02/22/2026
This is the hardest post I’ve ever had to write so I have been putting it off for weeks. Our Shop dog Preciosa with the most beautiful soul passed suddenly and completely unexpectedly last month. One day when she was on a trip to California with us, she was living her usual best life greeting dogs, getting treats at Lowe’s and visiting a winery with a back room tour. An hour later she didn’t have the energy to walk 6 feet and didn’t want her favorite treats. She even tried to go outside behind the house and find a place to die alone. When we realized that, our stomachs sank and we rushed her to the emergency animal hospital where they broke the news to us. A mass on her heart (that we didn’t know about) had ruptured and fluid was filling the pericardium, the sac surrounding her heart. They could barely take a blood pressure reading on her. Her nose and paws were ice cold and her heartbeat was so fast as her heart pumped hard to try to compensate and get blood throughout her body but it just couldn’t. They believe it was hemangiosarcoma, a deadly cancer striking suddenly that took another German Shepherd from us 20 years ago. As we sat in absolute disbelief as the vet presented the options to us knowing we had a normal dog 3 hours earlier, the technician ran in and said we needed to go to the other room to be with her because she was fading fast. Surgery would only extend her life a few hours, maybe a week. We were out of time. We laid on the hospital floor for 2 hours snuggling her and letting her know how perfect she has been every single day of her life, and stayed with her as she passed over. It was all so fast. At 5pm she had been acting normal and by midnight she was gone. We are devastated.
To everyone who visited her at Island Life or walked by our house and looked up talking to her over the years (extra points if you beeped the horn of your golf cart!!), you made a difference in her life and we thank you! This interaction shaped her personality. When toddlers came into Island Life and laid on the floor putting their heads on her and pet her, you made a difference. She was so gentle. She loved everyone, and she really loved golf cart rides including the FreeBee!! And to the Freebee drivers who knew about her passion and circled our block again to let her get a second look at you, well you know who you are, she was overjoyed. She used to run to let us know there was a golf cart nearby because she had to share her excitement with someone. Let’s not even talk about the golf cart parades! Few dogs get this sort of life.
We were blessed to have been chosen as her adopters and had 8 amazing years with her. If you have memories or photos of Preci, please post them here. We would love to see them.
Preci was a rescue dog like all our German Shepherds before her, so in her memory we are collecting donations for shelters, and for this drive we have chosen Pet Pal Animal Shelter, a no-kill shelter in St. Pete. You can bring them to our store through the end of March. Some items that are needed are:
—Towels and sheets to line the kennels for a comfy bed for the shelter dogs to sleep on. They can have stains but must be washed.
—Dog treats and food (especially Science Diet)
—New or gently used medium to large toys and dog beds (washed)
—Nylabones (medium to large)
For the shelter: Bleach, Paper towels, p**p bags, white vinegar, Dawn, he laundry soap, Chewy.com gift cards.
With gratitude, Cheryl and Hobie
