Churro
Churro Ted Rios-Burns passed away peacefully Monday afternoon surrounded by his loving family. He was 15 years old. Churro was adopted by his mom, Jen, in 2008 from the Central Texas Dachshund Rescue (CTDR). He had been turned into CTDR after being found on the side of the road in Waco where he had been hit by a car. A loving foster family took him in and nursed him to health before Jen and Mike adopted him and gave him the loving forever home he deserved. Churro’s small stature didn’t stop him from getting into things, challenging any dog larger than him, and being a fierce protector to his mom, and his brother, Elliot. He was an incredibly strong and determined dog, having endured two serious back surgeries due to Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) — a spinal disorder that follows from the herniating of an intervertebral disc. This disorder, and the surgeries to treat it, left his back legs paralyzed for several months and required lots of physical therapy to help get him back on all four legs. As he approached everything in life, Churro never gave up when it came to his recovery and always had “The Eye of the Tiger.” In his younger years, Churro raced in the annual Buda Weiner Dog Races, and even made it to the semi-finals one year. Jen was always so proud of him making it to “The Show.” Later in life, after his retirement from racing, Churro continued to attend the event as a spectator, sometimes wearing his gold medal to show the next generation of racing wieners what a true champion looks like. Churro loved to cuddle with his mom and watch true crime shows with her. He also enjoyed playing with his beloved blue toy and licking his best buddy Brian’s hands. To Churro, nobody had tastier hands than Brian. Churro’s mom will miss the cuddles, the dinnertime dances they shared, and tucking him in at night. He was a stinker at times, but an absolute joy to his family, and to the many friends and admirers who enjoyed Jen’s #churrothedog posts on social media. Jen’s Churro appreciation posts were quite popular because let’s face it, Churro was a cutie. Churro is survived by his mom, Jen, his brother, Elliot, his best buddy, Brian, and his dad, Mike. He is also fondly remembered by many loving friends and family. We are certain he will be greeted in Heaven with open arms by his grandmother, Melinda, and his middle-namesake, Ted Ponton, a dear family friend of Jen’s who graciously helped to fund his second back surgery. Donations in Churro’s honor can be made to the Central Texas Dachshund Rescue (www.ctdr.org). Or, if you’d prefer, you can Venmo Jen $5 to help her place a bucket of tennis balls in Churro’s honor at the Buda City Park, his old racing stomping grounds.

Murphy Greathouse
A little over 14 years ago (March 2008) I adopted “Romo” whose name was soon changed to Murphy. I wanted to let you know that my sweet Murphy Greathouse is running free today and is no longer in pain. He’s chasing squirrels, eating cheeseburgers and tater tots, and sitting under a shade tree watching the clouds pass by all day long. He was such a good boy, and will be missed greatly. We rescued each other March 21, 2008 and he left July 18, 2022. My sweet boy, my good boy. I’m so blessed that he chose me. I’ve attached just a few of the literally hundreds of photos I’ve taken over the years. He was the very best boy. Thank you for all you do for these sweet babies! Karissa Greathouse

Tommy
CTDR just received the sad news that former CTDR dog, Tommy passed away 12/20/2021 at the age of 16. He gave us 13 years of love! Love mom Robin

Skipper
It was one year ago today (August 17th, 2018) that my beloved dog Skipper passed away. It is still very difficult to believe he is really gone for he survived many things that could have taken his life and in the process took years off mine. Through a series of events that can only be described as miraculous I adopted Skipper on March 22nd, 2007. Skipper was the first dog I ever formally adopted and remains to this day the best money I ever spent. Nothing has brought me more joy. Not only did Skipper bring happiness and joy to me; he brought it to everyone he came into contact with. He was an affectionate, intelligent dog with his own unique personality that included a playful and sometimes mischievous side. I can honestly say we were soul mates as from the time we woke up until the time we went bed we were together as much as possible. His loss is keenly felt as nearly everywhere I am contains a memory of Skipper. None of the wonderful times Skipper and I enjoyed would ever have happened without the loving, caring efforts of Pam, Donna, and Margie. I owe them an enormous debt of gratitude not only for what they did for Skipper and for allowing me to adopt him, but for all they’ve done for the many dogs that have come to CTDR. Love is eternal so I close by saying I love you Skipper and I look forward to seeing you again.

Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore was a foster failure adopted by Melissa Knight in 2004. He enjoyed love and adventures on their Kentucky Horse Farm. Happy crossed the Bridge today