Remember to Paws

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

🐾 𝐏𝐄𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐅 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 — 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄

Losing a pet is hard for the entire family, but for kids, it may be their very first experience with death and grief.

This week at Remember to Paws, we’re talking about how to support children after losing a pet.

We’ll discuss how grief can look different in kids, how to talk to them about death, ways to help them cope, and how we can give them space to remember and grieve in their own way.

We’ll also be joined by Emily, who will share her personal experiences navigating pet loss with her child

We’ll also be making this week’s Memorial Jars live while we continue the conversation.
Go to Remembertopaws.pet to order one!

📅 Monday, August 31
⏰ 6:00 PM CST
📍 Live on VRC YouTube & Facebook

Parents, grandparents, caregivers, or anyone who loves a child who has experienced the loss of a pet, we hope you’ll join us.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube

https://youtube.com/?si=W_rIvL9l9BHyLibs

Come listen, ask questions, or share your own experience. 🖤🐾

Remember to Paws
Because every story deserves to be remembered.

08/29/2026

🌈 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐘

There are some dogs we never really say goodbye to.

They may no longer be waiting at the door, sleeping in their favorite spot, or following us from room to room, but somehow, they are still everywhere.

In the routines we still remember.
In the stories we tell over and over.
In the little things that can make us smile and cry at the exact same time.

Today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, and we want to make space for all of them. The soul dogs. The childhood dogs. The once-in-a-lifetime dogs. The ones we had for years, and the ones we didn’t get nearly enough time with.

🌈 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.

Tell us their name. Tell us what made them special. Tell us the silly thing they did that still makes you laugh, or the memory you would give anything to experience just one more time.

We want to remember them with you. 🤍

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Remember To Paws 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Your donation helps us cover end-of-life expenses for rescue dogs and pet owners in our community who need financial assistance when facing one of the hardest moments of loving an animal: saying goodbye.

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐏𝐚𝐥: 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐩𝐚𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦/𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞/𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐰𝐬

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐰𝐬@𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

🌈 We will be sharing these beautiful faces and memories during our next two Good Morning Villalobos shows on Saturday mornings, giving us a chance to say their names, hear their stories, and honor the lives that meant so much to the people who loved them.

Maybe that is one of the most beautiful ways we can honor the dogs we’ve lost: to keep telling their stories and allow the love they gave us to help another animal and family through their own goodbye.

Today, we remember them.
Today, we miss them.
And today, we celebrate how incredibly lucky we were to love them at all. 🌈🐾

Their time here may have ended. Their place in our hearts never will. 🤍

08/27/2026

The VRC team has had an extremely heartbreaking couple of days.... after a brief health battle, Jenny (our cat coordinator) who was also Newt's favorite human, had to make the heart breaking decision to say goodbye yesterday afternoon.

We want to thank those of you who sponsored, loved and spoiled Newt during her time here in the Sponsorship Program. All of us here at VRC are sending our thoughts to you as well, as we know how hard it is to lose your beloved sponosor too.

From Jenny:
The world has lost so much in just 2 days, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and my beloved Newt. I know my dog does not compare to two of the world's biggest influences, but she did influence many lives at Villalobos. From her pointy ears to her attitude, she always had something to say and chose when to listen.

Newt came into my life 14yrs ago, when I volunteered for the 2nd time at VRC. I stayed for a month and this dog, idk what it was about her, but I liked her. When I moved to New Orleans, she was still in the loft, and one of the dogs I cared for daily. I started thinking of things I could do with her, like maybe search and rescue, she would climb and walk on anything I asked her to, she was fearless. When we got a property with a barn, Tia needed someone to clean it. I was that person (for the record, I raked that entire barn, and filled the first stall with peagravel by myself, no males required). I would bring Newt with me cuz that barn was empty, the apartment above it was empty except for a bed, and the walls made noises. Newt was my protector!! Eventually, plans changed, and Newt stayed in the country with another employee Melissa.

In 2022, Melissa got sick, passed away and her son, who was taking care of the dogs, moved across country, so dogs got moved around. Of course, first thing I told M2 was that I'm taking Newt to which she told me, duh, she's your dog!!

Newt's favorite pass time was yelling as me or chasing anything that moved, especially the little lizards that are everywhere. If she was a human, she would be that old lady that sits on her porch and yells at the kids for thinking about touching her grass. She looked mean, she had a mean bark, would even sound like she was growling, but she was so sweet!!

There will never be another Newt in this world. And it gives me peace knowing that not only did she have Dolly and Tim Curry close by, but she had our other beloved VRC employee's Carol, Colin, Mutt, Freddy, and Melissa all there to greet her and give her all the treats!!

Remember To Paws is raising donations to assist VRC with Newt's end-of-life, and memorial keepsakes. If you are able to donate, https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/honoring-vrc-newt

Please keep Jenny, M2 and everyone else at VRC who loved Newt in your thoughts.

08/27/2026

Yesterday the world lost a little bit of its sparkle. ✨💔

We are heartbroken by the passing of Dolly Parton, a woman whose legacy reached far beyond the music she gave us. Dolly spent her life showing the world what kindness, generosity and compassion could look like, and that beautiful heart extended to animals, too. ⁠

Her very first record was called Puppy Love, and more than six decades later, she said her love for pets was stronger than ever. That love inspired her to create Doggy Parton, with a portion of the proceeds supporting Willa B. Farms Animal Rescue and animals who needed a safe place to land.

For those of us in rescue and pet loss support, that part of Dolly’s story feels especially meaningful. She understood something we see every single day: animals make our lives better simply by loving us. And they deserve that same love in return.

At Remember to Paws, we talk so often about legacy. About what remains after someone we love is gone. Dolly leaves behind one that is almost impossible to measure: songs that will keep playing, people who are better because of her generosity, and animals whose lives were changed because she cared.

We like to imagine that somewhere beyond the Rainbow Bridge, there was quite the welcoming committee waiting for her today. 🌈🐾

Rest easy, Dolly. Thank you for the music, the laughter, the sparkle, and especially the kindness.

We will always love you. 🤍

— Remember to Paws 🐾

08/26/2026

It has been a really hard and heartbreaking day.

Today, Amy, one of the incredible employees at Villalobos Rescue Center’s Texas wolf dog location, had to unexpectedly say goodbye to Davina.

Davina went in for surgery to remove a tumor, but once the veterinary team began the procedure, they discovered that the tumor was inoperable. Amy received the devastating call that there was nothing more they could do.

There was no time to prepare. No time to process what was happening. Just a phone call that changed everything.

If you watch the video, you can see just how deeply Amy loved Davina and how special their bond was. Our hearts are absolutely broken for her. M2 as well as other staff were very close with her as well. 

One of the missions of Remember to Paws Foundation is to step in during moments exactly like this and help ease the financial burden that comes with saying goodbye. We would like to cover Davina’s end-of-life expenses so that Amy and the Villalobos team can simply grieve their girl without having to worry about the cost.

If you would like to make a donation toward Davina’s end-of-life expenses and support the work of Remember to Paws Foundation, you can donate through our PayPal:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Remembertopaws

Every donation helps us continue showing up for animals and the people who love them during some of their hardest days.

Please keep Amy and all of the Texas wolf dog employees who loved and cared for Davina in your thoughts and prayers tonight.

Run free, beautiful Davina. You were so very loved. 🤎🐾

08/16/2026

Today, our hearts at Remember to Paws are with our co-founder, Jenna, as she grieves the loss of Maibe, a long-term resident at Villalobos Rescue Center.

Maibe battled kidney disease with incredible strength, but the other night Jenna had to make the heartbreaking decision to let her go.

Maibe was much more than a beloved dog. She came into Jenna’s life nine years ago during one of her darkest chapters and gave her a reason to keep showing up, one day at a time. Their connection began through daily walks at the rescue and grew into a bond that would change Jenna’s life forever. Jenna plans to do a more in-depth and more personal post on the full impact of what Maibe has done for her, but until she is ready...

Here is a heartfelt message from Jenna:

“Nine years ago, I made Maibe a promise that if no one ever took her home, someday I would.

Life happened and years passed, but I never forgot that promise. This year, I finally got to keep it. I brought my girl home.

Our time together was far too short, but I will always be grateful that she finally knew she was home and deeply loved. After all those years of Maibe being there when I needed her, I finally got to be there for her when she needed me most.

Maibe was never just a dog. She was a constant, a source of strength and a reminder that sometimes the ones we rescue are the ones who rescue us first.

I loved you for nine years, Maibe. I will miss you for the rest of my life.”

If you would like to help cover Maibe’s end-of-life expenses while supporting the work of the Remember to Paws Foundation, please donate through the Zeffy link below.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/honoring-vrc-maibe

Thank you so much for supporting our mission and helping us care for pets and the people who love them. We truly could not do this without you. 🤍

08/11/2026

08/09/2026

We’d love for you to join us for our next Remember to Paws Pet Loss Support Group meeting.

This week we’ll be talking about “When the House Feels Empty” and the part of grief that shows up in the everyday moments.

The missing routines.
The quiet house.
The empty spot on the couch.
The little things that can catch you off guard long after a loss.

We’ll talk about why those changes can feel so hard, ways to cope with them, and open the conversation for anyone who wants to share their own experience.

We will also be making live memorial jars during the meeting as a way to honor and remember our beloved pets together. If you would like to participate, you can order your memorial jar ahead of time here:
https://remembertopaws.pet/shop-our-merchandise

📅 Tuesday, August 11th
🕕 6PM Central
📍 Live on VRC YouTube & Facebook

Whether your loss was recent or years ago, you’re welcome to join us.

Come listen, share if you’d like, or simply spend some time with people who understand.

🐾 Remember to Paws
remembertopaws.pet

08/07/2026

Hey everyone,

We wanted to check in with our Remember to Paws community.

We’ve noticed that a few memberships on Patreon have recently ended, and we’d really love to hear from you. We completely understand that circumstances change, but we also want to make sure this page is providing the support, connection, and content you truly need.

Your membership on Patreon directly supports the Remember to Paws Foundation. Our nonprofit helps Villalobos Rescue Center hospice dogs and families in our community with unexpected end-of-life costs, including euthanasia, cremation, and memorial support.

These expenses can happen suddenly and create an incredible financial burden during an already heartbreaking time.

Whether you’re a $5 member or support us at a higher tier, your membership helps make it possible for us to continue this work and ensure pets and families receive compassion, dignity, and support when they need it most.

This summer has been especially hectic for Jenna and me. With the kids being out of school, family responsibilities, and our own dogs to care for, we’ve had a lot on our plates. But Remember to Paws remains incredibly important to us, and we want to make sure we’re continuing to show up for this community in the ways that matter most.

So please tell us:

What would you like to see more of on this page?

What would you like to see less of?

How can we better support you through pet loss and grief?

Are there specific topics, resources, meetings, or conversations you’d like us to offer?

IWe have over a 1000 members on our page but only 25 paid members. What would it take to get you to become a 5$ member?

Patreon is currently our number one source of financial support for the nonprofit. A continued drop in memberships would directly affect our ability to sustain this work, support families in need, and help cover end-of-life care for the VRC dogs we love.

You can leave a comment here or email us at [email protected].

We value your feedback, your presence, and your support more than you know. Thank you for helping us make sure no one has to walk through pet loss alone.

With love,
Katie and Jenna