Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon

Crossed the Rainbow Bridge: October 22, 2006

 
It is with the greatest sadness that we inform you that our beloved dog, Harley (formerly Angus #138), crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" on October 22, 2006. Harley joined our family on July 1, 2001. When he came to us, he, like many rescue dogs, was incredibly needy and followed us around like a shadow. He didn't know how to bark or play. He was overweight and quickly became winded on walks.

After settling into our household, he found his voice and would let us know when it was time for his daily walk. There wasn't a day we could get away without walking him, no matter how bad the weather. Even near the very end of his life, when he lacked energy for much of anything, he insisted on at least a short two block walk to the post office. He relished car rides and could barely stand still while we put on his harness for these outings. Harley learned to play in limited ways with our other dog, Emma, but never seemed to understand why a dog would want to chase a ball and run away from the people he loved. He much preferred to stay where he had a chance of being petted. As his confidence increased, his neediness decreased. He doled out affection with gusto and considered every empty lap a personal invitation for him to have a seat.

There were so many times that we wondered about the first chapters of Harley's life, despite the fact that we knew he lived contentedly as a part of our family. We can only hope that we did right by him in the last chapter of his life. We struggled terribly (and still struggle today) with the decision to put him down. In a very short period of time, an aggressive tumor, which began in his abdomen, spread to his lungs, and robbed Harley of his vibrancy and good health. Putting him down seemed the only responsible thing we could do for this proud dog. Harley was such a good boy. The experience of bringing him into our home will surely encourage us to rescue other dogs, once the sadness of missing him subsides.

Many thanks to Golden Bond for connecting us with such a wonderful dog. Harley is missed by us daily and will always have a special place in our hearts.

Chris, Mary Jo and Emma