Ripley
The Golden Who Started It All
September 11, 1994 - January 25, 2005
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In 1996 I began my search for a
Golden Retriever of my own. At the time we had two mixed-breed dogs,
both retrievers, and my husband did not share in my desire to add a
third dog to our household.
With the persistence of five-year-old, I plotted my strategy. I would
wear him down with a non-stop discussion of Golden Retrievers and
attempt to get him to approve of a new addition to our family. And so it
was I joined the Golden @ Hobbes email list, thirsty to learn more about
this wonderful breed. I was online about a year and a half without a
golden of my own, but with an increasing desire to have one. |
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One fateful day I happened to walk
into our local PetsMart and noticed business cards for a rescue group
called “Friends of Retrievers” on the front. Hmmmm….a source of goldens?
Over the course of several months I would go to PetsMart to see the
dogs, always longing to take one home. My husband, ever practical,
always had the perfect excuse why we shouldn’t adopt. In the summer of
1997 we were taking a trip out of state, and so he said “maybe….after we
get back.” Well, I took that as a YES, and as soon as we were back home
I marched myself down one Saturday to see the goldens. |
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And there was “Chance”. He was just
days shy of his third birthday, and had been rescued from our local
animal shelter. His owners turned him in to the shelter with their Lab,
who was also rescued and had already been adopted out by the group.
Families would look at Chance, who had a very large knot on the top of
his head with a healing wound, and they’d pass him by. I looked at him
and saw a sweet, kind, loving Golden boy with a zest for life and a love
of people. By this time I’d gotten my son also interested in adopting,
so we went back home to talk to his dad. I told Ed that this dog would
be for my birthday, which was just a few days away. “Fine…do whatever
you want!” was his response. Okay, I did! On August 30, 1997, Ripley
joined my family and in short changed my life. |
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following year Ripley & I took a Therapy Dog training class with
Paws’itive Teams. Ripley earned his CGC and became certified as a
therapy dog through the Delta Society. We took trips to the beach, went
camping, and did all those things that goldens love to do. In 1998 we
fostered Fetchy-Poo, who became a permanent member of our family, and
also added Dexter. While Ed’s original “do whatever you want” wasn’t
exactly a whole hearted agreement with the adoption of Ripley, he soon
joined me in my love of the breed. |
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In 1999 we purchased our current home
“Golden Acres” which sits on five-acres. Barkley then joined our family
in March 1999. We fostered a few other dogs, but it wasn’t enough. There
are so many goldens in need and so little help for them. So, in 2002 we
constructed kennels to take in more fosters. We completed the
incorporation of the non-profit rescue, Retrievers & Friends of Southern
California, founded with my very good friend Liz who had started
“Friends of Retrievers” and brought Ripley into my life. |
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Tonight there will be an empty spot where Ripley has slept beside me on
my bed for the last 7 ½ years. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge this
morning, freeing his weary body from his pain. Ripley had hip dysplasia
as well as inoperable bone spurs. Medications had stopped helping him,
and the meds he’d taken had caused elevation of his liver enzymes.
Despite the fact he’d been off of the medications that had caused the
liver problems, his enzymes never completely returned to normal. He was
in pain, had stopped eating, had stopped enjoying life. But he is now
free and joins Barkley, Wilbur, Fetch, and Banjo. He also joins his
golden mix “sister” Jenni-Fur, who just passed to the bridge two days
ago. Our house feels so empty. |
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Today I grieve for the loss of my
very first golden, the boy who greeted me with kisses and slept next to
me. The dog who hated brooms and thought they were evil, and loved to
“kill” his woobies. Ripley loved to swim and loved to dig. He loved to
hunt and would present me with rabbits, squirrels and gophers. (Those
presents I could do without.) |
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as I cry I am crying not only for the loss of my very special friend,
but I am also crying tears of thankfulness that he came into my life and
changed it. |
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Please send comments, questions or suggestions to:
my7goldens@earthlink.net
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