This was my first golden retriever..He was a prosecution case when i worked for the rspca and was on his way to be put down when i looked in the inspectors van and saw him..he only weighed 20 pounds his hair was falling out ..but their was something about him so i started to do a begging act..and allthough the inspector said no way he is very aggresive as he was chained up in the garden ..as the woman of the house didnt like dog hairs and didnt realise how boisterous goldens could be so she used to hit him over the head with a stick..so his ears were also damaged from being beaten ..he loathed cats as they used to feed the cat and starve him ..any way i took him home my husband nearly had a fit when he came home for lunch this dog leaping around wild and not house trained....but persevere i did he bit me every day for months as he didnt like women..but eventually he grew trust..we had him castrated "SORRY MEN "" and used to feed him small amounts several times a day..eventually he put weight on and his hair grew back and he looked normal..his behaviour improved and he used to have odd flash backs and would get aggresive if he saw a man in a cap we reckon the previouse owner must have worn a cap..but we were allways carefull with him..he sadly died aged 6 so we only had him for four and a half years..he had a brain tumour and turned nasty again probably due to the beatings he used to get..well i had a small child in the house and it was a nightmare..their was nothing the vet could do..so we had to let him go to sleep..well i havnt got many photos of him but i saw his face in one today so i worked magic on him..Its funny but i still miss him and at least he had a few years of happiness..he was the most intelligent retriever i have owned if i told him to fetch something from the kitchen he would and he could open any door handle or knob...he used to sing to coronation street music..and he was brilliant..
Wildflower what a lovely story,though I know what I would have liked to have done to the previous owners...Tina used to sing,but mainly when the smoke alarm went off :D :D
Yes i too would have liked to chain his previouse owners up and left them under a tree.. still he had a good life with us allthough we had to make a lot of sacrifices as he was okay with us but we didnt let the daughter bring her friends in just in case...he never grew too his full height or weight but that didnt really matter..I had to assist with him being put down as he had the vet up the wall and the only person he trusted was me..and i can tell you it really upset me for weeks..we have all seen him since we had him put down sometimes you see a tail going round a corner..and think you imagined it..once after he had gone i was in the house with the new golden retriever luther he was only a puppy and a friend was visiting and i said i miss kym as he was a good guard dog and all of a sudden the door flew open and their was no wind..and the visitor made a hasty departure...it was kym come back to look after the house...he is with us in spirit...
Very touching, Wildflower. Kym was more than fortunate that you found him and, as you say, he had a few good years of quality! Bless you!
Thanks lol..its just a shame i didnt have much of a camera in those days..and havnt got a really good photo of him..I am now pestering the other half to climb into the loft to fetch an old suitcase of photos down..their may be a better one i could enlarge and print in their..!! :D
Look forward to seeing it! ) Give you a chance to sort those photos out too ... a winter project? D We started this past winter, believe it or not must have thrown 1,000 away, plus all the negatives as you don't need those nowadays. Will finish the project this winter! :eek:
Welldone Wildflower. Anyone who takes on a stray/cast_out/cast_off and puts in the effort and nurture into any creature gets a vote in my book. I absolutely abhor cruelty to animals (and of course humans!) I cannot read about it in the newspapers or watch it on the tv as it profoundly effects me for days, sometimes weeks afterwards - I know that I am a coward. I give to the CP & RSPCA charities, but for the life of my could not do the 'hands on rescue' that these people do. I do my 'little bit'. Living by the river I'm always rescuing ducks/swans/geese and of course if there is a neighbourhood cat/dog/rabbit lost - I'm first on patrol lol. And my StinkyTrollop (cat) was a bad case of neglect now nurtured back to 'annoying' good health. You gave him a life again, and now in his afterlife he thanks you with his visits.
Your story brought tears to my eyes Wildflower. Taking on a dog like Kym was a very unselfish act - but it is a very rewarding experience isnt it? My rescue didnt have so many probs but has proved to be difficult in a few ways :rolleyes: You should feel very proud of yourself for looking after Kym and allowing him to live a normal life, knowing love, at last
Marge it was amazing as the rspca inspector said he couldnt believe he was the same dog when he saw him 12 months later..its funny this was 1984 and that branch of the rspca send me a xmas card and letter every year..I am on my 3rd golden retriever now ..the spoiled out of his brains one that i have now and their was one inbetween..That rescue was the smartest he was also funny..I remember my dad picking us up and driving to rhyl and i had kym in the back with me and every time the car slowed down kym would start to whine and tap dad on his shoulder ..well he was just excited as he was going on a day trip..then we got stuck in a traffic jam and he kept whining ..singing and constantly tapping dad on his shoulder..so dad bundled me and kym out the car and we walked the length of the traffic jam and when dad eventually caught us up we got back in the car,,its funny really as i havnt got so many memories off my last retriever allthough he lived till the age of 12..The one i have now i love him to bits i dread him going..
Lovely memories Wildflower Its true, they give you so much you cant bare to think of them no longer with you. But when its time for them to go, you'll always have the most precious gift of memories - no one can take them away from you
I can't see the keys for tears - what a fabulous story to hear of someone taking that sort of care and giving real love - AND getting it back so long afterwards. You know they are there don't you?
I have got my case of old photos and i really havnt got a decent picture of him but i found this and zoom it loads of times and its not bad..
