-diarrhea medication, and have her on a boiled ground beef & rice diet. She is still with her pain patch as that is stapled on. |
| October 25, 2002 The good news is that Molly Mae appears to be in little post-op pain. The subcutaneous patch and Rimadyl seem to be doing the job. On the bad news side she still has severe diarrhea that we can’t seem to get a handle on, even though we keep increasing the dosage of Imodium. She is *holding it* until we get her outside so that is on the plus side. Last night she was restless but appeared to settle in when I brought my blanket and attempted to sleep next to her crate. Yes I have a spoiled border collie… |
| October 22, 2002 As you may know, Molly Mae had another ACL tear and underwent surgery again yesterday (October 21 2002). This morning we received a surprise call from Doctor Beth. She said that Molly Mae could come home. She was doing so well that less than 24 hours after surgery, she could be liberated! The ACL surgery went fine and they found only a partial ACL tear that was a recent injury. This all works in Mae’s favor as it should heal a little quicker and hopefully save the sanity of us both. The drugs are working and she is relatively pain free at this time. |
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May 16, 2002 Molly Mae has not slowed down and continues to let us all know she is still the “top dog” here on the farm. Teasing Zip and meeting people are the highlights of her day. She still finds search & rescue fun and we train several times each week. We are finding some gray hair on her face. This reminds me that dogs grow old much too fast and I cherish the time we spend with each other.
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August 30, 2001 Molly Mae has fully recovered from her ACL surgery. She can run as good or better then before her injury. She trains with us everyday, and is still our primary search & rescue K-9. Her training and search hours are now over 2000. At 5 1/2 years old she has taken on the new role of public relations for 911BC. We visit schools and hospitals with her. She loves children of all ages and will make every effort to shower them with kisses and attention. Very few can resist her charm and gentle demeanor. She is still a “Velcro dog” and goes with me everywhere. In the hot summer months her favorite location is any place the water is deep enough for her to jump in and cool off.
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March 10, 2001 It is now 7 weeks and two days since Molly Mae’s ACL surgery. The first month was very long not only for Mae but for me. She was crated the whole time, her only exercise was short potty breaks outside. On week number five I was allowed to take her for short walks on lead. This was a day of happiness for Mae, myself and Zip. Molly Mae truly enjoyed her new freedom exploring the new smells of late winter, and being outside. Today we took the lead off and allowed her to run a short distance. Her limp is now gone and we expect a full recovery. In another two weeks Molly Mae will be ready for limited duty doing the job she loves, search & rescue. We would like to thank you all for your prayers, thoughts and just being there.
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January 19, 2001 Molly Mae underwent surgery on January 18, 2001 for a partial tear in her right rear knee ligament and is now resting comfortably. The surgeon found more damage than was originally thought, but a full recovery is anticipated. Sadly, she will not be able to run for at least two months, a hard pill to swallow if you’re a border collie! This is going to be tough not only for Mae, but also for A.J., and we ask that you keep her in your prayers. We will post updates here periodically.
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