We just lost our beloved 12 year old Ashley, and her brother Toller is lost..Ashley was never sick a day in her life.She went to the vet for what we thought was an upset tummy and found she had cancer around her heart..and she collapsed at the vet. We had to let her go to Rainbow Bridge..Shock and a hole in our hearts..

Please help us find a golden girl..

Bob and Carolyn-480 363 0732

Oh I am so sorry. I know the pain you are feeling. We live in Prescott and our golden is from a Calif. breeder (Sunbeam Goldens). Our vet here has lots of wonderful things to say about the Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue. Good luck and my thoughts are with you.

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Dis is da gamboi an da Gussee an angels BoBo an Emmikins

"What we have enjoyed we never lose. All that we loved deeply becomes a part of us." Helen Keller

Oh thank you so much.. yes we are looking in to rescue, but we really want to make sure we have good health information..we have submitted an application for Golden Rescue, but we want to look at all possibilities..having had one seizure golden that dies so young, and now Ashley dying to cancer..we really want to find a good breeder..our hearts are broken, and we can not stop crying. Our Nova Scotia toller keeps searching and crying for his "mom"..this is the worse pani..right at Christmas time..(( tears and tears..))

This forum is a wonderful place to find people that understand the pain you are going through. When you feel able share some pictures of Ashley. Remember she will always be in your heart and always continue to be a part of your life but just in a different way. We have had 6 goldens over the years and all from great breeders but we still dealt with cancer so even from the best breeder there are no guarantees. If you buy from a breeder I absolutely believe making sure your breeder does all the clearances gives you a much better chance in the health of your dog but there are still the unknowns. I guess what I am saying is that rescues, even though you may not have all the health background you want, are a wonderful way to go too.

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Dis is da gamboi an da Gussee an angels BoBo an Emmikins

"What we have enjoyed we never lose. All that we loved deeply becomes a part of us." Helen Keller

Here is a link for the Golden Retriever Club of America Puppy Referral. You can search by State or Region.

Contact the GR Club in your area for a referral.

GRCA Puppy Referral:Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA)

So very sorry for the loss of your sweet girl.

Vw

I just sent you a msg. Did not understand your post at first.
I am so very sorry about Ashley and I hope you find a dog through Golden Ret. Rescue or a Breeder.
National Rescue Committee of the Golden Retriever Club of America

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[IMG]http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii215

Tonka & Tucker

SNOBEAR at the Bridge
Dec. 23, 1999-March 27, 2010


SMOOCH at the Bridge.
Feb. 14, 1999-Dec. 7, 2010

Thank you all, wonderful people...we are so lost..Ashley was a wise, loving beautiful girl.. she always knew what we were thinking..just looked at us with those eyes..human in her understanding..she never was a "dog", but a real being ..you all know what I mean...

Yes, Bob, I think we all know exactly what you mean. And we feel the same way. I'm so sorry about Ashley. I lost my wonderful heart dog a few months ago, and it was the same thing. One minute he was healthy, the next minute he was dying of cancer. The great thing about Ashley's death is that she was a healthy, happy dog right up until the last hours of her life. And that's the best we can hope for any of us, human or canine.

I don't know any breeders in AZ. I do know that a lot of AZ residents get Golden puppies in California, though, like gold4me, above. There are some really wonderful breeders here in California, and you might consider making a trip of it. I can tell you that gold4me's breeder, Sunbeam Goldens, is just about to have a litter (if she doesn't have it already). PM me if you want her contact information.

A word about cancer. I don't know how you avoid it. It's in so many Goldens. They all have to die of something, though. I think the best you can do is look for a line with good healthy and longevity. You can check out the history of a particular breeding on k9data.com and other online resources, and ask the breeders you talk to about how long their dogs live and what they tend to die from. While the pain of losing Ashley is terrible, in my humble opinion, she went the way I would want to go: a dog living a dog's life right up to the end.

Hi Bob, I am so sorry for your loss. The forum is such a great place. I really hope you find information, companionship and support here like I do.

If you see my signature it will be obvious that the breeder I chose is Debbie of Wildfire goldens. I do know she has plans for spring puppies. If you are interested, you can check out her website Wildfire Golden Retrievers of Arizona, Golden Retrievers, Chandler, AZ

I am in Arizona and while I am not a breeder, I do show and I will PM you some additional information if you want to stay local. You will not be able to PM back until you hit 15 posts.

You also should read the stickies at the top of the choosing a puppy section. They contain some really awesome information to help you as you start looking.

You will also want to become familiar with researching on Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and web.vmdb.org to check or double check health clearences. I also find K9DATA.COM Home Page which is a database of Golden Retriever pedigrees and information a useful tool as well.

Reputable breeders should be testing for:
Hips through OFA at 2 years or older
Elbows through OFA at 2 years or older
Hearts through OFA done by a cardiologist at 1 year or older
Eyes annually through CERF or OFA. Most will be CERF since OFA has just this year started to offer clearences for eyes. so, I would expect to see both in the future.

Unfortunately there is no reliable tests for cancer. But you should choose a breeder who is testing for what they can influence with good breeding choices.

Good luck in your search. If you would like us to double check the clearences with you, just post the sire and dam info. This group is great at giving you a double check.

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Laura, Jinx, and Rocky
UKC CH Wildfire's A Kind of Magic CGC
http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=474956
Rocky the old min pin who thinks he's a golden

I highly recommend Deborah Wheat at Wildfire Goldens as well. She is a wonderful conscientious breeder with beautiful dogs.

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