Oro is about 4 years old and is very calm and gentle. He is a Golden Retriever mix and will be about 55 pounds when back to full weight. He is a perfect size for those looking for a smaller dog. He is great with other dogs and cats. He loves children, does NOT jump up and is quite polite. He appears housebroken and is crate trained. He is quite smart, eager to please and would do well in any home that will love him for his own true beauty! Here is his story:

I doubt Oro has ever had a real life. I am not even sure he knew humans were fun and loving until about 2 weeks ago.  He may have had a home, but they didn't put a collar & tags on him. More likely, he grew out of the cute puppy stage and was relegated to the back yard and mostly forgotten. On 12/20/01, he woke up cold, alone, hungry and injured in the middle of northeast Texas -- it was probably like any other day in his life, minus the injured part.  As he was struggling along a highway, he had no idea his life was about to change forever.  A couple spotted him limping along the highway. The Good Samaritans must have been sent as Oro's guardian angels - they drove to the next exit and turned back to help him. They followed the struggling dog into a field beside the road.  Upon closer inspection, they found trusting eyes in a half-starved, injured mess.

They scooped the emaciated body up and into the warm truck. They took the ailing pooch to their vet - Is he OK, can you help him? Was he hit by a car, mistreated by humans? The vet told the kind couple that the sweet dog with the loving eyes had been attacked by another dog and was torn up pretty badly.  He also had heartworms. The vet wanted to keep Oro overnight to see how he would do, "We'll know more in the morning..." he warned.

Thinking he was a Golden Retriever, they went home and frantically e-mailed numerous GR and all breed rescue groups to find help for the boy they had named "Oro", the Spanish word for Gold.

GRR got one of the desperate pleas for help.  He was far away from Austin but nobody else answered their plea.  Oro made it through the night and the next day.  The couple pleaded with GRR to help him.  They did not have the means to do so and were willing to bring him all the way to Austin if we could help.  Oro arrived on December 21st and one look revealed he was definitely not all Golden Retriever.  However, the trusting and pleading eyes could not be turned away: "I've worked so hard to survive and these people have brought me so far.... Please help me..." the eyes begged. To make the thought of rejecting him worse, he licked and nuzzled my hand as if to say, "I won't be any trouble, please let me come in..."  Not having the heart to turn him away I gently picked up the injured 45 pounder and was amazed at how frail he was - a bag of bones but full of courage and sheer determination to survive.

A trip to the bathtub was in order - it took nearly an hour to get a 45 pound dog clean but he endured it like a trooper.  It was during that bath, I saw the true beauty in Oro.  He has the most Golden personality I have ever seen. Under the dirt, grime and dried blood, lived a sprit of hope, love, loyalty and faith.  He stood patiently through lather after lather and rinse after rinse. He was far too polite to shake water all over me and the bathroom.  He was just grateful someone was paying attention to him.  I realized it might have been the first time in his life he had felt loving and caring hands, even if it was just for a bath! 

After he was clean, I surveyed:  Hmm... what are you, little fella? The best answer I could come up with is part Golden and part good old fashioned mutt!  He soaked up the attention and scrutiny.  He leaned into me and licked my hand as any typical GR would do, saying, "I am GR at heart, really I am!"  He is quite cute in his own way - not the classic chiseled features of the GR's we are used to.  Oro has the GR smiling look to his face and lovely eyes.  He has a fluffy but not overly full coat that will look much better after he gets some good nutrition.  He is smaller than most GR's and will be about 55 pounds at optimum weight.

I tucked him in on a bed of blankets to rest and fed him dinner. Oro was literally starving to death but ate like a polite gentleman and did not wolf his food.  I let him out to go potty.  He did his business and then went over and curled up in a tight little ball by the trash can to keep warm.  I called to him and he thumped his tail as if to say, "Thanks for dinner!"   I had to go get him and gently lead him back into the house.  He stared at me in disbelief as I settled him back on his blankets - "You mean I get to come back INSIDE?"  A few hours later he was still quite happy hanging out in the house and being adored by all.  He was definitely a keeper, whatever he was.  He had all the temperament and personality attributes people look for in GR's and he was smaller and shorter coated to boot!

His wounds appeared infected and a trip to the vet was made. Poor fella had to spend Christmas at the dog hospital but was truly glad to be inside, warm, fed and with people.  Oro had a raging infection and was treated with antibiotics.  He spent a week at the vets and is doing fine - he's out of the woods and will undergo his heartworm treatment after he gains a few pounds. He can't wait for a new family to spend his New Year and new life with.  He'd love to be a lap dog - his favorite thing is to nuzzle his head on your lap or roll over for you to rub his tummy.  

The vet staff has glowing things to say about the happy little fellow: "He is the sweetest dog in the world, no matter what you do to him, painful or not, he just laps up the attention.  There is not a mean bone in his body! He is truly grateful for any kind word, pat or gesture.  He's quite smart and tries hard to please"  They think he is very lucky to have landed at GRR so he will get the wonderful home he so desperately deserves.

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