Captain

Some dogs come into rescue but never make it to a final forever home.  The following is Captain's story from his foster mom.

I remember Captain as an eight week old puppy, when he first came to our clinic. I knew somehow, that our paths would cross again, and not just as a patient. At three years, the next time we saw him, he was diagnosed with heartworm disease; the owners opted to keep him on preventative, and retest a year later.

But two years later, the owner next came into our office, looking for me. He had various reasons; the dog was unruly; the dog would jump on them when they went outside, as Captain was a yard dog. Their adult son had recently had back surgery, and Cap jumped on him.

Actually, Captain had very nice manners, although still a mouthy boy, he quickly learned that jumping on humans was not acceptable, and he learned sit, down, and stay easily. And he loved to swim - oh, my, this boy loved to swim! He was a toy shredder, a TP shedder, and was also fond of remotes. He would crush all your cans for you, pick up (and eat) your ciggies. I quickly learned to keep the bathroom doors shut - and I will forgive him for eating one of my favorite pair of sandals.

A lovely lady expressed an interest in him, after Cap completed his heartworm treatment. A Frat mom, at KU in Lawrence, she had been a Labrador person in the past, and was looking for a dog to be active with. It was the perfect home for Captain; the fact that he would pick up cans, and bring them to you was a huge hit for a fraternity! Cap could clean up after parties!

Then - due to various circumstances, our Frat mom and Captain never hooked up. She had something come up, I had something come up - it was Fate playing against(or perhaps FOR) us. And then - one day, she had a black lab show up on her doorstep - who she instantly fell in love with, and decided to adopt.

And ten days later, the diagnoses of cancer was made in Captain. My Captain Crook, my Captain Klutz was very sick - and what if our Frat mom had adopted him? And been heartbroken shortly there after? The Labrador was sent from somewhere, I truly believe.

Captain spent his last months with me - my beautiful big boy went from almost 80 pounds to 57 pounds. He never gave up his love of swimming, or playing ball - or his love of ripping TP off the roll in great big chunks.

He died quietly in my arms; sent to another ocean, to Captain another ship. He was "just" a foster dog. And yet, I’ve cried an ocean of tears. I will miss you, Cap. Thank you for loving me, as I loved you.

Riley "Little Big Man"

From his dad, as he passed: our dear "Little Big Man" Riley (my Velcro buddy) died today of cancer in his stomach and abdomen area.   He was (and I suppose it was similar to what happened to Poppy apparently, Pat) just five and half years old -- man!

Riley was the little guy that the lady who brought him by that morning (on advice from the local shelter) said if we didn't take him right then, she was going to have him put to sleep that day because she was in a fix and couldn't keep him. Well, I guess he got a five year reprieve of that death sentence -- I wish it had been a lot longer.

(picture coming soon)

Poppy 10/2000 ~ 11/2009

Poppy came into rescue as a puppy.  The owners had bought her one day and the next brought her to Pat.  Pat kept her.

She died unexpectedly, essentially without warning -- one of the silent cancer killers, most likely. Not far to lose two in one year.

Summit Henderson ~ 8/2009

Summit

We got Summit when he was a year and half old
And he had an attitude of being tuff and bold.
He was a Golden that had been rescued from an abusive home
That had mistreated him and just let him roam.
His meals were from a dumpster and his bed was out in the mud and cold
And the people would beat him if he didn't do what he was told.
That life as he knew it came to end one day
When two special ladies wisk him away.
Pat and Kathy are the ladies I'm refering to
And they loved and nurtured him, he was special they knew.
These two ladies are part of GRRRR Midwest
A rescue organization that I think is the best.
Kathy was Summit's foster mom for a few weeks
And she said he was special and unique.
I'll never forget the day we picked him up
He was the color of gold, a beautiful pup.
After spending a little time with him we knew he was the one
I looked at Kathy and it was if we were taking her son.
She had tears in her eyes as we drove away
And Summit looked out the window at her as if he wanted to stay.
We got down the road a ways and he jumped from the back seat into the front
And looked at me as if to say how did you like that stunt.
He sat between Cindy and I just like a person for the trip home
Ever once in a while he would lay his head on Cindy's lap and moan.
When we got home he tried to bully our other Golden, Jake
But it didn't last to long because bullying Jake didn't take.
They became buddies and would wrestle and play
And go to the pasture and chase rabbits for half the day.
Summit still acted tuff and bold when anything human or animal approached the ranch
So he took it upon himself and become head of the ranch's security branch.
With each passing day we gained his trust and love
And the fear in his eyes faded and with us he became as tender as a dove.
Summit was as loyal as any friend I've ever had
And of Cindy he could be over protective just a tad.
When Jake died he would lay on the porch and howl and stare at the grave
He was heart broken you could tell by the way he behaved.
Summit died of cancer a short eight months later, August 23, 2009
I thank God every day for the time we had with that beautiful K-9.

I want to thank Pat, Kathy and GRRRR for the 8½ years of pure joy and love we were blessed with by being Summit's people. Thank You
By Loy Henderson 04/21/2010

Maggie Mae ~7/2009

We lost Maggie to Osteosarcoma last Saturday. We adopted Maggie in March, 2001. She was one of the best. Maggie was very polite and well mannered. She was our friend and our protector. Maggie was queen of her domain. No one was allowed on her property without Maggie announcing it with her barking. This was good, as we live in the country and it was nice to be aware. Maggie loved to have company and she would not let them get by without petting her. Maggie had a grin that amazed everyone. Our friends wuold talk about how how Maggie "grinned " at them. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to have Maggie for our friend. She will be sadly missed.

Redford (Red): from Tulsa to Toronto - A Good Life Lived ~6/2009

It was love at first sight on the site. Red had been beautifully photographed – with a rare snowy background in Tulsa, There was also a thorough evaluation from his foster dad Bill. Red was fitting in nicely with Bill’s 3 goldens. Bill’s experience as an obedience trainer and photographer came in handy.
Red had initially been found in a Tulsa apartment complex. His rescuer tried to trace him, but to no avail. She kept him for a time, but when her circumstances changed she knew to give him up to the local golden rescue group. Red seemed to have been well raised and was may have had some hunting training. We bet that someone somewhere was missing him.

While we waited, we also started to look at other chapters closer to home in Toronto – neighbouring provinces and states using what was then the umbrella website for all the rescue groups. In the process we accidentally clicked on the link to the site for GRRRR Midwest – the chapter which at that time served Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma – not exactly close to home. www.goldenrecovery.org There was Red – at the top of the available dogs page. It was love at first sight - this was the golden for us.
We went through the usual adoption process. However in our case, GRRRR Midwest accommodated us with a telephone interview and they delegated the home inspection to a trusted party in the Toronto area. Happily we passed all the tests and Red was to be ours.

By that time we had developed a nice rapport with Bill in Tulsa, so rather than have Red fly to Toronto on his own, I went down to visit them. I arrived on a Saturday and Bill picked me up at the airport. We went out for dinner then home to meet the gang.

Despite his excellent foster home friends and surrounding, Red was still nervous which lead to him being somewhat emaciated. He made numerous escape attempts – over and digging under fences. We were warned.

The next day we visited a fair where GRRR Midwest had a display. I was able to meet other goldens needing homes as well as several of the fine people with GRRR Midwest with whom I had interacted in the adoption process. At the fair I bought Red’s new collar and ID tag which lasted his entire life. Our happy ending photo is still preserved online on GRRRR Midwest’s site: http://www.goldenrecovery.org/happyendings02.htm

Foster Dad Bill kindly gave Red some crate training in advance of the flight. Still I was the nervous wreck flying home from Tulsa to Toronto, with a plane change in Chicago. As I had read, I advised each flight crew that there was an important “passenger” below so they would take extra care. They were very reassuring and even made an announcement before we departed on the second leg. By that time I had seen Red in his crate going up the luggage ramp, looking quite happy and interested in another flight. I finally relaxed.

On arrival at the Toronto airport, Red was quite excited and nervous, but relieved to be out of the crate. He wasn’t sure about this big place and new people, with funny Canadian accents. We have a photo of him the first day in his new forever home, lying on the floor with his head hidden under the sofa like an ostrich.

He was eager to escape for the first year as predicted, but the yard “held him”. We had to mind the doors and hang on to the leash. He was a puller – and I required a chiropractic treatment for “dog arm” that first year. On one memorable escape from the front door, he raced down our quiet street, around the corner to a busier one. Fortunately I had on my running gear and when Red stopped to pea he was “tackled” and given a stern talking to, which actually seemed to make a difference thereafter.
We gradually gave him some freedom in the right settings. He loved to explore Toronto’s famous ravine parks. That first winter he was very intrigued by a large patch of ice and rolled with great delight on the slippery, cold surface.

Red was relatively gentle with his stuffed toys. His favourite was a gorilla we named “Pricilla” who screamed when squeezed. He loved to fling her around and gnaw on her. Still we went through multiple Pricillas over the year.

Red was never a retrieving retriever. He would occasionally fetch another dogs stick or ball, but only for fun. He was never a swimmer – perhaps it was his dry Oklahoma roots. He never did more than wade in, and it took years before he would dunk his head.

Red’s weekday walker was also a key part of Red’s upbringing. Red was in no small part the wonderful dog he was due to the care and discipline that John instilled. Red even enjoyed the occasional weekend stay with John and Maureen and their dogs.

Red grew to be the “mayor” of our small neighbourhood (with all due respect to John, Max and George) Everyone knew him. Hardly a day went by without someone commenting on how handsome, noble or well-behaved he was.

A year ago he started to slow down considerably and developed a limp in a front leg. We thought it was arthritis and provided the usually supplements to help. It became much worse in the winter – almost crippling - we discovered it was a hypothyroid condition. Once provided with the necessary medication, he sprang back to his normal, albeit 12 year old, self.

Then this spring he went off his regular food, even though he was clearly hungry and would eat other things. I now know this can be a sign of illness – the dog blaming the food for whatever is ailing. In June we discovered that Red had inoperable lung cancer, with tumours pressing on his heart. We were given medications for palliative care. We knew it was a matter of time.

Red’s peaceful end came on June 26, 2009, virtually under a tree and the sky. He had a good life.
Our family is very sad. Red will be greatly missed by many people outside the family; particularly by his neighbour Ann, who gave him a “second home”, along with his black lab friend, Nina.

Meadow

We adopted Meadow from GRRRR in June of 2001 when she was about 6 months old. When we saw her picture on the website it was love at first site, but when we learned her foster family was only a few blocks from our home we knew it was fate. She was a happy, energetic, playful girl and remained that was until the day she died. She was the ultimate party girl, teaching us how to live in the moment and make the most of each day. Her nonstop need to be the center of attention made her the perfect therapy dog. After passing the Canine Good Citizen test, she became a member of Paw Pals (our local therapy dog group) and made over 150 visits to nursing homes and schools. Her favorite place to visit was an elementary school where the kids would read to her. Because she was very focused and had a natural retrieve instinct she took to obedience training right off and attended dog school her entire life. We are most proud of the titles she was able to earn in AKC trials (CD, RN) and UKC trials (UCD,UCDX). Meadow passed away suddenly with no warning in March of 2009 due to an apparent heart attack. Her time with us was way too short, but the unconditional love she shared with us will last a lifetime.

(picture coming soon)

Mickey 11/2001 ~ 1/2009

From his mom shortly after she adopted him: He is a mix. Golden Retriever and Jack-rabbit....with the sweetest face, the temperament of an angel, and a most incredible spirit.

He died of lymphoma, far too young.

Wills 1995/6~2007

Wills was our first foster dog.  (There's a reason why we haven't had too many foster dogs -- they just stay rather than becoming someone's adopted dog). He came into rescue a mess -- 45 pounds, covered in ticks, tick disease positive. By the time we got him, he was somewhat better (58 pounds) but still needed a few courses of doxycycline for the diseases. We also found he had low thyroid -- 2/3 weeks on the thyroid medications and our vet didn't even recognize him when he came in for a recheck!

Wills had a tendency, even early to wander away. This progressed a bit as he got older and unlike most Goldens, he hated the water!  He would intentionally walk AROUND a mud puddle rather than step through it (or a stream).

When in summer of 2007 he basically stopped eating, we looked for all possible causes -- tick diseases, fungal diseases, heartworm (even though he'd been on year round preventative), including ultrasound.  It pretty much stumped our vet and us.  After he passed away, we sent some of the tissue to a pathologist -- and it came back "metastasis" (but no primary tumor).  Wills had hid his disease so well that the cancer had time to metastasize and take him.

Linda & Duncan

Sadie ~ 12/2006

It is not by accident this breed’s coloring, their loyal hearts and glowing presence are all GOLDEN! These fabulous creatures end up far more valuable than gold and are treasured far greater than any trinket in gold. Our little family thanks God for creating the delightful Golden Retriever named Sadie and for bringing her into our lives. When we decided to drive from Olathe, KS to Springfield to meet Sadie, I asked the foster mom to tell me THE worst thing about her so we could have a real idea of what we might be getting in to “…mostly, I guess she’s just real needy, never leaves your side for anything”. Well, that’s exactly what the Brenner Family needed and Sadie seemed to need us too. Our Sadie Girl was everything to love about this breed; amazingly patient with small children and babies poking and pulling in curiosity, she learned how to greet company by sitting and was then rewarded by their “loves”, she was an excellent hostess- once everyone had arrived and settled to their seats she would then “work the room” nicely to see if anyone needed to pet her, or perhaps they needed somewhere to put there left-over pizza crust, you know, what ever she could do to help out! :o) Even with her completely white face she had no idea she wasn’t a puppy and continued to live with that puppy-esque enthusiasm to the very end of her 12 ish years. We pretend with each other that she’s still here “working us over for a biscuit”. Our home is empty, even with the four of us there. We are praying that God is already sending us another wonderful furry-child as unique as Sadie Girl.

Thank you GRRRR for introducing us to this great Golden, Sadie Dog!

Almost The Brenner Family
Mark, Kelly, Katlyn & Jonathan
 

Banjo ~9/2006

It's very hard for me to send you this email, I'm crying as I write this. I adopted Banjo from you back in September of 2000. My heart is broken to have to tell you he passed away September 1st. The 6 years he was with me were the best. He was well known at the local dog bakery and everyone who met him loved him. I can't describe to you what Banjo meant to me - there truly are no words. Please know that he was spoiled and loved by everyone who knew him. Banjo was special.

We had been taking him to the vet because he wasn't getting around as well - laying down on hikes. We started to treat him for arthritis but it wasn't helping. We had his blood tested, x-rays taken... Eventually we had him on 6 different meds to help with the pain and arthritis. He seemed to improve but we had to take him off of the steroids as he was on a very high dose. As we were weaning him he at first seemed ok - but then he wasn't. He wasn't allowed to go upstairs anymore so we slept downstairs with him every night for a month. I couldn't stand the thought of him sleeping all alone. One morning at 3am he went outside to go to the bathroom (we had a dog door and ramp for him). When he didn't come back inside I went outside and laid down with him for a while. He didn't get up. We put him on a blanket and brought him inside and called the vet. Soon after Banjo started to vomit blood so we rushed him to the emergency room. After taking x-rays and doing other test they said he had fluid in his abdominal cavity and thought it was likely cancer that ruptured his intestines. The vet didn't believe that Banjo would make it through the surgery. As we discussed our options she came back in and said he wasn't going to make it many more minutes. I couldn't stand the thought of Banjo suffering. He'd been through so much already. I knew it was his time to go. If any amount of money could have saved him I would have done it - with out a second thought. I had a big savings account for him just in case. But money wasn't going to save my dearest Banjo. We held his head and paws and rubbed his belly as we said our good-byes.

My heart is still broken - I can't think of him with out crying. There was just no dog like Banjo. I'm including some pictures of him. Please let me know if you don't get them and I'll find another way to send them to you. Also - I hope you'll enjoy seeing the banners that Banjo stars in for IMOM.org: http://www.imom.org/ipb/banners/be_responsible.htm (he's in the 2nd row on the left and the 2nd to last row on the right). I truly wish I could find a way to tell you how special Banjo has been to my family, but a dog as special as Banjo can not be summed up so easily. Too many words and pictures come to mind - I can't even figure out which ones would do him justice. I've also enclosed an article I wrote for IMOM about keeping your dog with the family when the baby comes home. Some rescues have requested a copy so that they could pass it along to new families. Please feel free to pass it along if you feel might help keep a family together. Banjo and I learned together and we hope we can help others.

I kept in touch with his foster mom, for a while but along the way her email address stopped working quite a while ago. If you are in touch with her still please foward this email to her. Sorry to send so many pictures - I promise I narrowed it down! I could send you a thousand.

All my love,
Sarah

Gulliver 1995 ~ 2006

Gulliver came to us in September 2001. He was a very unique dog who had been abused during his early life. His ears were deformed from the constant ear infections but after six months we got them cleared up. He never had another in his five years here. When he first joined our family he would just stand in the middle of the floor and stare at me. His abuser was obviously a man and he did not trust me in the least. With time he actually became my dog, my buddy. We lost Gulliver today, his battle with Hemangiosarcoma came to an end. Our vet’s best guess is that Gulliver was eleven. By the time he showed symptoms he was too far to do anything about it. Gulliver loved the water. The day we picked him up in a small town outside Wichita he stared out the window at every body of water we passed. He loved the lake and riding on the boat, those big balls (bouys) in the water just had to be barked at. He guarded his lake ball constantly. His step mom sent it with him and he loved it. We know Gilliver has joined our other goldens in dog heaven and while we miss him dearly, he lived a good life while with us and he no longer feels the pain.

Marvin and Candace McNabb

Daisy (Ashley) Koman

Daisy came to GRRRR as Ashley, as stray, probably 6-8 years old.  She was adopted by the Komans in August of 2001.  When adopted she had a really bad "summer" haircut that made her look like Lab with fuzzy ears.  As you can see, the haircut never mattered, nor did her age. Daisy was a special little soul who loved children.

From Becky Koman:

Daisy was very much my 14 year-old's dog.  She truly was the best dog.  You could always count on Daisy greeting you at the door with a "friend" in her mouth.  She never barked, jumped or licked, but you always knew she was there when she would "nudge" your hand as if to say "Hey dummy.  I'm here, pet me".  We all miss her presence in our lives.  Though we only had her for a short while, we were truly blessed the day you gave her to us. 

Dear Friends and Family,

Our sweet Abbie dog lost her valiant 4 month-long battle with kidney cancer on Friday, April 7. She fought hard to live and savored life, even when she didn't feel great. She loved going for hikes with us in the woods, cuddling with her family members, going for rides in the car and digging for moles!

Abbie was only six years old, much to young to develop an aggressive kidney tumor, which was removed in February. We thought she had it licked, but then the remaining kidney began to fail before we could even try a few rounds of chemo to get any cancer that had spread. We are so sad. 

We only got to enjoy her for 18 months, but we are thankful for the time we did have. She enriched our lives so much, and we are grateful to all of you who helped us find her, bring her home (from a Golden Retriever Rescue group in Kansas) and care for her. The dedicated folks who rescue these dogs are heroes! 

Abbie loved our kids, and Hannah, who was terrified of dogs when we got Abbie, learned how sweet dogs can be and was really affectionate toward her near the end. Joseph loved playing with her and watching her dig for moles. Abbie loved pestering my mom at the dinner table. She always stood right at her knees and put her wet nose on Mom's hand, which made Mom yelp in surprise! Me, I loved everything about her and only wished for us to have more hikes, more snuggles, more time together. We miss her, sweet pup!

I'm sending a couple of photos along. Thanks for listening!

Love, Andrea

In the words of Maizie's Dad: When I chose, or perhaps more accurately, she chose to adopt me, I wanted a friend a companion, of course you discover that it becomes much more than that. I knew that she was an older dog, and that she would not have as long a time with me than a younger dog would, but I didn't hesitate saying "Yes!", when she was brought over to my house that first day. Not sure if it was common, but I was allowed to keep her right then, not sure if you could tell who wanted to be with the other more, but certainly you could tell we were a matched pair.

We didn't lead an exciting life, neither of us needed excitement, I didn't need an obedient dog, and she didn't need a master, but we both discovered that we needed each other. Maizie was everybody's dog in the neighborhood. Not that it mattered, but I wondered if she wanted to be with me more than anyone else, that was answered the day she declined a car ride with my girlfriend because I wasn't going. Mind you, their was only one thing that she liked more than car rides, and that was food.... Yeah, Maizie would have gone with her if food was involved, but at that point I knew that she preferred to be with me, over a car ride.

Again, that never mattered to me, as long as she was happy, I was happy.

Riley's family had to let him go on December 23, 2004.  He had been doing pretty well but took a downturn and went down very rapidly.  His Mom says "I know you know it hurts, but I also feel remarkably comfortable because I know it was the right decision. I didn’t feel putting him through a battery of tests would have lead to a different outcome. I know he at least is in good company with Shadow and Rusty (Merlin). When I have a chance to think a little clearer I’ll try to send some other thoughts you could use for the memorial page when you get a chance to update it."

We are so grateful to GRRRR for Salem and the five years we had with him. He went to the Rainbow Bridge far too young after six months of treatment for lymphoma. Everyone who knew him will remember his "grin" and mischievous personality. A friend read an article at the vet's office about retrievers who are like Peter Pan, they just never grow up -- she said she knew exactly which retriever they meant -- SALEM! No counter was too high for Salem to surf, and fresh-baked bread was a personal favorite of his. He was a loving and playful companion to our four boys. He was Angela's "baby grin" -- he never quite adjusted to our three new kids being called baby, after all he was the baby! We will always hold his memory dear in our hearts, the best dog ever.

Thank you, Angela Powell

Booms, April 2004 - Hemorraghic Gastroenteritis

Boomer was hand picked for us from Bill and Linda and Pat, and he wasn't ever featured as an available dog on the web site--we adopted him too fast!

We were very saddened by the loss of our beloved Boomer--he was a wonderful member of our family and the most wonderful dog in the world--his death was very sudden and a shock to us all...but we will always remember the best times and how fun it was to spoil him rotten, which he deserved! We, as a family, wanted to grow old with him and nurture him forever, but it's always the best ones that pass on too early...We are in the process of adopting another Golden to fill our house with the loving companionship Goldens provide. Although a new dog will never replace Boomer, we feel we can provide another dog with a loving, safe environment. We love this web site and want to be in the GRRRR family for a long time!!!!

Thanks so much, Joe, Chrisan, Rach, and Zach

I was surfing the web and happened upon GRRRR-Midwest's website. I wasn't looking to adopt....  I had adopted a golden from a shelter and had been volunteering for a mixed breed group and fostering for them. Goldy was a little old lady to be sure.... she was senior, she was petite, she was a golden - from the looks of it a BADLY bred one, she did not have a flowing coat, her front legs resembled a bull dog, she was sway backed from TOO MANY litters of pups (former kennel wench - nice way of saying that she was a breeder for a mill!).. and from what little experience I had at the time.... not a likely candidate for adoption at all.  I read her story..... and like most, I closed the page and went on my way... but I came back, several times... her story touched my heart and I wrote to her foster mom. After many emails and a few phone calls, I decided it was fate and filled out an application for adoption and had a home visit. One thing led to another and I met Goldy at a little park. I took Toby (my golden) with me.... what a miss-matched pair they were; Toby was about 90 lbs, white-blonde in color with a silky coat and feathers... Goldy was a little thing, red wavy coat on the course and thin side, sway backed... a little slower in the step but full of love. They were instantly best friends and each others protector.  She came home! The volunteers got a laugh out of the first picture of Goldy that I sent them... it is the one of her laying in a chair..... I told them that the dogs were not allowed on the furniture, Goldy could do whatever she wanted! She had earned at least that much considering her previous life.  Goldy was a playful girl until advanced age really slowed her down and we were content to let her be a couch potato, then a rug potato when she could no longer jump on the couch. Goldy lost the use of her back legs eventually and we tried pain meds and different treats to no avail. She was simply too tired, her body too old and frail. With lots of love, cradled in my arms, with my tears covering her face, we took away her pain and let her run free again.

Sierra was a special girl GRRRR accepted into the program.  Read about her story and her special fund (for similar special dogs) here: http://www.goldstockfund.org/TGF/mainSierraFund.htm

Rusty (formerly Merlin) overcame his early eye removal shortly after his adoption by his forever family and went on to lust after the cat's food and cheese slices.  He started having some problems in getting up during Summer 2002 and succumbed gracefully to old age on March 24, 2003.

He would also come up and nudge my hand and MAKE me pet him and rub his ears.  He came to live with us Father's day weekend 2001. He was my sweetheart.  Just like human kids, they're each special for their own reasons.  I love Riley dearly, but Rusty was just so special.   I would tell people how I watched his coat improve with his better diet.   When I first got him he wouldn't let me mess with his feet like to wipe them off if he had been out in the rain.  Then, he would let me.  I even got to where I could trim his nails.  Oh and the time when Riley ran into him and stirred up his arthritis in his spine.  He was in so much pain, but NEVER tried to even nip at me even when I had to lift him up in the back of my SUV to get him to the vet.  The vet said he had never seen such arthritis.  I finally found a vet that came to the house so I wouldn't have to lift him up and down, just on the occasional eye doc visit.  Lori

Chelsea: 10/28/88 - 3/1/01 (Cancer)

Chelsea came to rescue as an owner release and a senior at the age of 10. Chels was definitely an "alpha" girl and had a rather ugly incident in her first foster home. A call was made for a new foster home. Chelsea came to live with me, my family, all our goldens and a couple of kittens. Through some gentle reminders that I was the "Alpha" of the pack, Chelsea settled in quite nicely and became my eyes and ears when I was not in the room, roo-ing when one of the other dogs was doing something that she felt was not right. (the ultimate tattletale!) She "assisted" in making sure that the residents and any fosters were towing the line. A growth developed and a biopsy confirmed cancer. Several tumors were removed. Chels always kept a happy face and everyone in line. When the cancer progressed to her lungs we knew that her time with us was coming to an end, counting our time would now be in weeks instead of months. She rallied back every time and exceeded expectation. Even on the day that she let me know that she was too tired to fight anymore - she was still giving kisses for cookies and wagging her tail. It took some talking (and I would guess a little arm twisting) but I did get to officially adopt Chelsea before she left for the bridge.... she has been missed and was much loved while she was with me.    Cindi and family (2 and 4 footed)

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