We first met Yenko 3 weeks after he was born in September of 2012. From the second our Daughter picked him as our family member it was instant love. We picked him up a few weeks later at 6.5 weeks old. From that moment on, he was a family member. The most loving loyal companion one could ask for. Last year in October, he began having some issues with putting weight on his left rear leg. After tests and X rays and scans and time, it was diagnosed that it was Degenerative Myelopathy. He did pretty well dealing with a devastating disease until the last couple of months. Finally, on 12/29/20 our family had to make the heart wrenching decision to let our beloved boy cross the Rainbow Bridge and go to a place he could run and play again...I feel like we have had the best care for him from his first veterinarian Dr Kurt Riemer and then the last year of his life with Dr Beth Scheenstra and her staff. They made the last year for Yenko an amazing year. The compassion each and everyone at the clinic has shown meant so much to Yenko and to our family. Yenko was a wonderful boy to our family but most of all, I feel like he was my best friend. He helped me though sending my Son off to the US Air Force and our Daughter off to college. I have had German Shepherds all my life. Over 50 years. I have never had such an amazing connection like this. He was a one in a million boy. My heart aches everyday. I hope someday this disease can be avoided. We have lost an amazing family member. He will forever be in our hearts.