Driving Miss Norma

“When the light returns to its source, it takes nothing of what it has illuminated.” ~Rumi

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Ringo returned to his source April 5, 2022, and the afterglow of his illumination of the past 15 years will live in our hearts forever.

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This big fuzzy dog had more nicknames and spontaneous songs sung about him than one could possibly imagine. Ringo lived his life large, was the embodiment of peace and love, and made himself comfortable in the hearts of everyone he ever interacted with.

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While still a puppy, Ringo began working with Ramie’s middle school students as a therapy dog and provided unconditional support to those in need. He eventually graduated to elder care when he took one glorious end-of-life ride with his grandma, Miss Norma. Ringo was at her side when Norma took her last breath. Some of you reading this may know the story of Driving Miss Norma.

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His fuzzy face now graces the cover of a bestselling book published in 10 languages. The image of him riding with Norma in the red scooter made him recognizable around the world. He has been featured in numerous internet and print articles, including a centerfold story in a German dog magazine.

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Subsequently, Ringo stole the show on stages big and small across the country as his humans spoke at book signings, conferences and fundraisers. He has traveled to 48 states, five Canadian provinces and two Mexican states. He was as comfortable hanging out in a homeless camp as he was in the presidential suite of a luxury hotel. The sweet fella also sure loved a good parade!

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Ringo was an an athlete, a humanitarian and a comic. His long legs climbed the high peaks of the Rockies and romped the deserts of the southwest. He ran on beaches down both coasts from Nova Scotia to the Florida Keys; from the San Juan Island to Baja Sur and on every one of the Great Lakes. He loved rolling in the green, green grass and really enjoyed riding paddle boards on any body of water, but especially the Sea of Cortez.

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He was a master at sneaking a nap on any open bed, co-opting toys from children and pets alike. He was also well adept at surviving several close calls that could have truncated his life years ago. Instead, he lived out every last minute and made it very clear when he was ready for his grand transition.

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Ringo is pre-deceased by his amazing grandmother, Norma Bauerschmidt and many of his canine buddies, and is survived by his family, Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle, along with his most recent canine besties, Jasper on the east coast, and Jura on the west.

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It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. We are not sure what a thousand pictures are worth, but we would like to share a few of them with you.

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Ringo - Poodle Boy of Wonder!

August 2, 2007 - April 5, 2022