"Aster" was our constant companion from the time we adopted her from GSRSV in November 2014 until her passing in July 2025. She helped us through some of the hardest times we had to face, especially emergency open heart surgery for Jason (that's a long story).

Aster loved her walks and was lucky enough to go camping with us in nine states, visit six National Parks & countless State Parks, and all sorts of public land. She loved the Oregon coast, and was even able to witness a super bloom in the CA desert with us!

Aster was a frequent visitor in the Univ of Nevada, Reno, greenhouse and pollinator gardens, helped with rare plant surveys, and supervised native seed collections and restoration experiment installations.

Aster was a picky eater and would only eat the bougiest brands of dog food, refusing to eat when she was ready for a change. She had a deep love for Costco rotisserie chicken! As she aged, Aster would change where she would want to eat her meals - sometimes in my garden, sometimes on the lawn, sometimes in our closet...but always in the middle of a snowstorm!

Aster loved to swim and play chase, and when she would get really excited would spin in multiple 360-degree circles. She was loved by many, and is fiercely missed in our neighborhood where she had many friends and a "grandma" she adopted right across the street.

Aster went on her last camping trip Father's Day weekend 2025 in Bend, OR, and once we got home she had a pretty fast decline. The X-rays that showed the two masses inside of her also showed a bullet! She had never had X-Rays before so we were floored at this discovery, as was the vet.

After what was surely a lousy start to her life, Aster lived like a queen with us for the 10½ years she was ours.

Thank you, GSRSV, for bringing Aster into your rescue and connecting her with us. She was so loved and will be sorely missed.

Sarah Kulpa & Jason Forgette
July 6, 2025

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