About a year and a half ago, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across an urgent post about a golden retriever breeder “bitch.” I thought, “Perfect! I’m the adopter in the family, and my husband has a long-standing love for goldens.” We brought Dolly into our home, where she met our dog Lily. After receiving approval for our safe and gated yard, Dolly left with a bowl of fresh cherry tomatoes, sealing the deal. We were on our way to adopting Daisy, envisioning a fun, easy-going, happy golden retriever.
Well, that’s not quite what we got! What we got was much better—the opportunity to help an injured body and soul start to heal. I say “start” because it’s an ongoing process. We picked up a fearful, ungroomed, and overweight but lovely girl. On her first night at home, it became apparent that she had no idea what to do when we opened the door for her to go into our gated yard. The concept of sleeping in a bed was completely foreign—great, our chance to break that habit! But then I picked (well, hefted) her up into our bed to hold her.
The most upsetting moment came early on when I swiped my foot along the floor to move something near her. Her fear and backward skirting to get out of the way made it all too clear that she had felt a kick during her five years and five litters. Within the first week, I heard a cough I recognized from Lily, my dog adopted from New Orleans—heartworm. Sure enough, Daisy had to endure months of painful shots and heartworm treatment.
A month or so later, we saw another urgent call, this time for Sasha, another golden retriever discarded after four litters. We thought we would just foster her—well, we foster failed. While their personalities are night and day, their experiences and resilience are similar. Sasha leaps and bounds from the car, knows no boundaries, and is a typical needy golden looking for the next pet. Yet, if we open the door for her, she goes to the bathroom on the concrete two feet from the door because she grew up only knowing concrete. She has the same reaction if anyone in our family inadvertently makes a kicking motion in her view. Fortunately, Sasha did not have the health hardships that Daisy faced.
How does the story end? Time will tell. We love giving them new experiences. Can you imagine a boat ride and a run on the beach for these girls? A swim in the pool? A bone? Grooming? A regular vet checkup? It’s all new and a mix of fear and excitement, just like it is for us as their parents. This is uncharted territory for all of us, and if you have the compassion and willingness to understand that adopting an adult dog may not have the same known elements as the puppy in the window, the rewards are tenfold for both you and these wonderful dogs who get to experience a new life full of unconditional love and assurance that we are here for them.
The best feeling? Daisy, who used to tremble at the sight of our car due to years of negative associations, now waits impatiently for me every morning to put on my sneakers and take her for a walk by the canal.
By Guest Writer: Missy Root
Do you have a pet story you would like to share? We’d love to hear it! Submit your story and images to: admin@maxsarkrescue.org
