Nine-year-old Logan was turned in to a shelter in Connecticut when his elderly owners could no longer care for him due to their own health issues. The shelter staff fell in love with this outgoing and very sweet boy, and they were devastated to learn that his heartworm test came back positive. There was no way they could afford to give Logan the life-saving treatment he needed, and they didn’t know where to turn. Logan also had a hit-by-car injury and could not lift his tail. When YGRR discovered Logan’s plight, we immediately offered to take him in and give him the medical care he needed. The shelter staff was very grateful that Logan would get the care he deserved. A volunteer picked Logan up from the shelter and drove him straight to the vet hospital for a complete medical workup. A plan for his treatment was put into place. The first step was to take care of the injury to his tail. The only thing that could be done was to amputate it. Logan was neutered at the same time. He then came back to Riverview to recuperate.

Logan’s tail injury took a long time to heal. Once it did, we proceeded to treat his heartworm. Keeping this boy quiet for several months (as is necessary so the dying worms don’t cause an affected dog to suffer a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism) was a challenge. Playful Logan could not understand why he was not allowed to play with any of his toys and why he could not run around outside! After months of leash-walking and exercise restriction, Logan was overjoyed when he could run and play once again!

Now that Logan was recovered, it was time to put this boy in his forever home. Logan now lives with owners who are dedicated to giving him all the attention and care he needs. Logan’s new family reports that he is absolutely amazing and is a total “mushpot.” He gets to play everyday with his teenaged human brother, and he enjoys long walks on nearby trails where he gets along with everyone he meets. Logan’s family reports that he is just perfect for them, and Logan certainly agrees that it is the perfect match!

Ten-year-old Princess was a frequent flyer at her local animal shelter, constantly being picked up for running loose. It was no wonder, as this gregarious girl lived outside in her owner’s poorly fenced yard. Princess took every opportunity to escape and seek out the attention she craved. After she was picked up yet again, the owner finally decided to surrender her to the shelter. Princess would at last have the chance to be adopted into a home where she would be a true member of the family!

Princess was extremely thin and had received no recent veterinary care. The animal control officer called YGRR to come get this sweet and peppy girl, and Princess was immediately brought to our vet. Unspayed Princess had a mammary mass. This was worrisome, as unspayed females are at a higher risk for mammary cancer. Luckily for Princess, this mass turned out to be benign! Whew! Princess had the mass removed. She was also spayed and treated for ear infections. Once this was done and she had the rest of her senior workup and vaccinations, Princess was brought back to Riverview to recover.

During her stay, Princess thrived on the attention of the staff and volunteers. She would push herself as close as possible against whoever was patting her and could just sit there all day. She even had the time of her life greeting the kids from a nearby day camp that came for a field trip. She enjoyed her time in our securely fenced play yards, as well. This girl’s tail never stopped wagging!

When Princess was deemed healthy enough to be adopted, we knew just the family for her. These adopters had eight-year-old and two-year-old Golden boys. They said they had room for one more, and they specifically wanted to give a deserving senior a wonderful forever home. When Princess met Beau and Gus, the dogs immediately began frolicking together and they haven’t stopped since. Princess has a new name, Daisy, to go along with her new life. Daisy spends her days walking on the sandbars and swimming in the tidal pools at a nearby beach. At home, she wrestles with her brothers in her fenced yard and then relaxes at her owners’ feet. At nighttime, a tired and contented Daisy curls up on a comfy bed with Gus at the foot of her owners’ bed. Daisy’s journey has come to a happy ending, and she is finally where she deserves to be.

Strawberry was picked up as a stray in Massachusetts. She was named “Strawberry” because she was wearing a Strawberry Shortcake collar when she was found. Strawberry was seven years old. She had a microchip that the shelter traced back to a petstore where she was obviously bought as a puppy. However, the owners never registered the chip, and the petstore had since closed. No one ever came forward to claim her, and the animal control officer called us.

When Strawberry came to YGRR, she was found to be in generally good health, but she had bilateral hip dysplasia requiring joint supplements and she was very skinny from her ordeal. She was given three meals a day (every Golden’s dream!) until she gained back some weight. Strawberry was a very sweet girl who loved to lean into you for patting and was always eager to go for walks on the shaded trails at Riverview.

Once Strawberry was well on her way to recovery, adopters were called to meet her. This couple had owned rescue dogs before and was looking for another companion to share their home. Strawberry, renamed “Maeve,” is now in her forever home. Maeve’s adopters love her sweet personality, and Maeve regularly visits the residents at an assisted-living center, where the retired nuns adore her! While Maeve may be saint with people, however, squirrels had best beware! Maeve continues to love going for walks, often circling her owners and trying to herd them towards her leash if she thinks there is the slightest chance she might persuade them to take a stroll. While we may not know what Maeve’s past life was like, we do know that her future holds nothing but happiness for this deserving girl!

Ginger’s owners divorced and were moving into apartments that did not allow big dogs. They had bought Ginger as a puppy eight years earlier and had bred her several times. Her owners described Ginger as a wonderful and loving girl. Ginger had previously lived mainly in the backyard, coming into the garage at nighttime or during thunderstorms, but her owners recognized that Ginger would thrive with a new family that did not mind having a large dog in the house.

When Ginger came to Rescue, she had several masses that were removed. One of these masses turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma, which is a malignant tumor that tends to recur locally. The tumor was completely excised and the prognosis was good for Ginger. While Ginger was at Riverview, she charmed all the staff and volunteers with her endearing habit of carrying a stuffed animal with her at all times. She was also fond of bellyrubs!

Adopters who were open to adopting a senior were called to meet this adorable girl. When Ginger ran over with her toy, it was love at first sight. Ginger now lives with a 13-year-old Pug who is totally content to let Ginger have all the toys. Ginger’s new family describes her as a luv bug, and they say that she has settled in as if she has always lived there. They have already bought her several new toys and taken her for walks on the beach, which she loves. They will monitor the location of her malignant mass, which will have to be removed if it comes back. Most of all, though, they will give Ginger all the attention and bellyrubs (and toys!) a Golden could ever hope for.