110 thoughts on “To celebrate the legacy of our awesome dog”

1. Thank you for sharing, Wil. It’s a good trade – food, walks and some toys and return you have someone who is never stingy with affection. 🙂

2. Thanks for making me cry :’) wonderful story though!! Animals are sometimes better than people ;D

3. Ive lost two dogs in a course of a year, both shelter dogs who were incredibly close to my heart. I know exactly where your heart is. Lets get that figure to five figures.

4. As a fellow dog lover myself, I have three, this brought a tear to my eye. I gladly supported your Wiggle Waggle Walk on behalf of my dog Bandito who probably would have been put down due a heart ailment he has. No matter how long they are in your life, they bring joy and happiness to our hearts.

5. That’s really great of you taking in rescues. Seamus Looks really adorable =)

6. Done and doner. While my Chloe (our 110 pound Newfoundland) slept on my feet. The donation can be done via mobile device. Oh and Chloe got an extra hug, to which she gave me the look of “why did you wake me up?”

7. Seamus is the name of my Elf Paladin in our D&D 4e campaign: https://sites.google.com/site/cellarslizards/characters/shaemus-mcmutton … But your Seamus is cuter.
   We adopted a cat from a shelter here in VA a month ago, and we’re proclaiming daily that it’s the best thing we’ve done in a long time. Good luck with the drive.

8. Yesterday, when I should’ve been thinking gleeful, pirate-y thoughts, I found myself thinking instead of a best four-legged friend, gone nearly twenty years. (That is, if someone who becomes such a part of us can ever truly be gone.) In response, I littered the internet with an image from our younger days–me in pirate costume, her with her usual, full-of-life grin–leaked a few tears, and thought that was that. Then tonight I see your wonderful Ferris-in-Pirate-Hat pic…and I think, Ahh. This. This is why.
   The world is a strange and wonderful place, but never so strangely wonderful as when it includes such as Ferris, Seamus, and my own Happy. Shelter dogs, all. Heartfelt thanks to you and Anne for the opportunity to give back.

9. Great story,Wil,way to turn a negative into a positive!You know how you choose your friends based on what you get from them?I really feel like we get something from a relationship with an animal that we don’t get from other humans.I’m at college now and the hardest part,honestly,is being away from my babies(sorry Mom and sis…).I’ll be Skyping the family tomorrow to say Happy First Birthday to the kitten we got about a year ago,lol.
   By the way,two things:Anne really knows how to write an appeal!That really got me.She should write for nonprofits professionally!;-)
   And I LOVE that you initially named Seamus D0g.I’m kind of Half-Life-crazy and it’s so meta to name a dog after a robot named after a dog.

10. Thank you both so much for doing this again. We’ve donated on behalf of our rescue hound, Laddie (@laddiethemutt) and we’ll make sure to let all his Twitter friends know about this as well. We hope Anne has a great day out with Seamus!

11. If I ever have enough space to get a pet, it will definitely be one from a shelter. Great stuff, Anne and Wil!
    It’s interesting to see how Seamus’ features have changed since he was a puppy.

12. (insert lots of “AWWWWWhosabigbabywuvviepuppy” here after looking at pics)
    Seven years ago, me and the hubs went to the local SPCA and were adopted by Ginger. Yup, she adopted us. Hand to God that’s how it happened. Swap out Seamus’s black fur for tan and you have our Ginger. All rescue organizations (not the ones that are actually just animal hoarders or puppy mills in disguise) deserve our kudos and thanks for caring for the furry (and sometimes scaly) critters that need it.

13. Oh, that sneaky PHS. 🙂 What a great way to help two obvious dog lovers to fall in love with yet another wonderful dog. Seamus is precious. I see a lot of fun in his eyes.
    Our “used dog” Bo sends a wag and a paw-shake to Seamus and says “welcome home.”

14. Wow, this is the first blog entry I’ve read from you and it has to be this one!
    We just lost our German Shepard, B’elanna, who was my constant companion for over 12 years. She was a rescue dog also.
    We’ve had a number of dogs but B’elanna was special; a once-in-a-lifetime companion. We spent all day together nearly every day. Heck, I spent more tiem with her then I coudl with my wife!
    As I work from a home office B’elanna was always there beside me, laying against the side of the computer as much as possible. When I went hiking, worked in the yard, or worked on the house – she was there with me. She outlived two other dogs, and was the most incredibly well-trained and perceptive animal I’d ever been around personally. And amazingly (sometimes scarily) able to reason out problems as well as what I wanted her to do as soon as I knew myself.
    I thought I’d started to recover some, but your story brought up a lot of raw feelings. Thanks for sharing, it’s people like you guys who help make the world a better place – not only for animals but humans too.
    Good luck with the new little guy,
    Marc

15. I always remember the pain and hurt of losing our first cat, Balti, some 8 years ago. So while I’m a cat person rather than a dog person, and living thousands of miles away from the PHS, stories like this always get to me and thus I’ve given $5.
    Good luck with the fundraising!

16. Wil, Mazel Tov on you, Annie and Seamus all finding each other. Dogs certainly become part of our families, lives, and souls. Looking at the pics brought tears to my eyes as I remember the unconditional love and joy dogs bring.

17. I’m not an animal lover (I tolerate our cat and would never want a dog), but that was a story worth giving $10 to a good cause. Thanks for sharing, Wil.

18. Two years ago today, we brought our dog Ziggy home from an adoption event held by a local pet rescue organization. They’d saved him from a shelter to which he’d been turned in, and at which he’d have been euthanized. Every day of our life since we’ve brought him home has been richer than the days before. Thanks for sharing this story. You’ve got my support.

19. Darn you for making me tear up at work, Wil Wheaton!!
    And timely. Today would have been my dad’s 70th birthday, and he sure loved the kitties he had in his life, most of which were rescues at some point. What a great way to honor his memory and ensure that those that haven’t found their furever families are being cared for until they do.

20. I believe in adopting shelter animals. My husband and I have a nine-year-old cat, and we recently adopted a 1 year-old cat from our local animal shelter. They have many wonderful animals in need of a home. We love our new cat and now can’t imagine our lives without her.

21. Thanks for sharing your story, Wil. We lost our cat Jessie to cancer on August 26th. I’m sure she’s romping around with Ferris somewhere! A week ago we went to buy dog food and ended up with 2 new kitten rescues (Spock & Sulu – yes, they came with those names!) I’m so glad you & Anne took home your new pup – it’s just too hard not to, isn’t it?
    Animals are such amazing creatures and they teach us so much. Thank you for spreading the word about adopting from a shelter!

22. My dog Riley is the joy of my life.
    We haven’t had him quite a year.
    While he is not a rescue, he did come from a home where he was not able to kept anymore so my husband and I feel like we assured him a happy home. He is now a 4 1/2 year old Pekingese. cute as a button and very smart. ( and spoiled)

23. Almost nine years ago, I stumbled across WWDN, and it inspired me to create a blog of my own. And I have continued following your blog – directly, via RSS, more recently over twitter. I do it not because I am a die-hard trekkie (I am) but because I so thoroughly enjoy reading what you write. And about your life. And about your family. And about your dogs.
    And my daughter, who has never seen TNG, but is a fan of your writing, keeps coming to me with “Did you see what Wil wrote today?”
    We are dog lovers too, and Judo, our German Shepherd, was a puppy, gnawing my toes, when I first “met” you. Here’s a photo of him from 2001, with my then 11 year old daughter http://is.gd/flisz and a recent one http://is.gd/flj3S. And he is snoring beside me, one paw on my foot, as I reach for my credit card (like last year) to donate to a cause we know you care about, and wholeheartedly support.

24. Our pets truly are part of the family, aren’t they? We adopted a one-eyed kitty that someone dumped at our vets office last year. She’s got such a wonderful personality, she keeps us laughing and the dog running around the house like a puppy (he’s almost 9). Leela(yes she’s named after the Futurama character) was the best thing we’ve done for our family.
    Much luck in your walk, our pets have made a donation to honor Ferris for you!

25. Seamus is a beautiful dog, Wil! He reminds me so much of my “Bounce”. She was a pit/lab mix. I miss her….they really do become family. You and Anne are such wonderful people for the love you have for animals. Seamus is very lucky to have found such a wonderful home. I will gladly donate again! He almost looks like a full pitbull, but you can see the lab in him.
    What a great post! Have a safe trip home. 🙂

26. Reason #12899349 that Wil “is not a dick”. We, too, suffered an unexpected loss of one of our beloved dogs this summer, and were greatly saddened. This story is truly inspiring, Wil. Thanks for sharing.

27. I cannot possibly comment without devolving into puppyspeak, so I will just go make that donation.

28. Awww Seamus is so cute and so lucky to be a loving family like yours. I miss both my cat Taboo and my dog Sadie, both had to be put down do to kidney failure due to old age :-(. Taboo was given to me by a girl I worked with and was the runt of the litter, she had a funny pig tail and lived to be 18. She keep us laughing with the crazy stuff she did, I still miss her so much. Sadie was bought from people who decide to breed her at a year old (grrrrr), she was a Dalmation and I guess with the craze they thought they could make money. The sold her last puppy the day before and then her to us. When we got her it was obvious she was being hit because when my hubby and I were goofing around and put his hand up, she hit the floor and cowered. Lucky for us she came into our lives she was a crazy hyper dog that had us laughing for 11yrs. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

29. Wil, I just want to thank you once again for sharing stories like these. You may remember that I emailed you earlier this year when I lost my dog, Ana, to cancer unexpectedly. It was so helpful to be able to listen to your story about Felix and read about Ferris. It was so kind of you to write me back, also, and I want you to know how much I personally appreciate you sharing these experiences.
    *off to donate*

30. Wow, Wil. Your dogs were and are totally cool. I’d give a lot to be in a house and able to afford a dog. Dogs aren’t just good companions, often they can comfort those with psychological difficulties, like clinical depression. They just have a way of making us feel better. Both my husband and I suffer from clinical depression. We’d love to own a dog, but it costs much more than we can afford, since we’re on a fixed income. I’m glad that you were able to help these dogs. I’m sure that they appreciate it, too, in their own doggy way.

31. There’s no other way to say this dude; you are awesome. Thanks for sharing that story!

32. Hello, Seamus Wayne-Wheaton

33. I’m sorry to hear about Ferris. I just lost my dog, Sammy, to cancer in June. It was very sudden, he showed no symptoms until the day he died. And that was his birthday, no less! I miss him every day.
    We got him in high school, so I didn’t live at home for most of his 11 years. Even so, my mom said every night before he went to bed he’d check each of the kids’ rooms. He never forgot about us. He’d even get excited if someone merely mentioned my name.
    Anyway, I couldn’t afford much, but I made a small donation.

34. I donated in memory of my much-missed cat, Puck, who died of cancer in May. I was listening to your Happiest Days of Our Lives audiobook a few weeks later, and your story about Fritz came on. Puck and Fritz had a lot in common, I think. I sobbed uncontrollably while driving on a highway, so thanks for almost getting me killed, Wil. In all seriousness, though, the loss you express in that story and in your posts when Ferris died are so deeply, painfully familiar to me, and it’s an honor to donate in recognition of that and of the joy that Seamus has since brought to your family.

35. Dammit, Wil! It’s really hard to fill out the info they ask for on the donation page with all the tears. I lost my first dog last September. I remember reading your Ferris entry then, and crying, not knowing that my own dog would be taken away just weeks later. Now, approaching that anniversary, I can’t seem to stop sobbing. But that’s jsut a tribute to how much they mean to us, isn’t it?
    Thanks for the catharsis.

36. I love everything about this post.
    I’ll be donating this weekend. Pets are amazing. Every time I watch our kittens sleeping, twitching and catching things in their dreams, I just can’t understand how people don’t view them as people, as family. No animal should ever be thrown away.
    Thank you. Thank you for participating, for supporting the PHS, for being such good parents to your pets. <3

37. Good on you, Wil. Wish I could get a dog for my girls, but apartment restrictions won’t allow it. What breed is Seamus, or is he a mutt?

38. Seamus! at the very least, those of us at daycare are glad you adopted him :]

39. We're not entirely sure what breeds Seamus has in him, but we think he's a American Staffordshire Terrier/Great Dane mix, because he has *really* long legs, and plays like a dopey Dane when he gets excited.

40. Yay! Seamus *loves* going to daycare so much, all we have to say to him is, "do you want to go play with your friends?" and he runs straight to the door and waits. It's adorable.

41. Wil, your story is so touching that I am selling my most prized PAX East souvenir. My autographed PAX East Pass. I don’t want to part with it but I want to help and can’t afford to donate my own money.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220672436498&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
    I hope that the PHS is able to raise all the money it needs, for the Seamus’s out there!

42. Adopting a dog is as much a gift to us (humans) as it is for the dogs. I grew up on a farm and our neighbourhood frequently had dogs dumped from the nearby city. We were foruntate enough one morning to find a 4 month old Golden Retriever on our doorstep. After realizing how smart he was my family has expanded to being a foster home for puppies in training with the National Service Dog Association to help people with disabilities.
    Strange how one turn of the head with floppy ears can just bowl you over 🙂
    My condolences on the passing of Ferris and congrats on the new family member, Seamus.
    Have a great day!

43. ^OHAI Steen! ;D
    I loved reading about Ferris, and my heart broke right along with you when she passed. All the dogs I’ve ever had have been rescues, or ‘dumped’ in my lap because their original owners couldn’t take care of them for some reason or another. Even with limited resources at my disposal, I always wind up with a menagerie because my stupid heart’s so big 😉
    My mom lives in upstate SC (read: not Myrtle Beach). Every time I talk to her on the phone, I’m saddened (and enraged!) to hear about ignorant rednecks in her area chaining their dogs outside and barely even remembering to give them food or water, much less shelter from the summer heat and the miserable freezing rain they get in the winter. She’d love to be able to do something for them, but their humane societies are full to overflowing and no-kill sanctuaries are often not available to the more depressed areas of the country (like the south), and even if they are, they’re severely under-funded. In the meantime, these assholes’ animals are left to fend for themselves without even their most basic needs being met, much less vaccinations or spay/neuter services.
    As a fellow animal lover, I’m sure you can relate to the sadness and disappointment we feel over this heartless neglect. It’s for this reason I want to ask if you can use your pull to bring awareness and interest to some no-kill shelters in the south (http://www.stfrancisanimalrescue.org/ or http://arfsc.homestead.com/ are good resources in my mom’s area, but a little googling produces similar results elsewhere). While I commend and salute you for your fundraising in Pasadena, I can’t help but be reminded of all the other areas in the country who have no celebrity ‘voice’ to bring awareness to this noble cause.
    Even a short 140-character blurb would help. Thank you so much, and please give Seamus a hearty tummy rub for me. <3

44. Reading this brought tears to my eyes. The unconditional love of a dog is such a wonderful thing. My husband & I adopted a shelter dog last year & we can’t imagine life without her. She makes us laugh everyday and makes us smile when we’re not feeling that great. Thank you for raising awareness for the Human Society. Rescue dogs make life better! 🙂

45. DUDE.
    E-mail me, okay? (it's my first name at my entirename dot net)

46. Our Boxer, Joker, died in July this year, also to cancer. We were devastated.
    Last month we found an “American Bandogge Mastiff” (fancy phrase for a Pit Bull/Neapolitan Mastiff mix, essentially) at a shelter adoption event nearby, and fell in love with him. His name was Zeus, but it seems like every pit bull is named Zeus, so we changed it to Tungsten.
    Our other dog, Bishop (yes, named after the Aliens character) had been kinda depressed about losing his nanny dog. Ever since we brought Tungsten home, the two of them have been inseparable.
    Based on that experience, and reading yours, I will gladly make a charitable contribution to the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA.

47. Thank you. I’m walking in the Seattle Humane Society walk on the 26th, and I’ll think about you and yours, as I also think of my kids. Wil, thank you for the reminder that we have precious friends. (if anyone reading this wants to help Seattle AS WELL AS Pasadena, not INSTEAD OF!!!! Heaven knows I donated to both!) check out my donation page http://shs.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/General?px=1023921&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

48. Thank you for not only sharing but for adopting what every non-dog person will call a Pit Bull. I had a similar encounter with PHS. Being a volunteer and foster coordinator for our local Humane Society in Spokane, WA I went down to PHS to scope their program and get some ideas for our shelter (no sense in re-inventing the wheel!) The staff was awesome but what I did not expect to find was Millie. (see a video of Millie here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1530919871643)
    Anyway I fell so hard in love with this dog but I simply couldn’t take her home, I mean jessh all the way back to Spokane I didn’t even know how I would do it and frankly my current dog would never allow it. I wanted to adopt her but since I couldn’t I decided I’d try to do the next best thing. I’d get her transfered to my facility in Spokane.
    Moving a dog to a new facility in a different area or state often gets them new exposure and will get them adopted. Also Spokane Humane Society does not operate as an animal control so dogs and cats stay as long as it take them to get adopted.
    The staff (who had informed me that Millie was short on time and no rescues seemed to want to take her) was thrilled to hear we’d be wiling and flew her up to us the Friday after I returned home from my visit.
    While Millie was a handful (you would be too if you were 7 months old, never had any training and grew up in a shelter) Myself and the staff spent time working with her on her manners and helping her become more adoptable.
    She was adopted 4 months back by a family who was perfect for her. She is the proudest thing I have ever done in my career.

49. Damn it Wil. Now you got me all misty eyed. Seriously though I think what you’re doing is great. The Human Society is one of my favorite charities. Keep up the good work.

50. eek noticed Millie’s link didn’t work – here’s another try http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spokane-WA/Spokane-Humane-Society/203326896864?v=app_2392950137&ref=sgm#!/video/video.php?v=1530919871643

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