Savor New York established The Gracie Fund to help care for area pets in the memory of our beloved dog, Gracie.
We adopted Gracie, more than two years after our treasured black “Bassador” (half Bassett, half Labrador,) Jetta, died at age 17. Jetta was a fabulous pet and a tough act to follow. It took us quite a while to open our hearts to another canine companion.

Meeting Gracie was love at first sight. She was eighty pounds of all heart and joy, with a beautiful red coat, soulful brown eyes, a gentle nature, and a wonderful sense of humor. We were over the moon. She quickly became the Savor New York dog, even lending her name to our company’s official designation, Savor Gracie, Incorporated.

Aristotle once said “The gods too are fond of a joke,” but sometimes their pranks are brutal; Gracie was a gift we could not keep. Just a month after adopting us, Gracie developed a limp that was ultimately diagnosed as bone cancer. It was devastating news and nearly as heartbreaking for our vet, Dr. Fassett, to deliver as it was for us to receive.

Gracie was a young, strong dog and, in spite of the very long odds, we all gave our best to save her; appropriate to Cooperstown, we went down swinging. She adjusted to the amputation of her affected foreleg well, and seemed to enjoy keeping the deer out of our yard as much on three legs as she had on four. She continued to cheerfully torment our cats, always insisted on car rides, and kept right on loving us and enriching our lives.

Mercifully, Gracie was well and active right up to the time she wasn’t, and then she went very quickly, leaving all of us – me, John, both Melissas, Doc Fassett’s office – shattered. In fewer than six months, the amazing Gracie touched as all and left an indelible legacy.

In honor of Gracie, and to aid those with beloved pets in need of care, Savor New York established The Gracie Fund. A portion of the proceeds from items bearing The Gracie Fund logo will go to caring for pets whose owners are on fixed incomes, or in otherwise limited circumstances. Savor New York believes that no one should be deprived of the physical and mental benefits, and sheer love and joy a pet provides.

Gracie, we hardly knew ye, but you truly graced our lives. The emptiness of the house was nearly as hard to bear as the pain of losing you. Thank you for reminding us of the completion a well-loved dog brings to life. Your legacy lives on in Sully, the second in the line of Savor New York dogs.