Xander Wilkins

Xander Wilkins, the sweet boy of Andy, Shirley, and Garry Wilkins from Shelbyville, Indiana, passed over the Rainbow Bridge at 9:00 pm on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Xander was born in June of 2013, and he had a rough start in life. Fortunately the young pup was rescued by Frenzy Animal Rescue in New Palestine. In October of 2013, when Xander was four months old, his life changed for the better when he was adopted by Andy. Xander was just getting settled into his new life with Andy when he became ill and was diagnosed with blastomycosis, a fungal infection caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis. The fungus typically enters the body through the respiratory system and settles in the small airways, where it begins to reproduce. From there, it can spread to other organs and cause further infection. Blastomycosis symptoms in dogs include one or more of the following, depending on which organ system is infected: fever, weight loss, poor appetite, cough, lymph node swelling, difficulty breathing, limping, and skin lesions. Thankfully, Andy got Xander to the veterinarian's office for treatment. Andy relayed that Xander “came through like a champ” and “He battled hard and managed to make a full recovery from it.” Xander was finally part of a family who truly loved him and made sure he was well cared for. Now, healthy little Xander was a very rambunctious and curious puppy. He was full of energy and always wanting to be on the go. Xander lived with Andy for the remainder of the year before moving to the family farm to live with Andy’s parents, Shirley and Garry, where he was able to run and play and remained there for the next ten years until he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. When Xander arrived at the farm, he joined his older fur sister, Daisy, who became a member of the Wilkins family just a year prior. Like most little brothers, he loved tormenting his older sister. He loved being chased, so he would nip and bite at Daisy until she took the bait and chased him around the farm. Daisy grew to love her little brother. She and Xander loved to play and explore the fields and woods together. Xander enjoyed the outdoors so much. His favorite activities were playing fetch, being with Daisy, who he absolutely loved, and lying outdoors, soaking up the sunshine. Xander didn’t mind bath time but wasn’t such a fan of being groomed. Xander loved going on car rides. He was the most polite passenger and would calmly hang out in the passenger or back seat and just chill, take a nap, or look out the window. He especially enjoyed his car rides that included Garry taking him to McDonald’s for a plain cheeseburger. Xander wasn’t a picky boy and was happy munching on any kind of treats. Xander’s favorite toy was his tennis balls, according to Andy, “the dirtier, the better.” Andy shared his favorite memory of Xander, which was, “Any time we’d play fetch with a tennis ball. He could go on for hours, and it was always the first order of business when we’d spend time outside.” Xander loved his entire family so much. He loved when Andy would come to visit him at the farm; he would sit on his lap to be close to him. Xander loved his special car rides with Garry, and he loved his long walks with Shirley. Xander, who his family also referred to as “X,” “X Man,” and “Little Man,” was loved so very much. Xander brought so much happiness to the entire family, and he will be sadly missed by Andy, Shirley, and Garry, as well as his older fur sister, Daisy. 

Arrangements have been entrusted to Always & Furever in Our Hearts Pet Cremation in association with Liming Family Funeral Home, located in Shirley, Indiana. We are honored to serve the family of Xander.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Xander Wilkins, please visit our floral store.