“Grammar was a very special being. She was independent, yet loving. She was cool and tough, but still let me put pink collars on her,” Grammar’s owner recalls. “She did not suffer fools – but also had a great love for other dogs.”
Grammar, a white husky mix, was one of two puppies found in the woods in southern United States in 2010. She and her puppy mate were starving, weak, and desperately in need of care. Grammar’s owner adopted her without hesitation.
“My family rescued dogs and cats, always finding strays and bringing them in to help them,” she said. “But as soon as I brought Grammar home, I knew she was different.”
Grammar’s owner immediately enjoyed her rescue pup’s independent spirit. Fondly recalling that adopting Grammar was the best thing she had done in her young 22 years, her owner said that the two “grew up” together. Grammar helped her owner, and eventually her owner’s husband, through trying times, and through happy times as well.
“I would not be the same person that I am today without Grammar,” her owner recalled. “Grammar helped me get healthy,” her owner recalled. “I started running in my early twenties, and took Grammar with me. It was just the two of us – miles and miles of running. Grammar helped me process the present and then brought me into the future. With each mile, she would gain energy even as mine was waning. She would always do more, go further.”
Grammar was twelve years old when she started to show signs of illness, and despite healthy labs that had been done just a month earlier, her owners knew they should go to UC Davis for her care. They had just lost their other dog to older age, so they had hoped they would have many years left with Grammar. Unfortunately, biopsies showed that cancer had spread throughout her body.
“UC Davis was so kind, they knew they couldn’t help Grammar, but they did everything they could to help me,” Grammar’s owner recalled. “We were able to bring my beloved girl home, where she passed away the next day. It was a big loss for me. It took me awhile to accept.”
“Grammar was so full of joy. When she was gone, I had to do something. My husband and I agreed that a gift to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in Grammar’s name would be the best thing we could do to help her live on,” Grammar’s owner said.
Grammar’s family directed their Donor Advised Fund to create an endowment, so the spirit of Grammar’s legacy could continue for many years.
The Grammar Rose Compassionate Care Endowment is dedicated to helping other animals when they need it most. “Through this fund, Grammar continues to exist,” Grammar’s owner said. “I want her to still be here for decades to come. We established this fund as an endowment, so she will be here for years and years, helping animals and their families.”
“The care we received with Grammar and our other beloved companions is incredible,” Grammar’s owner said. “I tell people if they are considering going to a veterinarian to go to UC Davis – they get the best care that exists, and because it is a teaching hospital, there are many people caring for your pet. It is an entire team dedicated to your pet, each and every time.”
Grammar’s name, already unique and memorable, lives on each time her fund is used to help other animals and families, and each time a donor contributes to the fund to extend its impact even further. And this, Grammar’s owner believes, is how she would want it. “She had a strong moral compass, this is definitely how she would want to be remembered.”
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Grammar’s endowment was created thanks to a Donor Advised Fund. These funds are established by individuals who create a giving account and then donate cash, stocks, or other non-publicly traded assets. The donor receives an immediate tax deduction and then directs the funds to be contributed to a non-profit organization, such as the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Funds can be contributed immediately, or over time, always as directed by the donor. Learn more and explore other ways to give here.