Gina & Queenie
It all began with Queenie...
People often ask the founder of WDR, Gina Bowles, “How did you get into Rescue?” She says it all began with a sweet German Shepherd named Queenie. By simply networking on Facebook, she met some really great rescue people. There was a lovely dog named Queenie that was surrendered to a high kill shelter in California. She was only 5 years old but looked like she had lived a very long hard life in those five years. Queenie had a huge mass on her body and rescuers wanted Queenie out of the shelter and the mass removed.
The shelter opted to give her more time than normally allowed because they were trying to determine if her previous owners should face cruelty charges. After working with the shelter, Queenie was allowed be pulled into rescue with the promise that everything would be documented. This agreement allowed her to receive the life saving treatment she needed. Queenie was taken directly to the vet and it was determined that she was in need of immediate surgery.
On June 6, after funds were raised, Queenie underwent surgery with Dr.Wheaton at the Alicia Pet Care Center to remove the mass from her body. It weighed nearly 7 pounds! The mass was sent out for a biopsy and it came back as hemangiosarcoma.
After a vet in Pennsylvania didn’t work out with Queenie, Gina stepped up. On July 3rd 2014, she drove 12 hours round trip to bring this sweet girl to her new home. Gina and her mother fostered Queenie for about a month and found that this ugly cancer had metastasized through her body. Queenie had a short time to live. They were shocked and devastated, as they were under the impression that since the tumor was removed, she was simply in recovery mode.
The pair fell in love with Queenie in just a month. At this point it was decided that Queenie needed to return to her rescue and foster in California where her Journey began, so she could receive Hospice care for whatever time remained for this sweet girl. Their journey with Queenie across country began July 30, 2014. The Facebook page Queenies Great Adventure was born and hundreds of people around the world followed and loved this wonderful girl.
She had a great trip across country with Gina and her mom. She got to visit parks, meet new dogs, sleep on hotel room beds, and just do some amazing things that most dogs don’t ever experience. She had a great time along the way. Gina and her mom met her rescuer in Nebraska and she carried on the amazing road trip from there to California, while Gina and her mom made the very sad trip back home without the girl they grew to Love. She went back to her original foster for about 3 weeks. Gina and her mom were updated daily and were sent great pictures and videos so they could share in her daily activities.
When it was time to let Queenie go from the pain and suffering of cancer, the pair flew to California and spent 3 glorious days with Queenie and her 2 other foster moms. In the short time Queenie had, from the moment she walked out of the shelter, to her final day she showed nothing but love. Even with all the abuse she suffered, having her litters of puppies taken from her from her backyard breeder former owner, living in a filthy backyard on a chain, being dumped to die in a high kill shelter….she still loved.
Queenie truly showed us the meaning of unconditional love.
Gina says; “I have loved dogs my whole life and through this journey [with Queenie] I was reminded just how amazing they are, how they love us unconditionally. I rescued my own dog Maximus.- I was the girl who brought home all the stray dogs when I was a kid. So through this journey with Queenie I suddenly knew why I was on this earth.”
“Mark Twain is quoted as saying, ‘The two most important days of your life are, the day you are born, and the day you find out why’; Well, sweet Queenie gave me my why. My purpose in life was suddenly clear…”
"I was born to be an animal rescuer."
Gina Bowles, WDR Founder and Director
