Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon

Crossed the Rainbow Bridge: October 21, 2008

We were taking incoming calls for Golden Bond two years ago and received a call from a Marion County Sheriff who said he had obtained AJ (#1464) (now Sunny) from a family in Salem. The officer said he had been driving by a particular house in Salem for seven months, always seeing Sunny tied up in the front yard. He would be out in the blazing sun or the pouring rain. Unable to take it any longer he stopped to talk to the owners, who released him. He personally could not keep the dog because he had a duty dog and he could not have another, so he called Golden Bond. Sunny was a beautiful 10 year old red dog, who we would guess was a mix of Golden Retriever and Irish Setter. Sunny quickly settled in with us. He got along well with Angel, Bear and Muffy our cat. Patsy Nolte said she personally was looking for an older dog so we transported him to Wilsonville two days later. When we put him in the car, he acted strangely and whined and shook and crawled in Patty's lap. This tugged at our heartstrings.. When we met Patsy, we told her that if things did not work out at her house, to call us because we were getting pretty attached to this sweet guy. Upon returning home, almost immediately the phone rang, with Patsy calling to say he just wasn't getting along with her household at all. Needless to say we were right back out the door and on the road to Wilsonville to get our darling guy.

Sunny lived with us just over two years. Six months after adopting him, our vet determined he had a thyroid tumor. It seemed to be slow growing and he stated that surgery would be very complicated. We considered Sunny's age and decided to just make him comfortable. The result was he made us comfortable. He was always sweet loving and a comfort. When we took him out he always attracted young people especially girls because of his prominent Mohawk-looking hair that lightened in the sunshine. Sunny loved to travel especially to the residential facility in Newport to see Patty's mother. All the older folks loved to talk and to pet Sunny who enjoyed every minute of it. He was a great companion and we miss him every day.

  
Together we said goodbye to Sunny as Dr. Ken gently helped him cross the rainbow bridge, where Angel and his other dog friends waited to show him the very best places to run and chase squirrels in the sunshine. Sunny gave us laughter, joy, good times, unconditional love and devotion and we treasure his memory.

Adopted September 2, 2006

Flunking Fostering 601

It is amazing what happens when you're in the middle of being perfectly content with two Golden Bond dogs (Angel and Bear), and yet another foster dog is brought to your door for ‘a couple of days.' Our very first foster experience was with a sweet old guy named Rusty, who was adopted by a wonderful couple from Canada. In the years since, there have been many others who have shared our home and hearts. We've had the opportunity to spend good reunion time with some of them at the annual Golden Bond picnics.

We always were completely in love with each and every one, and tears were shed as our guys drove away with their new and happy families. That is the absolute joy in fostering – to see these wonderful dogs find forever homes with those who will always love and care for them, who have given them second chances for happy lives.

And so it was with a 10-year old, dark red bundle of love, brought to us by a caring deputy sheriff who called one Sunday evening. A.J. (#1464) completely won us over with his gentleness and big, brown soulful eyes. (We all know how Goldens wrap themselves around our hearts in an instant.) A.J. captivated Dr. Ken Lindsay and his staff members, Bonnie and Michelle, when we took him in for needed shots and neutering.

We each spent hours and hours ‘explaining' to each other why we didn't need a third dog, and that A.J. would find a wonderful home like all of our other fosters have done. Even as we drove up I-5 to meet Patsy; and A.J. climbed over the back seat and into my lap, shivering and shaking the entire time, Don and I kept trying to convince ourselves (and each other) that we were doing the right thing. Don's last words to Patsy were to please call us if she had any concerns about adding him to their menagerie; to please let us know.

Our return home was dark and gloomy on the brightest of summer days. When Patsy called to tell us that he wasn't playing well with others, we were back on the road in a New York minute, and the rest (as they say) is history.

New beginnings call for a new name and he is now Sunny. He and Angel and Bear are constant companions and get along very well. Even Muffy, the cat tolerates another big fur ball in her world. We've taken him camping and to the beach and he spent yesterday as a ‘therapy dog in training' at a meeting, where he charmed all in attendance. Sunny has found his forever home… and we have discovered there is enough space in our rooms and especially our hearts for another dog.