First, the setup to put it in perspective. Our eldest daughter, single mother, was one of the early casualties of the recession in the mid 2000’s. She and our grandson, age 10, moved back in with us. We repeatedly heard “I want a puppy.” Our neighbor across the road bred Golden Retrievers. They had a litter. I kept telling our grandson that having a dog came with a lot of responsibility. Who would clean up after? Who would give him food and water? Who would teach him how to be a good housemate? To make a long story short, we bought the last remaining dog from our neighbors latest litter.

About 2 years later, our daughter and grandson moved out and took Duke with them. If you are familiar with the personality that Goldens have, you will understand how short a period of time it took before we really missed them. It took about a year, and we had to fill the hole that was left. At the same time, I had the idea that there were probably a great number of dogs in shelters through no fault of their own, from families whose situation changed to where they were forced to give up there pets who needed a break. So I checked and found the listing for Eartha on Petfinder. I went to HSHV to meet her. She took to me like white on rice. The best guess was that she was somewhere between 1 or 2 years old. She was well trained. Polite, gentle with kids. You name it; we could not ask for a better dog. That was 11 years ago. We never had any hint of regret.

The only thing I really wish is that they could talk and tell us their story. I am certain hers would be very interesting.

 

Eartha now Brandy