Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon

Crossed the Rainbow Bridge October 6, 2011

Parkwood Flying Sunbeam, aka Beamer #2161 came to live here as a foster on July 7, 2011.  He was a tall boy and (at 97 pounds) overweight.  He had recently turned 13 years old.  He was lumpy with fatty tumors, his coat was matted in places, but he had great dignity and even greater patience.  New to my home, he lay motionless for over an hour while I carefully trimmed away all his fur balls.  Then his infected ears underwent treatment.  He never complained.

Daily walks and very limited treats helped the extra pounds melt away and his walking seemed to improve.  A change in diet also changed his ears from gooey to healthy.  I worried, though, about how he’d do when the weather turned cold and windy.  He just couldn’t walk fast enough to keep warm.

The weather turned from summer to fall, and one day Beamer had real trouble getting onto all four feet.  I thought that the wet weather was affecting his arthritis.  Several weeks passed and reality hit.  Beamer had another and much worse morning where he couldn’t stand up, his hind legs went every which way and Beam seemed distressed.  I finally got him standing and walking, but sometimes the walking was painfully abnormal.

The good folks at Golden Bond Rescue and I knew that Beamer would not improve but would only deteriorate.  He’d lose his dignity and his love of life.  So, the very painful decision was made to grant him a dignified ending to life.  He’s now joined his deceased life-long mistress.  Their ashes will be scattered together.

Beamer's Available Story

Hi!  I’m Beamer #2161 but I hear that I have a pedigree name, too.  Not that I like to brag but I’m told that I’m the nicest 13 year old guy you could ever wish for ‘cause I’m a true Golden.  I love to be petted, but I have pretty nice manners about it.  I like to go for walks, but I can’t walk for a long, long way.  I love the beach in my quiet, dignified way.  I don’t usually play with toys, but at the beach I like to retrieve.  I don’t run, but I walk after toys even into the ocean and I bring those toys back.

I get along fine with most other dogs though I tried to fence-fight with my foster mom’s horrible neighbor dog.  One time I did that fence fighting all by myself.  I thought that Horrible Dog was out in her yard, but I couldn’t see through the wooden fence.

Foster mom doesn’t have any cats but her mom does.  Wahoo!  I like to chase cats.  Too bad they are faster than I am.

I haven’t met a person that I don’t like.  I love attention and also love treats, but foster mom says that I’ve had way, way too many treats so I’m on a diet.  It’s working, too.  I weighed 97 pounds when I came to live here and now I’m down to 90 pounds.  Trouble is, I need to lose at least 5 more pounds (sigh).  Maybe when I weigh less, I’ll have fewer fatty deposits.  I still feel lumpy and bumpy when you pet me.  The vet checked out some of my lumps and all were just plain fat.

For an old dude, I’m pretty healthy.  I just started taking thyroid pills and I slurp those babies right up.  Now I occasionally trot for a few steps because I feel more lively.  I probably have laryngeal paralysis ‘cause I pant loudly; just walking makes me breathe hard.  Oh, and I have the Golden Retriever food allergy issues.  However, my foster mom feeds me Natural Balance Potato and Duck dog food.  My itching has stopped, my fur feels nicer to pet, and my ear infections haven’t come back.  I LOVE my food, but I use my good manners and I chew each bite 10, well – maybe two or three, times.

Oh, yeah.  I don’t “do” stairs.  I didn’t grow up with stairs and my hind end plays tricks with me so I look down the stairs or look up the stairs but I just don’t “do” stairs.  I can walk up and down two steps to get outside to toilet or to go for walks but that’s it.

My unsteady back end makes getting into and out of vehicles hard, too.  I need a low, wide area to enter or I’ll need to be lifted into a car or I’ll need a ramp.  I’m still 90 pounds (well, I’m a big-boned, tall guy) so lifting might be a problem.  I’ve learned to jump in the side door on foster mom’s van.

My house manners are wonderful.  Even though I’m on a diet and I’d love to eat more, I have never bothered food on the counter.  I might try to sleep on the couch, but chairs are out.  They’re much too small and I don’t curl up.  I’ve never had a toileting problem and when I do go pee, I squat.  You won’t have to worry about me heisting my leg on your flowers, shrubs or especially on your furniture.  I never, never toilet in the house.

If you are interested in giving a great Golden Oldie a chance, I’m probably the guy for you.  I have my Obedience Title and my deceased mistress let me be a Therapy dog. I'm really looking forward to meeting my forever family!