06/04/2026
This is especially long but we wanted to include Shadow's 1st impressions from when he started here at DBF. Thunder - November 18, 2020
Good morning everyone. My name is Thunder and today is my 2nd day at DBF. Mom says I’m somewhere between 3-4 years old and you’ll notice that I’m a black lab. I just came to live with my new Mom a few weeks ago. Before that I lived in Texas with my brother. We needed a new home and no one could take both of us together so I came here. When I met Rob a couple weeks ago, I made a really good impression. As a matter of fact, he went home and told Colleen I was quite the calm, quiet, well-behaved gentleman. Well, that was in a quiet home with just my Mom but yesterday was another matter. I met so many new friends and was so excited to be here that I think I may have been a bit of a pain in the you know what. I think Danny’s going to be like a big brother to me, tho. He’s “reminded” me that some things I do are not ok with him so today I’m going to try to remember better. Yesterday there were so many dogs running and chasing the ball and just having a good time that I just didn’t know where to jump in. It was pretty overwhelming. At the end of the day Colleen told me to go home and get a good night sleep because we’d be starting all over again with more new friends today. What’s a Samantha? Well, Mom told Colleen this morning that I did get lots of sleep last night. Truth be told, I was really tired. So here I am, ready to make new friends and learn about NH; like I don’t know what snow is but I guess it’s coming. Bottom line is that Rob and Colleen say I’m smart and sweet, very good natured, do a great stay command, and am very likable. I just don’t have such good pack manners because there was always just my brother and me. I can be a pain in that place sometimes but I listen good to everyone. Big changes in my life but I’m ok with it. I hope I meet you and you give me a chance to show off my real self.
Thunder - June 03, 2026
Once upon a time there was a wonderful fellow named Thunder. Thunder!? DBF knew him as Shadow because he wasn’t a big, loud thunderstorm. He was a beautiful black shadow. You all knew him as Shadow. Good thing his family had a sense of humor because they understood.
Shadow was born in October 2016 and came to us in November 2020. At first glance you saw a big, beautiful black lab with the most glorious, clean, shiny fur and the softest eyes. He was funny and sweet and intuitive. He had a very active personal life away from DBF. He hiked and swam and, sometimes, was lucky enough to go to work with his Dad and charm the world. Work was a place to meet new people and get treats and help his Dad. Nursing homes were opportunities to visit family, comfort people and warm those hearts that carry sadness. We’d even take Shadow for a neighborhood walk so he could charm the elders. He was good at charming elders.
But don’t think that was all there was to this dear boy. Oh no. He could run and play and he did like the girls and his treats and Chloe’s bed. No big hikes here but he got his steps in. Shadow teamed up with Pancho to form the Chipmunk Eradication Team. No matter where the team was in the house, one squeak from a marauding chipmunk and they were off. How many times has Rob had to rebuild a stone wall because Shadow went searching for that dangerous chippie. In 5-1/2 years, Shadow only caught one chipmunk and he never did harm it. He kindly let me take it out of his mouth and relocate it to a better place. I guess it was the chase not the catching that he loved. Or he was just too sweet to actual kill it. And one lucky chippie lived to see another day. That was Shadow. He had a sweetness and a “I’m happy with my life” air about him.
Shadow/Thunder died suddenly on May 16, 2026, surrounded by love from his folks. He’s survived by Melissa and Keith and a whole world of people who have been touched by him. I guess some hearts are just too big live forever. But Shadow/Thunder will always be in our hearts especially when we hear that little chippie chirping and teasing.