Talking about Nilla & Timbers Passing

[@zanpix]

Just pasting Alveus' tweets about each of their passings here, for those who haven't seen it yet Nilla - It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved rat ambassador: Nilla. Her life was filled with skateboard adventures, sweet potato snacks, and snuffle mats alongside her sister Chips. She will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by our entire staff. It is tragic that such charming animals have such short lifespans. Rest easy, Nilla❤ Timber - We are devastated to announce the passing of Timber, our 11.5 year old wolfdog ambassador. We were able to rescue him from an inadequate situation and give him a great quality of life for the short time he was with us. Last night, Timber was observed vomiting. When it was evident that it was more than a normal upset stomach, we rushed him to the emergency animal hospital. He had to undergo emergency surgery for GDV (Bloat), which is when the stomach flips. This is a rare issue with a canine of his size. We had an amazing veterinary team that did everything they could for Timber, including plasma transfusion and top of the line critical care treatment. With a surgery like this, there are a lot of complications that can happen during recovery. After the surgery was complete, Timber was never able to come out of anesthesia and was not responding well to treatments. We made the difficult decision to end Timber’s fight. We wanted to give Timber every chance to overcome this, however we had to consider the post-surgery pain and stress on his aging body. Thankfully we had a great vet team that made sure he was in no pain whatsoever. The decision to euthanize an animal is never easy, however in some cases it can truly be the last gift that we can give them, and we believe that taking quality of life into consideration is of the utmost importance. It is hard to come up with words to describe the sudden and devastating loss of Timber. We anticipated that we wouldn’t have long with Timber due to his age and history, but we didn’t expect it to be so soon. It will take some time for staff to process, and he will be forever missed. We are also incredibly aware that many of you will also be grieving Timber at this time, know that we are grieving with you. We are aware that there will be many questions regarding Awa. We have already reached out to our connections about the steps we need to take to potentially rescue another wolfdog to provide companionship for Awa. We will provide updates when we can. We cannot thank everyone enough for loving Timber and making space for him in your hearts. Rest in peace sweet boy, we were so lucky to be part of your journey.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Thank you for reposting those here! To all those animals we've lost, I pour one out: 🫗

[@LunaDavis-wo7ki]

Id like to have a memorium page on Alveus website to honor the pets that served as ambassadors that have passed. I hope they consider that going forward, because we are all attached to these beautiful babies it would be a place to go to grieve so it doesn't feel like all of them has disappeared.

[@starsgears9200]

*not pets, but otherwise yes

[@kissaneitinen]

@@LunaDavis-wo7ki oh I would love that! Like little place where people can write stuff too, and show favourite clips of said ambassador.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

I agree. I just wish they paid attention to the comments here on KZbin... We offer *great* suggestions, like this one, but never does the info seem to be passed on to the staff. 😞

[@juls0513]

I would love a shirt or memorial memento in his honor so his legacy can keep helping the future wolfdogs of Alveus.

[@Cyrribrae]

I can see how that might be used to hurt the sanctuary too. There are always people who go, look at how many animals died there!! I'd seen comments like that a year ago. Iono. It's not a bad idea, but it's maybe something that goes in a discord or reddit rather than on the official website

[@stolenarmy_]

The professionalism here speaks volumes to what this sanctuary is. It's the reason why this is one of the very few non-profits I support. They truly care about all their animals, it shows. Timber and Nilla lived their best lives at Alveus, with the very best animal caretakers! 💚💚

[@TheKatarinaGiselle]

I agree. As far as KZbinrs that have rescues goes, I love this one and The Urban Rescue Ranch. But thee are also thousands of rescues out there that aren’t big on social media or primarily social media driven that deserve support! I always think it’s best to find the rescues within your area to support first and foremost. It’s kind of crazy how many rescues are out there these days and they all need to much help and support because there are far too many humans that just buy animals and let them loose, or breeders/hoarding situations that get out of control. I just wish people would be less selfish, more informed, and more responsible! As far as KZbin rescues..there are so many that exist solely for profit and that’s why I always go in depth research before I support anybody. I check all over the internet and try to make a call on my best judgment and discernment/wisdom. Because not everybody is bad that is called bad, and not everybody is good that is called good. It can sometimes be hard to know who is who..who is exploiting and lying for money, and who is serious and cares. And sometimes, there are good people that can appear to be only money driven (as really all of the good ones are, otherwise how can they help) ..and people will make them out to be manipulative liars using and exploiting animals for money..it can be hard to determine who is who. And that’s why I find it extremely important to research. Then again, I feel this way about every area of life!

[@teresa3567]

Sending all the love to the staff and Awa. Seeing her alone on the livestream makes me wish someone could give her a big hug. Being a wild-domesticated hybrid is so unfair for her.

[@quinceyclouds3208]

This wasn’t something staff needed to make, but I’m glad they did. It’s good to get to explain things to chat. And talk through everything as a chance for staff to grieve as well. Rough times right now for the alveus crew but I hope everyone is feeling the best they can 💚

[@bloombrains4555]

Sending endless amounts of love to y’all, Connor, Kayla, Maya, Nick, Space. And sending even more love to Chips, and Awa, they have lost their friends that they have know their whole lives. They have such amazing caretakers that will be looking out for them, but nothing can replace your best friend. Words cannot describe how much I adore Alveus’ ambassadors and staff. Love y’all and the work you guys do, take it easy.

[@r12joy96]

I know anyone working at a sanctuary or zoo is used to animals passing, but knowing how closely you worked with the animals, I'm sure it still affects you anyway. You guys are incredible, and I will always support the work Alveus does. Always love donating and supporting!! Timber and Nilla will be missed by many.

[@majones117]

Timber wasn't there for a long time, but had a great final time with plenty of space and fun. Having Timber pass so soon after Nilla is rough. I hope Awa doesn't take it too hard.

[@meganhausman1443]

Oh no. 😢 I am so sorry. You guys gave Timber the best end of life he could’ve had. Thank you for all you do.

[@meganhausman1443]

And Nilla too. I just have no words guys. This is the hardest part. You give your hearts to them and no matter how many times your hearts will be broken by them taking a piece with them, you will continue to offer your hearts knowing they will continue to be broken. It’s so hard to have so much compassion and love for animals. From an RVT to you, take care of yourselves. 🖤💔

[@pilotben97]

Thanks for uploading, I was able to catch this one Live, but good for the KZbin frogs. RIP Nilla and Timber. Hopefully everyone is doing ok

[@kissaneitinen]

Oh no! I watch only youtube, and this is first time hearing this 😭😭 oh sweet Timber 😭 and Nilla, too. 😭 I'm so sorry for everyone, just want to give hugs all around. And chat, too, so many broken hearts. 😭♥️

[@iloveyou71000]

It had to have been sudden, I keep up on both and I’m hearing about it with you :(

[@Cyrribrae]

I only found out in a random KZbin comment on Maya's last video yesterday 😢😭

[@vip5hawol-deehirota]

)): thanks so much for uploading this, and even just taking the time to talk about it ♡

[@VermisTerrae]

So, so sad to hear this news :'( my heart breaks for the staff and all of us who who loved Nilla and Timber. They couldn't possibly have had a more comfortable and secure end of their lives. You're doing so much for these incredible animals 💛 sending so much love

[@jinxe2132]

we may not have known timber and nilla personally but they still felt like family. i cried no i sobbed when i heard timber and nilla passed. you guys are amazing people and i'm so inspired to keep going in my zoology career. ❤❤

[@Hauntedcottagecore]

Sending all of the good energies and love to the staff and ambassadors (and pets) at alveus. Thank you for being so open with us about these losses. And thank you as always for making the content you do. We have so many wonderful memories (and videos!) of these darlings to keep with us.

[@ahmetyegenaga]

i just saw that u guys removed nilla's and timber's pages on the website. i totally get why, but i think it would be nice to have like an obituary for ambassadors that have passed!

[@patiencecarey3770]

Just give it a minute, I'm sure they will.

[@eggboi5015]

its been suggested in the past and its been suggested again, there were concerns with haters using it as ammo from what I understand/saw from a mod in twitch chat.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

😞 This was surprising to see in my feed... I literally just got back from having to send my ~16yr old Husky girl, down the rainbow bridge. I want to share her story, to pass on a request of folks. She came to us in 2009 as a young puppy, randomly walked in from the woods while we were building our house. We thought she was only 3mo old and gave her a Feb 14th birthday, but the vet thought she was 5-6mo old _(stunted growth due to being abandoned and ended up full of worms from foraging)._ That was the day SHE adopted _US_ to be her new family... We tried to find her people, put up a flyer at the vet, no one came for her. Folk here in Tennessee don't seem to have that same pet mentality that I grew up experiencing in Minnesota, so it became evident she was abandoned. As such, despite having a dog, we accepted her, and mom named her Foxy as she was a white and tan with a white tipped tail (mom originally thought she was a baby fox hiding under my uncle's van). Here is my request to folks here... I know you all love animals and *wouldn't* abandon one so heartlessly as people down here do (we see too many) , so that's not the message. Foxy's message to you all is: is your are selected by an animal, either a stray or at a shelter, *DO. NOT. PASS. THEM. UP!* Foxy was the absolutely sweetest, smartest, literal best dog I've ever had... and that says alot because we had amazing doggos before her. But Foxy gave me a companionship I never experienced before... She was our family dog, but she was my little girl. She gave me a love beyond what our previous good boys had, and it was special, unrelenting, and I truly feel that it was what kept her going... SHE understood what she meant to us, and she had already experienced the worst a family could give: *_abandonment_* So please do not turn away a pet that finds you, because they recognize something between you both that you simply do not yet know exists. They will do everything they can, every day, to show and convey to you that special bond, by being the most loving companion ever. THAT is Foxy's message to you all. *FOXY:* _"Was I a good girl?"_ *ME:* _"No."_ *ME:* _"You were _*_THE BEST_*_ girl!"_ *Thank you Fox, for a **_damn amazing_** 15-3/4 years...* 🦊♥️ 😭 🫗 If you made it this far, thank you. Sorry for living up to my name and _truly_ rambling, as I'm obviously scatter-brained at the moment... My condolences to Alveus and the Alveus community for the loss of Timber and Nilla Wafer. Thank you for what you gave us.

[@atherisGAY]

Oh no I'm so so sorry. 💔😔 She was a wonderful companion, I'm so sorry.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Now to truly ramble... I'm not a god-fearing man, I prefer to believe in something that has to do with Stephen Hawking's theory on black holes, "Conservation of Information", in that what goes into that singularity doesn't get destroyed... For anyone who watched the Stargate SG1 series, my hope is that we kind of "ascend", that the information in our brains isn't lost, our "information" (consciousness, even) just becomes part of the universe. Where I'm going with this is: we lost my dad the fall of 09, tragic and too soon, but he passed while out hunting and while seated overlooking a beautiful vista... we should all be that lucky. I can't help but feel like Foxy was pushed towards us for that reason... That always sat in the back of my head, *particularly* because 2 weeks after my dad passed, we had to put our good boy Diesel down - pancreatic cancer that came out of no where - so a literal one-two gut punch. 😞 It's crazy because A) dad was in Montana, B) Diesel was dad's best buddy, his hunting dog. They were connected at the hip. So the timing is uncanny. M. However, here's where things really freak me out a bit. The day Foxy came to us was just after a rain... Yesterday it rained, and the day after we _'lost'_ Foxy. But it gets weirder.... Because I had seen her decline, I hoped immensely that she would make it to Christmas and that maybe we would get snow because she LOVED snow; uncommon here in E Tennessee. _THIS MORNING _*_IT SNOWED_* 🥹 And, accumulated enough for her to enjoy it - or as best sure could with failing hips. I fed her snow as that was her thing, eating all the snow she could during last year's snow storm! But then, not an hour after, just before we got in the car... the sun came out and melted it all. A literal freak dusting of snow, and if folks had any idea if would snow here, they would've salted the roads last night and preemptively closed businesses (kinda hilarious), and yet none of that happened. So yea... 🤷‍♂️🤯 Some would say it's a higher power... I'd like to think it was my dad having some influence, to give her that parting gift _(he really liked Foxy, despite only having those few months with her)_ 🥴 [/sad and confused ramble] _(edit: typos and grammar; slight rephrasings)_

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

@@atherisGAY Thank you ♥️

[@ayahiraya]

oh man this is how i find out 😢

[@L0stwitn0nam3]

My condolences to everyone. Big hugs

[@themegjake4000]

I have so much love and respect for the Alveus staff. Please don’t forget to take care of yourselves too ❤

[@shaliekk]

I am so sorry you guys. ❤I love all of you and the animals at Alveus. Hope you're feeling better and remembering him with love and happiness. ❤

[@stevie853]

Sending everyone so much love today ❤️ Thank you for all of your continuous work even during the difficult times. Timber and Nilla, rest in peace 🕊️

[@MightyBlueWhale]

Thank you for all you do and for giving them the best care possible ❤

[@Sarah-de6lw]

I’m so sorry for all your losses. Sending sm hugs 🤍

[@physicsfan92]

You give these animals the best lives. Especially the wolf dogs. Timber was able to spend his final days comfortably and in the best place he could possibly be. Thank you for everything you guys to. Rest easy over the rainbow bridge, Nilla and Timber. ❤

[@morphman86]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I know it's neither the first nor the last, but that definitely doesn't make it any easier when it happens. Hug all the ones you can hug (and that goes for the ones at home as well)!

[@kitrodriguez992]

You guys are awesome. Keep doing what y'all are doing. I'm sure everyone loves the team 💚

[@SWHBOYCE]

...My sympathies and empathies for your foundations losses . In a beautiful world ( w/some complications...) I was convinced long ago how wonderful all of you are at Alveus. " Y'all have been " doing the right thing.."...

[@montavious4748]

Rip Nilla and Timber, such wonderful animals and great ambassadors

[@linadams1965]

Any time I think about Awa it breaks my heart. She’s in a new home and now without Timber. Can’t imagine it. But I’m glad she is doing well ❤

[@iloveyou71000]

Sending absolutely all of my love and heart to y’all today💜💜💜 everything you do is so incredible and admirable and we love y’all just as must as the animals🥺 take care

[@tragedyshero72]

Sending ❤ to the team at Alveus. The care and quality of life you bring to the animals shines through and is one of the many reasons I’m happy to continue to support what you guys are doing. RIP to Timber and Nilla.

[@atherisGAY]

Heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your losses. 😥💔

[@analog_wav]

I love maya and all the alveus team. They're absolutely incredible and i have nothing but love and respect for them. I wish you all the best through this sad time ❤❤❤

[@lillithwilliams]

telepathically sending staff hugs

[@ozaffer77]

sorry to hear about their passing

[@klexosartjules500]

RIP Nilla Wafer and Timber 🥹🥹💙💙

[@NatBash]

This is a terribly sad reality of caring for animals. I can't imagine the grief you all at Alveus feel, but I hope you all know that you gave Nilla and Timber both the most amazing lives ever. I've always felt that animal passings can be just as hard as human passings so take care of yourselves. And as for us online, i hope we can make light of this as another learning opportunity, Nilla and Timber still do their ambassador jobs so well ❤

[@nnacroon7356]

I know it's a sad stream, but I really like this cozy format. Having the ladies cozy under a blanket with teas answering questions would be great winter streams. ❄️

[@CupcakeandDuckie]

rest easy Nilla & Timber 😢🤍🤍

[@finnbadders]

This is such sad news, sending love to everyone at alveus ❤️❤️❤️

[@Things_I_find_funny]

Godspeed to everyone at alveus

[@annah6512]

My condoleances, much love to the staff, to Awa and to little Chips. Will Chips also get some new friends? Sorry if it was mentioned elsewhere, I'm really invested, I've been rescuing rats for many years and I know how sad they get when they're alone, and also how many rats are looking for homes. Including former lab animals, but also for example half-wildies (where a pet rat escapes or is dumped and then later is found pregnant) and even non-releasable wild rats that have eg been orphaned very young (but those might not be a great match for Chips). I realize introductions may be difficult because Chips is older, but I've personally done many successful intros with rats that were 2+. Especially if the new rats are +- 6-12 weeks and still smell like babies. Apologies by the way if I sound like a know-it-all, I know you all are professionals. So ignore me if I'm stating the obvious. I'm just a well-meaning autistic person obsessed with rats!

[@kris5465]

My condolences.

[@alessm2206]

I'm not sure what the plan for them are, but I wonder if shadow boxes or burials can be made for Nilla and Timber. Or something on Alveus to dedicate to the gone but not forgotten ambassadors.

[@9sheri9]

I like this idea 🫶 🕊

[@Kiki-reads]

Connor said they were considering spreading their ashes around the tree in the pollinator garden so we could somewhat still “see” them.

[@allocat586]

Thank you all

[@cody.flowart]

RIP Timber

[@magpye5623]

Poor Awa, hopefully you guys can find her someone to make her life a lil easier

[@nnacroon7356]

💜💜💜

[@Might_b_iz]

I’m so sorry 😞 ❤❤

[@myamm4t1n64]

i feel sorry for you guys i also dealing with my cockatiel having parrot fever and the bird is escape bird so i dont know where they bean so now i already accepting it if they didnt get through it even tho i already having bond with them

[@legok6037]

❤️sorry for all your losses❤️. The good news is both animals got to have a good quality of life, at least towards the end.

[@Syntox94]

wait, no way

[@JJ-xt2dq]

nyooooo poor Awa

[@clem1257]

Oh no Timber T_T

[@volkermatthiesen5401]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😢😢😢

[@poshrat993]

Love to staff, awa, and chips❤️❤️❤️

[@crooks8184]

WTF 🫢😔😞🥺😭

[@graciehoward3945]

🩷🩷🩷

[@maartenvandersteen5134]

Who or what was Nilla?

[@littlebear20224]

Nilla Wafer was one of the rat ambassadors

[@maartenvandersteen5134]

@@littlebear20224 Thanks, I don't think I've ever seen the rats on any of the videos.

[@Kiki-reads]

Yeah they don’t get a ton of screen time due to being nocturnal. Their message also overlaps with Toaster Strudel the skink (don’t use pesticides)

[@dahomi3504]

y'all I don't understand what happened to timber

[@littlebear20224]

based on others comments, timbers stomach flipped (which is an emergency) and unfortunately did not recover after the surgery

[@FatalTrip10]

What hapenned? What does the dog and the rat have in common? (I'm sorry but I can't sit through an hour long video rn)

[@ugly1432]

they both died

[@sufiahussain811]

They have a statement in their Twitter and Insta

[@kalebh3419]

They both passed away. It's in the title

[@McMan12345671]

the rat was old and timer had some bloat (his stomach flipped and he never recovered)

[@dizzyallday920]

Someone in 1 sentence, please tell me why did the wolf die? And who is Nilla? Its a video about death a d they are just sitting thdre laughing about chocolate. Say the reason and stfu. This should have been a 3 min video. SOMEONE, TELL ME PLEASE, why is the wolf dead?

[@maximtitan5504]

this was explained on their twitter page clearly within hours of it happening. it was a bloat condition and he was taken into emergency surgery but his condition was extremely poor when be came out of euthanasia. and it's a wolf-dog hybrid. nilla is a rat. she lived out her natural lifespan.

[@krystal_senem]

Nilla was one of the rat ambassadors.

[@maximtitan5504]

this was not a 3 min video announcement. the tweet which was the announcement would have taken a minute to read. this is a video about how the staff who have cared for these animals day in and day out are coping and how they're helping the animals left without their companions to cope. have some decency; not everything in the world is catered to you getting news through the platform you prefer, especially when it comes to a non-profit place where staff are more invested in animal welfare than social media woes.

[@dizzyallday920]

​@@maximtitan5504 So, they are squeezing the natural deaths for every last penny, got it. I dont know why, i thought the wolves were young and were going to live 10 more years, so to me, this was instantly some horriffic accident and they are stretching it out for no reason.

[@9sheri9]

@OP Everyone handles grief differently, and it's OK to try to laugh about chocolate as they are trying to cope. Dafuq is wrong with you.

[@samash33]

Thank you for providing Timber with exceptional care during the last months of his life. Coming from a facility that most likely didn’t spend a lot of time working with and caring for him and Awa, you guys exponentially improved his quality of life. He had plenty of room to roam and even got to run and play with you guys. Coming to Alveus, he probably got to be at ease for the first time in his life! Sending tons of love to you guys and Awa. Thank you for caring for these animals the way that you do. 🧡

[@_ou5t]

🤍