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New member...sent my golden to the bridge

2K views 21 replies 19 participants last post by  Hali's Mom 
#1 ·
Hi,
I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Carolyn and I lost my 10 year old golden boy (Fletcher) to cancer on October 21st. He was my heart dog and I miss him terribly. I have an 8 year old golden girl (Gracie) that must wonder when her brother will be coming home. It is heartbreaking.
My husband and I plan to add to our family in the late spring/summer.
We may get a rescue...I am doing some research on that now.
if anyone had rescues a golden I would love to hear about it.
Going to read some posts and look around the forum
Thank you for reading.


Carolyn
 
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#3 ·
Hi Carolyn, welcome to the forum. I am very sorry for your loss of Fletcher. Unfortunately there are so many of us who do understand your heartbreak very well. Good luck in your search for a new addition to your family.
 
#4 ·
Welcome Carolyn, I'm Betty. I'm so sorry for your loss and that you had to find us under such sad circumstances. I think you will find a community that truly understands your grief and will be there to listen wherever that grief takes you. We'd love to hear stories about Fletcher and see pictures when you feel ready. You'll also find many here who have rescued and also those who are actively involved in rescue that can answer questions and give suggestions.
 
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#6 ·
Hi Carolyn, welcome.

I'm so very sorry for your loss of Fletcher, my heart goes out to you.

I lost my bridge boy to cancer Feb. 2011 at the age of 15.5, I know how devastating it is.

Both of my goldens are adopted, one from a GR Rescue and my new boy I found at my County Humane Society last year. Adopted dogs are very special.

I use to help the GR Rescue I adopted my girl from, they closed down last year. I you have questions or need some help regarding adopting through a Rescue, feel free to contact me. There are several members on the forum that volunteer with GR Groups in different states too that will be glad to help.
 
#7 ·
Hi Carolyn,

So very sorry for the loss of your Heart dog. Mine was lost 2 years ago to cancer at the age of 13 and the grief was unspeakable. both of my current Goldens are rescues. I have only ever had rescues and will only have rescues. As mentioned, they are very special dogs, and when you rescue them the reward you gain from that is immense. Too many people obtain this breed not understanding the commitment to their care, the potential health issues that can arise seemingly out of nowhere, and the general upkeep of their grooming and often toss them out like a shirt that they don't wear anymore. I thank God everyday for rescues, and for the tireless work they do to save these dogs from a life of neglect or worse, being put down because they are unwanted. The only Caveat if there is one, is to make sure that if you choose to rescue, make sure that the dog's history is given to you, if they have it. Not all Goldens have great temperment, especially if they came from an abused or neglected envirmoment. I would hate to see you invest in a rescue that has issues, or was surrendered due to aggression issues. There are lots of FINE rescues out there, and I promise you, there is a golden out there who needs your heart and your love. Good Luck finding your next Special Dog. xo
 
#8 ·
Welcome, Carolyn. So sorry about your loss of Fletcher. I too lost my heartdog, Fozzie, 4 months ago. There is great support on this forum. We are also consdering rescuing, or maybe a puppy, we haven't quite decided yet.
 
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#9 ·
Welcome to the Forum, where you will find a great many people who understand exactly what you are going through. Many of us find it helpful to start a thread where we can share photos and stories about a dog we are mourning. It helps to process the grief and remember the joyful times we shared.

The rescue forums are a good place to post questions about the whole rescue process and any problems with a rescued dog: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/#golden-retriever-rescue-forums.

Peace be with you,
Lucy
 
#10 ·
I'm so sorry about Fletcher, but welcome to the forum. If you want to go the rescue route get the word out to your veterinarian, that is how I got my Tucker. That is a total win as the vet knows the dogs history, the owners, and you. You may want to inquire breeders about older dogs they have too. Also check out Craigslist, Goldens do come up now and then.

Getting a Golden up here through a rescue is next to impossible but do encourage you to fill out the applications, you never know.
 
#12 ·
#13 ·
So sorry you lost your boy. I found this site when my senior rescue Finn "in my avatar" is sick and has since passed also. He is still so missed.

Do not hesitate to get a rescue! Finn was such a loving family member. Always made me proud when people met Finn and would ooh and aah over how pretty and well behaved he was, and when asked who the breeder was, I got to tell them he was a rescue.

+1 on contacting your area GR Rescue and get the prerequisites done. If/When the right dog is available, you are ready to adopt or possibly foster.
 
#17 ·
Thank you all for the welcome and a photo to share

What a great welcome and thank you so much. It means a lot to me to know I am not alone in the way that I feel. I am taking Fletcher's death a lot harder than my husband. Fletcher was my velcro dog and I am alone a lot more now. Gracie our 8 year old golden is usually with my husband.
Fletcher had a small bump removed from his lip last November and biopsy showed malignant melanoma. he had a second surgery to get wider margins and all was well. He started the melanoma vaccine. During testing it was discovered that he had chronic lymphoma but was never treated since he showed no symptoms. He was doing great until Oct.20 and he didn't want to eat. Took him to the ER with pale gums and being lethargic and he had fluid around his heart. Procedure to drain fluid had to stop since his heat started throwing arrythmias. It was hermangiosarcoma. We made the humane decision to send him to the bridge so he wouldn't suffer. We never had to watch him deteriorate and gave him a great life. I miss him all the time now.
Here is a picture of Fletcher at our wedding in 2010. He was the ring bearer.
Carolyn
 

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#19 ·
Such a beautiful boy! I know how you feel, I lost my heart dog, my Buddy 18 months ago and it was harder on me than my husband and daughter together. And it is still hard. I miss him so much from the moment I enter the house and do not see him at the door waiting for me. When I make a supper, he would be next to me and he loved veggies, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, just name it. And then comes plenty of time I could do something but do not feel like doing it, most of it I spend here on this forum. Sometimes I just sit next to the window looking outside like my Bud would do and I would be reading a book with his paw in my hand. See I cant even finish this post without crying.
I am very sorry for your loss. I added your boy to GRF Bridge list 2012.
 
#21 ·
Carolyn I am terribly sorry to hear about fletcher he was a handsome boy and I loved seeing him in your photos... It has been a long time and I feel like I ahve watched him grow forever.... it is heartbreaking to lose one of the kids and I think we all have been there at one time it is built into having a canine companion but I htink we all are in denial that we will be there. I know that you gave Fletcher a wonderful life... he was lucky to have you and you him. Give that girl a hug from me... I am glad you found the forum.
S
 
#22 ·
So sorry for your loss, I too lost my golden girl to cancer. An oral melanoma was discovered during a dental in Sept 2010 we had it removed and opted to not go with the series of vaccines as the vet believed he had gotten clear margins and the expense of the vaccines too great, $4000. In Feb of 2011, she developed lymphoma and within 3 days we had to let her go so even the vaccines would not have helped. :(
When the time comes please do pursue rescue there are so many goldens out there in need of homes. As has been stated, the rescue forum on this board is a great source of information and not all rescues require that you live in their state as long as they are able to have a home visit done by someone in your area. (often rescues will ask each other to do these)

Welcome to the forum.
:wavey:
 
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