Hogan, and Abby both age 12, come to GRR from a loving owner who just could not take care of them any longer.  A divorce, job change and move to an apartment left the sweet old seniors without the life they had been accustomed to.  They are a sweet and doting old pair with plenty of love left to share.  At this point, we believe it would be cruel to separate this pair that has been together loyally all of their lives.  They get along with everyone including their FOUR GR foster brother & sisters.  Both dogs have been SHAVED but will have lovely golden coats when they grow back out.  Abby & Hogan’s Foster Update:

Like an old married couple, Abby & Hogan are two halves of a whole.  Both age twelve, they have been together all their lives.  They raised 2 litters, for a total of 19 sons & daughters.  They sleep on the same pad, touching each other.   Hogan grooms Abby, checks on her & finishes her supper.   When Abby took a bath, Hogan paced & worried outside the bathroom door.  When allowed in the room, Hogan climbed in the tub with his beloved.

Hogan & Abby bring us joy and happiness.  They make us smile.  We feel a yearning to know what they must have been like in their primes; Hogan’s handsome, cheerful masculinity and Abby’s ladylike affection & calm.

Age has robbed both Goldens of vigor.  Abby moves stiffly and her body is marked with old-dog fatty bumps & lumps.  She is my shadow, near me as I work, loving my rubs, pets & kisses.  Abby grins and leans for more. 

Hogan is mostly deaf, so we gesture to get his attention.  He sometimes leans on us as he stands, and his warm body feels solid & comforting.  He looks uncoordinated & drunk when he moves, and on occasion he falls.  Still, Hogan blasts slow motion across the yard to retrieve tennis balls.  He walks the perimeter of our property, like a proud old man surveying his home site.  Hogan astounds us with his happy demeanor and optimism.  I’ve never seen him look sad or discouraged.  He is an old champion.

When they were young, Abby & Hogan went camping with their human dad.  They swam in rivers, socialized, and had adventures.  Once Hogan was playing ball in the river when a Pit Bull attacked him, ripping open his leg.  The camping trip was suspended while a Burnet vet sewed Hogan together.  Abby & Hogan took obedience class at age one.  Hogan did a superb “stay” in his prime.  Abby was more of a get-up-and-sniff kind of stayer.  Before their lives fell apart, they exercised in the family pool, waiting for the “Okay!” before jumping in.

Both Goldens are thrilled with their new lives.  They are thankful to be full-time housedogs once more.  They snooze in my office while I write, and recline on oriental rugs in the evening.  They are the first two Goldens – ever – to resist the urge to climb onto our sofas.  Abby & Hogan are game for our nightly 5:00 dog drive.  We hoist the Oldsters into the Explorer, along with their four slightly younger canine companions.  The six Golden Retrievers cruise the neighborhood, heads out the window, ears flapping, 15 miles per hour.  Bliss.

Abby & Hogan were recently shaved, so we don’t know what they’ll look like by fall.  Perhaps reddish gold fur will blend with white threads, glimmering, distinguished.   As I watch them in the early mornings, I reflect on the sweetness of lives well lived.  I don’t know if Abby & Hogan will live for months or for years longer.  I do know that these two will appreciate every moment.  This remaining, quiet time is to be cherished.

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