Sophie Dreese, pet partner and friend to John Dreese, made her journey to the Rainbow Bridge in the presence of her “parents” John and Wendy on September 5, 2013.
John brought Sophie home when she was about 11 weeks old, and she was all ears and feet.
At this point John had no thoughts of working her and thought it would just be neat to have a cool hound dog for a pet. Unfortunately, he didn’t do his homework on the breed before deciding on a bloodhound, he did it after he got Sophie.
They don’t just lie on the porch and sleep like they do in the movies.
Bloodhounds can never be off lead as they will wander away following their nose from scent to scent unable to find their way back home. Their stubbornness makes obedience training nearly impossible. They just don’t care much about what you want them to do especially if it goes against what they want at the moment.
By the time she was 9 months old, it was painfully obvious that she needed a job. So they joined a Search and Rescue team.
They trained every week for years and Sophie loved “the game” Go Find. Sophie had many experiences during her SAR training and lots of adventures!
Flying on a highline….
Searching on the water (she is getting her life vest on)
Sophie hot on the trail.
In 2006 we got out of the SAR business to concentrate on other activities. She enjoyed a life of leisure and regular activities of hiking, backpacking (she even had her own backpack) and just hanging on the porch with her best bud Cooper.
In 2011 at the age of 11 Cooper made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge without his beloved Sophie.
In 2012 we sold the house, bought an RV and hit the open road.
Little did Sophie know the adventures and experiences awaiting her.
She’d have to take on deer that invaded our campsites
Sand dunes
Rock climbing
Cacti and “goathead” infested wilderness
and South Dakota mud or “gumbo” as the locals refer to their mud.
We were asked a very difficult question: “What makes a bloodhound so special? Those that own them, love them and are more passionately devoted to them than other dog breed owners.”
Hmm… we can’t really pick one thing. They are independent like a cat, loving and sensitive like your best friend, nosey as the worst gossip, playful and stubborn as a child, and they have a way of showing you how much you mean to them.
Sophie will be missed, but stories of her life will be told amongst those who knew her for a long time.
This is beautiful mom! It made me cry. Love you guys!
Thanks Babe. We know you loved Sophie too and this was hard for you as well.
Bless you John and Wendy as you move forward with your lives, carrying the memories of Sophie and Cooper with you. What wonderful lives they had, Thanks to you two. God gives us our children and our pets for such a short time. You guys have made the absolute best of every day they had. They were blessed, as were you.